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

Counties in California by poverty rate

Fresno County had the highest poverty rate of 58 counties in 2016, at 25.5%. San Mateo County had the lowest, at 6.6%. The median was 15% and the figure for California was 14.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.5Fresno County
Lowest6.6San Mateo County
Median1558 counties
California14.4History

All counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Fresno CountyFresno County: 25.5 %25.5Tulare CountyTulare County: 24.7 %24.7Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 23.7 %23.7Imperial CountyImperial County: 23.6 %23.6Kern CountyKern County: 22.4 %22.4Trinity CountyTrinity County: 21.3 %21.3Tehama CountyTehama County: 20.9 %20.9Lake CountyLake County: 20.7 %20.7Madera CountyMadera County: 20.4 %20.4Merced CountyMerced County: 20.3 %20.3Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 20 %20Butte CountyButte County: 19.5 %19.5Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 19 %19Yolo CountyYolo County: 19 %19Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 18.8 %18.8Alpine CountyAlpine County: 18.6 %18.6Modoc CountyModoc County: 18.4 %18.4Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 17.9 %17.9Lassen CountyLassen County: 17.6 %17.6San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 17.6 %17.6Kings CountyKings County: 17.4 %17.4Shasta CountyShasta County: 17.2 %17.2Sutter CountySutter County: 17.1 %17.1Glenn CountyGlenn County: 16.7 %16.7Yuba CountyYuba County: 16.6 %16.6Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 16.3 %16.3Sacramento CountySacramento County: 16.3 %16.3Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 15.4 %15.4Riverside CountyRiverside County: 15.3 %15.3San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 14.6 %14.6Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 14.5 %14.5Sierra CountySierra County: 14.4 %14.4Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 13.9 %13.9Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 13.4 %13.4Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 13.1 %13.1Monterey CountyMonterey County: 12.9 %12.9Plumas CountyPlumas County: 12.6 %12.6San Diego CountySan Diego County: 12.4 %12.4Inyo CountyInyo County: 12.3 %12.3Mono CountyMono County: 11.5 %11.5Solano CountySolano County: 11.4 %11.4Amador CountyAmador County: 11.3 %11.3Colusa CountyColusa County: 11.1 %11.1Orange CountyOrange County: 11.1 %11.1San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 11 %11Nevada CountyNevada County: 10.9 %10.9Alameda CountyAlameda County: 10.7 %10.7San Benito CountySan Benito County: 10.5 %10.5San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 10.2 %10.2Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.8 %9.8Sonoma CountySonoma County: 9.4 %9.4Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 9.3 %9.3Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 8.7 %8.7El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 8.7 %8.7Napa CountyNapa County: 7.9 %7.9Marin CountyMarin County: 7.8 %7.8Placer CountyPlacer County: 7.2 %7.2San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 6.6 %6.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Fresno County25.5+0.3 pts
2Tulare County24.7-2.5 pts
3Del Norte County23.7+0.4 pts
4Imperial County23.6-0.7 pts
5Kern County22.4+0.5 pts
6Trinity County21.3+1.6 pts
7Tehama County20.9-1.6 pts
8Lake County20.7+0.2 pts
9Madera County20.4-2.2 pts
10Merced County20.3-5.6 pts
11Humboldt County20-0.9 pts
12Butte County19.5-1.9 pts
13Mendocino County19-1.3 pts
13Yolo County19+1.5 pts
15Siskiyou County18.8-3.8 pts
16Alpine County18.6-0.4 pts
17Modoc County18.4-1.9 pts
18Mariposa County17.9+2.7 pts
19Lassen County17.6+0.5 pts
19San Bernardino County17.6-1.3 pts
21Kings County17.4-5 pts
22Shasta County17.2-1.8 pts
23Sutter County17.1-0.4 pts
24Glenn County16.7-1.8 pts
25Yuba County16.6-5 pts
26Los Angeles County16.3-0.4 pts
26Sacramento County16.3-0.6 pts
28Tuolumne County15.4+0.9 pts
29Riverside County15.3-0.9 pts
30San Joaquin County14.6-2.9 pts
31Stanislaus County14.5-5 pts
32Sierra County14.4+0.6 pts
33Santa Barbara County13.9-1.7 pts
34Santa Cruz County13.4-2 pts
35Calaveras County13.1+0.1 pts
36Monterey County12.9-2.4 pts
37Plumas County12.6-1.2 pts
38San Diego County12.4-1.5 pts
39Inyo County12.3-0.1 pts
40Mono County11.5+0.3 pts
41Solano County11.4-0.6 pts
42Amador County11.3-1.8 pts
43Colusa County11.1-2.1 pts
43Orange County11.1-1.6 pts
45San Luis Obispo County11-3.4 pts
46Nevada County10.9-1.5 pts
47Alameda County10.7-0.8 pts
48San Benito County10.5+1.2 pts
49San Francisco County10.2-2.2 pts
50Ventura County9.8-0.1 pts
51Sonoma County9.4-1.6 pts
52Santa Clara County9.3+1 pts
53Contra Costa County8.7-1.5 pts
53El Dorado County8.7-0.4 pts
55Napa County7.9-2.2 pts
56Marin County7.8+0.3 pts
57Placer County7.2-1.4 pts
58San Mateo County6.6-1.8 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.

Use this data in your AI agent

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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?

Fresno County, with 25.5% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

San Mateo County, with 6.6% 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 California: more rankings