Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate, 2024

Lee County had the highest poverty rate of 75 counties in 2024, at 41.3%. Benton County had the lowest, at 8.4%. The median was 17.7% and the figure for Arkansas was 15.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest41.3Lee County
Lowest8.4Benton County
Median17.775 counties
Arkansas15.3History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 41.3 %41.3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 35.8 %35.8St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 30.6 %30.6Chicot CountyChicot County: 27.9 %27.9Desha CountyDesha County: 25.9 %25.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 25.8 %25.8Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 25.6 %25.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 25.1 %25.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 22.8 %22.8Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 22.5 %22.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 22.3 %22.3Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 22.1 %22.1Nevada CountyNevada County: 21.4 %21.4Izard CountyIzard County: 21.3 %21.3Miller CountyMiller County: 21.3 %21.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 21.2 %21.2Searcy CountySearcy County: 21 %21Bradley CountyBradley County: 20.6 %20.6Clark CountyClark County: 20.4 %20.4Columbia CountyColumbia County: 20.4 %20.4Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 20.4 %20.4Scott CountyScott County: 20.3 %20.3Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 20 %20Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 20 %20Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 19.8 %19.8Dallas CountyDallas County: 19.3 %19.3Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 19.3 %19.3Newton CountyNewton County: 19.3 %19.3Ashley CountyAshley County: 19 %19Sharp CountySharp County: 18.9 %18.9Johnson CountyJohnson County: 18.8 %18.8Howard CountyHoward County: 18.5 %18.5Craighead CountyCraighead County: 18.4 %18.4Cross CountyCross County: 18.4 %18.4Pike CountyPike County: 18.4 %18.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 18.1 %18.1Drew CountyDrew County: 17.8 %17.8Polk CountyPolk County: 17.7 %17.7Stone CountyStone County: 17.7 %17.7Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 17.6 %17.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Lee County41.3+2.6 pts
2Phillips County35.8+1.6 pts
3St. Francis County30.6-3.7 pts
4Chicot County27.9-1.8 pts
5Desha County25.9+0.9 pts
6Lincoln County25.8-0.4 pts
7Woodruff County25.6+1.2 pts
8Jackson County25.1+0.5 pts
9Monroe County22.8-3.5 pts
10Crittenden County22.5+1.9 pts
11Jefferson County22.3-2 pts
12Poinsett County22.1+3 pts
13Nevada County21.4-1.8 pts
14Izard County21.3+1 pts
14Miller County21.3-0.2 pts
16Lawrence County21.2+2.9 pts
17Searcy County21+0.8 pts
18Bradley County20.6-2.6 pts
19Clark County20.4+1.5 pts
19Columbia County20.4-2.9 pts
19Lafayette County20.4-2.4 pts
22Scott County20.3+0.8 pts
23Arkansas County20+3.2 pts
23Mississippi County20-4.9 pts
25Montgomery County19.8+1 pts
26Dallas County19.3-0.3 pts
26Hempstead County19.3+2.7 pts
26Newton County19.3+0.5 pts
29Ashley County19+0.6 pts
30Sharp County18.9-0.8 pts
31Johnson County18.8+1.7 pts
32Howard County18.5+0.7 pts
33Craighead County18.4+2.3 pts
33Cross County18.4-0.7 pts
33Pike County18.4+0.2 pts
36Randolph County18.1-0.4 pts
37Drew County17.8-2.8 pts
38Polk County17.7-1.1 pts
38Stone County17.70 pts
40Ouachita County17.6-1.2 pts
41White County17.4+1.7 pts
42Independence County17+3.5 pts
43Pope County16.9+3.4 pts
44Union County16.8-2.2 pts
45Van Buren County16.7+0.2 pts
46Carroll County16.4+1.6 pts
46Marion County16.4-1 pts
48Fulton County16.3-1.2 pts
48Little River County16.3-1.4 pts
50Pulaski County16+0.3 pts
51Clay County15.9-1.6 pts
51Prairie County15.9+0.5 pts
51Yell County15.9-0.6 pts
54Sevier County15.6-3.1 pts
55Hot Spring County15.4-1.5 pts
55Logan County15.4-1.2 pts
57Perry County14.8+0.7 pts
58Calhoun County14.6+0.3 pts
59Conway County14.3-2.8 pts
60Garland County14.2-4.7 pts
61Crawford County14.1+0.8 pts
61Greene County14.1-2.1 pts
63Baxter County14-2 pts
63Cleveland County14-1.7 pts
65Franklin County13.7-5.3 pts
66Grant County13.5+2.4 pts
66Washington County13.50 pts
68Cleburne County13.4-0.1 pts
69Madison County12.9-1.9 pts
69Sebastian County12.9+0.1 pts
71Faulkner County12.5-0.4 pts
72Boone County11.8-3.1 pts
73Lonoke County10+0.4 pts
74Saline County9.8+0.5 pts
75Benton County8.4+0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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Rank Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lee County, with 41.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Benton County, with 8.4% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Arkansas: more rankings