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 2023, at 38.7%. Benton County had the lowest, at 7.8%. The median was 18.2% and the figure for Arkansas was 15.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest38.7Lee County
Lowest7.8Benton County
Median18.275 counties
Arkansas15.4History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 38.7 %38.7St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 34.3 %34.3Phillips CountyPhillips County: 34.2 %34.2Chicot CountyChicot County: 29.7 %29.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 26.3 %26.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 26.2 %26.2Desha CountyDesha County: 25 %25Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 24.9 %24.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 24.6 %24.6Woodruff CountyWoodruff County: 24.4 %24.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 24.3 %24.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 23.3 %23.3Bradley CountyBradley County: 23.2 %23.2Nevada CountyNevada County: 23.2 %23.2Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 22.8 %22.8Miller CountyMiller County: 21.5 %21.5Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 20.6 %20.6Drew CountyDrew County: 20.6 %20.6Izard CountyIzard County: 20.3 %20.3Searcy CountySearcy County: 20.2 %20.2Sharp CountySharp County: 19.7 %19.7Dallas CountyDallas County: 19.6 %19.6Scott CountyScott County: 19.5 %19.5Cross CountyCross County: 19.1 %19.1Poinsett CountyPoinsett County: 19.1 %19.1Franklin CountyFranklin County: 19 %19Union CountyUnion County: 19 %19Clark CountyClark County: 18.9 %18.9Garland CountyGarland County: 18.9 %18.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 18.8 %18.8Newton CountyNewton County: 18.8 %18.8Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 18.8 %18.8Polk CountyPolk County: 18.8 %18.8Sevier CountySevier County: 18.7 %18.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 18.5 %18.5Ashley CountyAshley County: 18.4 %18.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 18.3 %18.3Pike CountyPike County: 18.2 %18.2Howard CountyHoward County: 17.8 %17.8Little River CountyLittle River County: 17.7 %17.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Lee County38.7+3.6 pts
2St. Francis County34.3-0.1 pts
3Phillips County34.2-0.7 pts
4Chicot County29.7+2.7 pts
5Monroe County26.3+1.4 pts
6Lincoln County26.2+1 pts
7Desha County25-2.9 pts
8Mississippi County24.9+3.1 pts
9Jackson County24.6-0.1 pts
10Woodruff County24.4+1.8 pts
11Jefferson County24.3+2.1 pts
12Columbia County23.3+1.1 pts
13Bradley County23.2+1.3 pts
13Nevada County23.2+1.3 pts
15Lafayette County22.8-0.9 pts
16Miller County21.5-1.4 pts
17Crittenden County20.6-1.2 pts
17Drew County20.6-0.2 pts
19Izard County20.3-2.1 pts
20Searcy County20.2-1.5 pts
21Sharp County19.7+0.2 pts
22Dallas County19.6-0.5 pts
23Scott County19.5-1.7 pts
24Cross County19.1-2.8 pts
24Poinsett County19.1-0.9 pts
26Franklin County19+2.2 pts
26Union County19+0.1 pts
28Clark County18.9-1.4 pts
28Garland County18.9+1.6 pts
30Montgomery County18.8-1.2 pts
30Newton County18.8-0.6 pts
30Ouachita County18.8+0.7 pts
30Polk County18.8+1.5 pts
34Sevier County18.7-1.9 pts
35Randolph County18.5-1.4 pts
36Ashley County18.4-3.4 pts
37Lawrence County18.3-0.8 pts
38Pike County18.2-0.9 pts
39Howard County17.8-0.1 pts
40Little River County17.7+0.7 pts
40Stone County17.7-2.7 pts
42Clay County17.5-2.5 pts
42Fulton County17.5+0.3 pts
44Marion County17.4+1.8 pts
45Conway County17.1-0.9 pts
45Johnson County17.1-1.8 pts
47Hot Spring County16.9-0.5 pts
48Arkansas County16.8-2 pts
49Hempstead County16.6-4.3 pts
49Logan County16.6-2.1 pts
51Van Buren County16.5-3.1 pts
51Yell County16.5+0.2 pts
53Greene County16.2-0.1 pts
54Craighead County16.1-1 pts
55Baxter County16+2.2 pts
56Cleveland County15.7+0.6 pts
56Pulaski County15.7-1.6 pts
56White County15.7-0.2 pts
59Prairie County15.4+0.5 pts
60Boone County14.9+1.6 pts
61Carroll County14.8-1.2 pts
61Madison County14.8-1.7 pts
63Calhoun County14.3-1.6 pts
64Perry County14.1-2.1 pts
65Cleburne County13.5+0.5 pts
65Independence County13.5-1.5 pts
65Pope County13.5-1.8 pts
65Washington County13.5-0.8 pts
69Crawford County13.3-2.8 pts
70Faulkner County12.9-1.7 pts
71Sebastian County12.8-4.3 pts
72Grant County11.1-2.2 pts
73Lonoke County9.6-1.9 pts
74Saline County9.3-0.5 pts
75Benton County7.8-0.1 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 38.7% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Benton County, with 7.8% in 2023.

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