Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Arkansas

Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate

Phillips County had the highest poverty rate of 75 counties in 2015, at 37.3%. Saline County had the lowest, at 10.7%. The median was 20.8% and the figure for Arkansas was 18.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest37.3Phillips County
Lowest10.7Saline County
Median20.875 counties
Arkansas18.7History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Phillips CountyPhillips County: 37.3 %37.3Lee CountyLee County: 35.9 %35.9Chicot CountyChicot County: 31.4 %31.4Desha CountyDesha County: 30.9 %30.9Monroe CountyMonroe County: 30.9 %30.9St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 30.7 %30.7Bradley CountyBradley County: 28 %28Jackson CountyJackson County: 27.5 %27.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 26.5 %26.5Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 26.3 %26.3Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 25.9 %25.9Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 25.8 %25.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 25.1 %25.1Sharp CountySharp County: 24.6 %24.6Polk CountyPolk County: 24.4 %24.4Newton CountyNewton County: 24.2 %24.2Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 24.1 %24.1Nevada CountyNevada County: 24 %24Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 23.9 %23.9Columbia CountyColumbia County: 23.8 %23.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 23.7 %23.7Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 22.8 %22.8Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 22.7 %22.7Clark CountyClark County: 22.5 %22.5Miller CountyMiller County: 22.3 %22.3Searcy CountySearcy County: 22.2 %22.2Sebastian CountySebastian County: 22.1 %22.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 21.8 %21.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.8 %21.8Cross CountyCross County: 21.5 %21.5Stone CountyStone County: 21.5 %21.5Dallas CountyDallas County: 21.3 %21.3Drew CountyDrew County: 21.2 %21.2Clay CountyClay County: 20.8 %20.8Hot Spring CountyHot Spring County: 20.8 %20.8Pope CountyPope County: 20.8 %20.8Scott CountyScott County: 20.8 %20.8Sevier CountySevier County: 20.8 %20.8Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 20.7 %20.7Logan CountyLogan County: 20.5 %20.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Phillips County37.3
2Lee County35.9
3Chicot County31.4
4Desha County30.9
4Monroe County30.9
6St. Francis County30.7
7Bradley County28
8Jackson County27.5
9Jefferson County26.5
10Mississippi County26.3
11Crittenden County25.9
12Woodruff County25.8
13Lincoln County25.1
14Sharp County24.6
15Polk County24.4
16Newton County24.2
17Hempstead County24.1
18Nevada County24
19Poinsett County23.9
20Columbia County23.8
21Lawrence County23.7
22Ouachita County22.8
23Lafayette County22.7
24Clark County22.5
25Miller County22.3
26Searcy County22.2
27Sebastian County22.1
28Johnson County21.8
28Montgomery County21.8
30Cross County21.5
30Stone County21.5
32Dallas County21.3
33Drew County21.2
34Clay County20.8
34Hot Spring County20.8
34Pope County20.8
34Scott County20.8
34Sevier County20.8
39Arkansas County20.7
40Logan County20.5
41Little River County19.9
42Izard County19.8
43Union County19.7
43White County19.7
45Ashley County19.6
45Prairie County19.6
47Fulton County19.4
47Pulaski County19.4
49Garland County19.3
50Van Buren County19
51Madison County18.8
51Marion County18.8
53Howard County18.7
54Pike County18.5
55Franklin County18.2
56Cleveland County18.1
57Independence County18
58Conway County17.8
58Yell County17.8
60Randolph County17.6
61Craighead County17.3
62Greene County17.1
63Washington County16.9
64Perry County16.8
65Calhoun County16.7
66Carroll County16.6
67Boone County16.5
68Baxter County16.4
69Cleburne County15.6
70Faulkner County14.8
71Crawford County14.4
72Grant County13.2
73Lonoke County11.9
74Benton County10.8
75Saline County10.7

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Phillips County, with 37.3% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Saline County, with 10.7% in 2015.

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