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 2021, at 35.7%. Benton County had the lowest, at 7.9%. The median was 18% and the figure for Arkansas was 16%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.7Phillips County
Lowest7.9Benton County
Median1875 counties
Arkansas16History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Phillips CountyPhillips County: 35.7 %35.7Lee CountyLee County: 34.9 %34.9St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 32.2 %32.2Chicot CountyChicot County: 27.9 %27.9Desha CountyDesha County: 27.6 %27.6Monroe CountyMonroe County: 25.3 %25.3Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 25.2 %25.2Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 23.9 %23.9Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 23.7 %23.7Columbia CountyColumbia County: 23.2 %23.2Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 23 %23Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 22.6 %22.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 22.5 %22.5Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 22.2 %22.2Ashley CountyAshley County: 21.3 %21.3Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 21.2 %21.2Nevada CountyNevada County: 21.2 %21.2Searcy CountySearcy County: 20.9 %20.9Stone CountyStone County: 20.8 %20.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 20.4 %20.4Miller CountyMiller County: 20.4 %20.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 20.3 %20.3Dallas CountyDallas County: 20.2 %20.2Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 20.2 %20.2Clark CountyClark County: 20 %20Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 19.9 %19.9Bradley CountyBradley County: 19.6 %19.6Sebastian CountySebastian County: 19.5 %19.5Polk CountyPolk County: 19.3 %19.3Newton CountyNewton County: 19.1 %19.1Independence CountyIndependence County: 18.9 %18.9Pike CountyPike County: 18.6 %18.6Izard CountyIzard County: 18.4 %18.4Sevier CountySevier County: 18.3 %18.3Sharp CountySharp County: 18.3 %18.3Craighead CountyCraighead County: 18.2 %18.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 18.1 %18.1Fulton CountyFulton County: 18 %18Pope CountyPope County: 18 %18Clay CountyClay County: 17.9 %17.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Phillips County35.7+13.6 pts
2Lee County34.9-1.9 pts
3St. Francis County32.2+2.1 pts
4Chicot County27.9+1.1 pts
5Desha County27.6+4.8 pts
6Monroe County25.3+1.5 pts
7Woodruff County25.2+2.6 pts
8Mississippi County23.9+2.9 pts
9Lafayette County23.7+3.9 pts
10Columbia County23.2+4.9 pts
11Crittenden County23+0.1 pts
12Lincoln County22.6-1 pts
13Jackson County22.5-0.6 pts
14Poinsett County22.2+1 pts
15Ashley County21.3+4.2 pts
16Hempstead County21.2+2.5 pts
16Nevada County21.2+2.1 pts
18Searcy County20.9-1.4 pts
19Stone County20.8+0.7 pts
20Lawrence County20.4+1.2 pts
20Miller County20.4+1.2 pts
22Jefferson County20.3+1.4 pts
23Dallas County20.2+0.7 pts
23Ouachita County20.2-0.3 pts
25Clark County20-0.1 pts
26Montgomery County19.9+1.1 pts
27Bradley County19.6-1 pts
28Sebastian County19.5+2.7 pts
29Polk County19.3+1.2 pts
30Newton County19.1+0.4 pts
31Independence County18.9+3.9 pts
32Pike County18.60 pts
33Izard County18.4-1.7 pts
34Sevier County18.3+1.6 pts
34Sharp County18.3+0.2 pts
36Craighead County18.2+1.4 pts
37Johnson County18.1+0.8 pts
38Fulton County18+1 pts
38Pope County18+3.9 pts
40Clay County17.9-0.2 pts
40Howard County17.9+1.2 pts
42Hot Spring County17.8+2.9 pts
42Marion County17.8-1.3 pts
42Union County17.8+0.9 pts
45Arkansas County17.7+0.5 pts
46Pulaski County17.6+2.3 pts
47Scott County17.3-0.2 pts
48Franklin County17.2+1.9 pts
49Van Buren County17.1+0.7 pts
50Randolph County17+0.7 pts
51Conway County16.9+1.1 pts
52Carroll County16.8+2.7 pts
53Cleburne County16.7+2.2 pts
53Cross County16.7-4.5 pts
55Drew County16.5-1.9 pts
56White County16.3+1.5 pts
57Little River County15.7-0.5 pts
57Prairie County15.7+1.2 pts
59Logan County15.4-0.4 pts
59Madison County15.4-1.5 pts
61Perry County15.2+0.5 pts
62Yell County15.1+0.8 pts
63Crawford County14.7+0.3 pts
64Calhoun County14.6-1.6 pts
65Garland County14.5-1.2 pts
66Cleveland County14.1+0.3 pts
67Faulkner County13.6+1.6 pts
68Baxter County13.4-1 pts
69Boone County13-1.1 pts
70Greene County12.9-4.2 pts
71Washington County12.4-0.8 pts
72Grant County11.2+1.3 pts
73Lonoke County11+0.1 pts
74Saline County8.5+0.3 pts
75Benton County7.9-1.2 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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?

Phillips County, with 35.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Benton County, with 7.9% in 2021.

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