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

Counties in California by poverty rate

Tulare County had the highest poverty rate of 58 counties in 2015, at 27.2%. Marin County had the lowest, at 7.5%. The median was 15.9% and the figure for California was 15.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.2Tulare County
Lowest7.5Marin County
Median15.958 counties
California15.4History

All counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Tulare CountyTulare County: 27.2 %27.2Merced CountyMerced County: 25.9 %25.9Fresno CountyFresno County: 25.2 %25.2Imperial CountyImperial County: 24.3 %24.3Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 23.3 %23.3Madera CountyMadera County: 22.6 %22.6Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 22.6 %22.6Tehama CountyTehama County: 22.5 %22.5Kings CountyKings County: 22.4 %22.4Kern CountyKern County: 21.9 %21.9Yuba CountyYuba County: 21.6 %21.6Butte CountyButte County: 21.4 %21.4Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 20.9 %20.9Lake CountyLake County: 20.5 %20.5Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 20.3 %20.3Modoc CountyModoc County: 20.3 %20.3Trinity CountyTrinity County: 19.7 %19.7Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 19.5 %19.5Alpine CountyAlpine County: 19 %19Shasta CountyShasta County: 19 %19San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 18.9 %18.9Glenn CountyGlenn County: 18.5 %18.5San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 17.5 %17.5Sutter CountySutter County: 17.5 %17.5Yolo CountyYolo County: 17.5 %17.5Lassen CountyLassen County: 17.1 %17.1Sacramento CountySacramento County: 16.9 %16.9Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 16.7 %16.7Riverside CountyRiverside County: 16.2 %16.2Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 15.6 %15.6Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 15.4 %15.4Monterey CountyMonterey County: 15.3 %15.3Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 15.2 %15.2Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 14.5 %14.5San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 14.4 %14.4San Diego CountySan Diego County: 13.9 %13.9Plumas CountyPlumas County: 13.8 %13.8Sierra CountySierra County: 13.8 %13.8Colusa CountyColusa County: 13.2 %13.2Amador CountyAmador County: 13.1 %13.1Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 13 %13Orange CountyOrange County: 12.7 %12.7Inyo CountyInyo County: 12.4 %12.4Nevada CountyNevada County: 12.4 %12.4San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 12.4 %12.4Solano CountySolano County: 12 %12Alameda CountyAlameda County: 11.5 %11.5Mono CountyMono County: 11.2 %11.2Sonoma CountySonoma County: 11 %11Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 10.2 %10.2Napa CountyNapa County: 10.1 %10.1Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.9 %9.9San Benito CountySan Benito County: 9.3 %9.3El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 9.1 %9.1Placer CountyPlacer County: 8.6 %8.6San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 8.4 %8.4Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 8.3 %8.3Marin CountyMarin County: 7.5 %7.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Tulare County27.2
2Merced County25.9
3Fresno County25.2
4Imperial County24.3
5Del Norte County23.3
6Madera County22.6
6Siskiyou County22.6
8Tehama County22.5
9Kings County22.4
10Kern County21.9
11Yuba County21.6
12Butte County21.4
13Humboldt County20.9
14Lake County20.5
15Mendocino County20.3
15Modoc County20.3
17Trinity County19.7
18Stanislaus County19.5
19Alpine County19
19Shasta County19
21San Bernardino County18.9
22Glenn County18.5
23San Joaquin County17.5
23Sutter County17.5
23Yolo County17.5
26Lassen County17.1
27Sacramento County16.9
28Los Angeles County16.7
29Riverside County16.2
30Santa Barbara County15.6
31Santa Cruz County15.4
32Monterey County15.3
33Mariposa County15.2
34Tuolumne County14.5
35San Luis Obispo County14.4
36San Diego County13.9
37Plumas County13.8
37Sierra County13.8
39Colusa County13.2
40Amador County13.1
41Calaveras County13
42Orange County12.7
43Inyo County12.4
43Nevada County12.4
43San Francisco County12.4
46Solano County12
47Alameda County11.5
48Mono County11.2
49Sonoma County11
50Contra Costa County10.2
51Napa County10.1
52Ventura County9.9
53San Benito County9.3
54El Dorado County9.1
55Placer County8.6
56San Mateo County8.4
57Santa Clara County8.3
58Marin County7.5

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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Rank Counties in California by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Tulare County, with 27.2% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Marin County, with 7.5% 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 California: more rankings