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

Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate

Lee County had the highest poverty rate of 75 counties in 2016, at 35.9%. Saline County had the lowest, at 8.7%. The median was 19.1% and the figure for Arkansas was 17.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.9Lee County
Lowest8.7Saline County
Median19.175 counties
Arkansas17.2History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 35.9 %35.9Phillips CountyPhillips County: 32.3 %32.3St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 31.6 %31.6Chicot CountyChicot County: 30.1 %30.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 27.6 %27.6Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 27.4 %27.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 27 %27Desha CountyDesha County: 26.5 %26.5Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 26.3 %26.3Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 25.5 %25.5Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 24.7 %24.7Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 24.6 %24.6Columbia CountyColumbia County: 24.2 %24.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 24.1 %24.1Bradley CountyBradley County: 23.5 %23.5Polk CountyPolk County: 23.4 %23.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 23.3 %23.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 23.2 %23.2Searcy CountySearcy County: 23.1 %23.1Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 22.7 %22.7Miller CountyMiller County: 22.4 %22.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 22.4 %22.4Clark CountyClark County: 22.3 %22.3Stone CountyStone County: 21.8 %21.8Sharp CountySharp County: 21.3 %21.3Dallas CountyDallas County: 20.8 %20.8Sevier CountySevier County: 20.8 %20.8Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 20.7 %20.7Marion CountyMarion County: 20.7 %20.7Nevada CountyNevada County: 20.4 %20.4Izard CountyIzard County: 20.1 %20.1Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 20 %20Newton CountyNewton County: 19.9 %19.9Scott CountyScott County: 19.7 %19.7Cross CountyCross County: 19.4 %19.4Union CountyUnion County: 19.3 %19.3Drew CountyDrew County: 19.2 %19.2Clay CountyClay County: 19.1 %19.1Conway CountyConway County: 18.9 %18.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 18.9 %18.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Lee County35.90 pts
2Phillips County32.3-5 pts
3St. Francis County31.6+0.9 pts
4Chicot County30.1-1.3 pts
5Lincoln County27.6+2.5 pts
6Lafayette County27.4+4.7 pts
7Monroe County27-3.9 pts
8Desha County26.5-4.4 pts
9Woodruff County26.3+0.5 pts
10Crittenden County25.5-0.4 pts
11Ouachita County24.7+1.9 pts
12Mississippi County24.6-1.7 pts
13Columbia County24.2+0.4 pts
14Jackson County24.1-3.4 pts
15Bradley County23.5-4.5 pts
16Polk County23.4-1 pts
17Jefferson County23.3-3.2 pts
18Fulton County23.2+3.8 pts
19Searcy County23.1+0.9 pts
20Poinsett County22.7-1.2 pts
21Miller County22.4+0.1 pts
21Montgomery County22.4+0.6 pts
23Clark County22.3-0.2 pts
24Stone County21.8+0.3 pts
25Sharp County21.3-3.3 pts
26Dallas County20.8-0.5 pts
26Sevier County20.80 pts
28Hempstead County20.7-3.4 pts
28Marion County20.7+1.9 pts
30Nevada County20.4-3.6 pts
31Izard County20.1+0.3 pts
32Lawrence County20-3.7 pts
33Newton County19.9-4.3 pts
34Scott County19.7-1.1 pts
35Cross County19.4-2.1 pts
36Union County19.3-0.4 pts
37Drew County19.2-2 pts
38Clay County19.1-1.7 pts
39Conway County18.9+1.1 pts
39Randolph County18.9+1.3 pts
41Howard County18.70 pts
42Johnson County18.4-3.4 pts
43Madison County18.3-0.5 pts
44Logan County18.2-2.3 pts
44Pike County18.2-0.3 pts
46Arkansas County18.1-2.6 pts
47Yell County18+0.2 pts
48Ashley County17.9-1.7 pts
48Franklin County17.9-0.3 pts
50Garland County17.8-1.5 pts
50Prairie County17.8-1.8 pts
52Little River County17.5-2.4 pts
52Pope County17.5-3.3 pts
54Carroll County17.2+0.6 pts
54Pulaski County17.2-2.2 pts
56Calhoun County17.1+0.4 pts
57Perry County16.9+0.1 pts
57Sebastian County16.9-5.2 pts
59Crawford County16.8+2.4 pts
60Van Buren County16.7-2.3 pts
61Cleburne County16.3+0.7 pts
62Craighead County16.2-1.1 pts
63Faulkner County16+1.2 pts
64Independence County15.9-2.1 pts
65Cleveland County15.8-2.3 pts
65Washington County15.8-1.1 pts
67White County15.7-4 pts
68Boone County15.4-1.1 pts
69Greene County15.3-1.8 pts
70Hot Spring County14.7-6.1 pts
71Baxter County12.7-3.7 pts
72Lonoke County12.4+0.5 pts
73Grant County11.5-1.7 pts
74Benton County9.1-1.7 pts
75Saline County8.7-2 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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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 35.9% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Saline County, with 8.7% in 2016.

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