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 2020, at 36.8%. Saline County had the lowest, at 8.2%. The median was 17.2% and the figure for Arkansas was 15.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.8Lee County
Lowest8.2Saline County
Median17.275 counties
Arkansas15.2History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 36.8 %36.8St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 30.1 %30.1Chicot CountyChicot County: 26.8 %26.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 23.8 %23.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 23.6 %23.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.1 %23.1Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 22.9 %22.9Desha CountyDesha County: 22.8 %22.8Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 22.6 %22.6Searcy CountySearcy County: 22.3 %22.3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 22.1 %22.1Cross CountyCross County: 21.2 %21.2Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 21.2 %21.2Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 21 %21Bradley CountyBradley County: 20.6 %20.6Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 20.5 %20.5Clark CountyClark County: 20.1 %20.1Izard CountyIzard County: 20.1 %20.1Stone CountyStone County: 20.1 %20.1Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 19.8 %19.8Dallas CountyDallas County: 19.5 %19.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 19.2 %19.2Miller CountyMiller County: 19.2 %19.2Marion CountyMarion County: 19.1 %19.1Nevada CountyNevada County: 19.1 %19.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 18.9 %18.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 18.8 %18.8Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 18.7 %18.7Newton CountyNewton County: 18.7 %18.7Pike CountyPike County: 18.6 %18.6Drew CountyDrew County: 18.4 %18.4Columbia CountyColumbia County: 18.3 %18.3Clay CountyClay County: 18.1 %18.1Polk CountyPolk County: 18.1 %18.1Sharp CountySharp County: 18.1 %18.1Scott CountyScott County: 17.5 %17.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 17.3 %17.3Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 17.2 %17.2Ashley CountyAshley County: 17.1 %17.1Greene CountyGreene County: 17.1 %17.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Lee County36.8+1.4 pts
2St. Francis County30.1-1.9 pts
3Chicot County26.8-4.2 pts
4Monroe County23.8-1.7 pts
5Lincoln County23.6-3.5 pts
6Jackson County23.1+0.2 pts
7Crittenden County22.9+0.5 pts
8Desha County22.8-2.6 pts
9Woodruff County22.6-4.5 pts
10Searcy County22.3-0.1 pts
11Phillips County22.1-11.2 pts
12Cross County21.2+3.4 pts
12Poinsett County21.2-1.9 pts
14Mississippi County21-2 pts
15Bradley County20.6-2.3 pts
16Ouachita County20.5+3.2 pts
17Clark County20.1-0.5 pts
17Izard County20.1+4.2 pts
17Stone County20.1+0.8 pts
20Lafayette County19.8-5.7 pts
21Dallas County19.5+0.7 pts
22Lawrence County19.2+0.8 pts
22Miller County19.2+5.1 pts
24Marion County19.1+2.8 pts
24Nevada County19.1-5 pts
26Jefferson County18.9-5.5 pts
27Montgomery County18.8-1.1 pts
28Hempstead County18.7+0.2 pts
28Newton County18.7+0.6 pts
30Pike County18.6+1.7 pts
31Drew County18.4-0.1 pts
32Columbia County18.3-2.9 pts
33Clay County18.1-0.6 pts
33Polk County18.1-2.1 pts
33Sharp County18.1-5.2 pts
36Scott County17.5-2.1 pts
37Johnson County17.3-0.2 pts
38Arkansas County17.2+1.4 pts
39Ashley County17.1-1.4 pts
39Greene County17.1+1.6 pts
41Fulton County17-0.7 pts
42Madison County16.9+0.5 pts
42Union County16.9-2 pts
44Craighead County16.8-0.1 pts
44Sebastian County16.8+0.9 pts
46Howard County16.7-0.1 pts
46Sevier County16.7-1 pts
48Van Buren County16.4-3.5 pts
49Randolph County16.3-1 pts
50Calhoun County16.2+0.8 pts
50Little River County16.2-1.6 pts
52Conway County15.8+0.2 pts
52Logan County15.8-1.6 pts
54Garland County15.7-1.2 pts
55Franklin County15.3-0.9 pts
55Pulaski County15.3+0.7 pts
57Independence County15-0.9 pts
58Hot Spring County14.9-5.3 pts
59White County14.8-0.6 pts
60Perry County14.7-1.8 pts
61Cleburne County14.5+0.4 pts
61Prairie County14.5-0.5 pts
63Baxter County14.4+1.7 pts
63Crawford County14.4-3.9 pts
65Yell County14.3-1.3 pts
66Boone County14.1-1 pts
66Carroll County14.1-0.6 pts
66Pope County14.1-2.8 pts
69Cleveland County13.8+0.1 pts
70Washington County13.2-1.9 pts
71Faulkner County12-2.4 pts
72Lonoke County10.9+0.2 pts
73Grant County9.9-2.2 pts
74Benton County9.1+0.2 pts
75Saline County8.2-1.4 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 36.8% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Saline County, with 8.2% in 2020.

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