Counties in California by poverty rate

Del Norte County had the highest poverty rate of 58 counties in 2017, at 24.6%. San Mateo County had the lowest, at 6.4%. The median was 14.1% and the figure for California was 13.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.6Del Norte County
Median14.158 counties
California13.3History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 24.6 %24.6Tulare CountyTulare County: 24 %24Merced CountyMerced County: 23 %23Kern CountyKern County: 21.2 %21.2Madera CountyMadera County: 21.2 %21.2Fresno CountyFresno County: 21.1 %21.1Imperial CountyImperial County: 20.7 %20.7Trinity CountyTrinity County: 20.3 %20.3Lake CountyLake County: 20.2 %20.2Tehama CountyTehama County: 20.1 %20.1Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 19.7 %19.7Modoc CountyModoc County: 19.2 %19.2Kings CountyKings County: 18.4 %18.4Alpine CountyAlpine County: 18.1 %18.1Butte CountyButte County: 18.1 %18.1Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 17.7 %17.7Yolo CountyYolo County: 17.5 %17.5Shasta CountyShasta County: 17 %17Lassen CountyLassen County: 16.3 %16.3Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 16.3 %16.3San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 16 %16San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 15.5 %15.5Yuba CountyYuba County: 15.3 %15.3Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 15.2 %15.2Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 14.9 %14.9Glenn CountyGlenn County: 14.8 %14.8Plumas CountyPlumas County: 14.3 %14.3Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 14.2 %14.2Sacramento CountySacramento County: 14.1 %14.1Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 14 %14Sierra CountySierra County: 13.7 %13.7Sutter CountySutter County: 13.2 %13.2Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 13.1 %13.1Riverside CountyRiverside County: 12.9 %12.9Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 12.6 %12.6Colusa CountyColusa County: 12.2 %12.2Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 12.2 %12.2Monterey CountyMonterey County: 11.9 %11.9San Diego CountySan Diego County: 11.9 %11.9San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 11.9 %11.9Inyo CountyInyo County: 11.8 %11.8Orange CountyOrange County: 11.5 %11.5Nevada CountyNevada County: 11 %11Amador CountyAmador County: 10.9 %10.9San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 10.1 %10.1Solano CountySolano County: 10 %10Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.5 %9.5Alameda CountyAlameda County: 9.3 %9.3Mono CountyMono County: 9.3 %9.3Sonoma CountySonoma County: 9.3 %9.3Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 9.1 %9.1San Benito CountySan Benito County: 8.4 %8.4El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 8.3 %8.3Marin CountyMarin County: 7.9 %7.9Placer CountyPlacer County: 7.8 %7.8Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 7.5 %7.5Napa CountyNapa County: 6.8 %6.8San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 6.4 %6.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Del Norte County24.6+0.9 pts
2Tulare County24-0.7 pts
3Merced County23+2.7 pts
4Kern County21.2-1.2 pts
4Madera County21.2+0.8 pts
6Fresno County21.1-4.4 pts
7Imperial County20.7-2.9 pts
8Trinity County20.3-1 pts
9Lake County20.2-0.5 pts
10Tehama County20.1-0.8 pts
11Humboldt County19.7-0.3 pts
12Modoc County19.2+0.8 pts
13Kings County18.4+1 pts
14Alpine County18.1-0.5 pts
14Butte County18.1-1.4 pts
16Siskiyou County17.7-1.1 pts
17Yolo County17.5-1.5 pts
18Shasta County17-0.2 pts
19Lassen County16.3-1.3 pts
19Mendocino County16.3-2.7 pts
21San Bernardino County16-1.6 pts
22San Joaquin County15.5+0.9 pts
23Yuba County15.3-1.3 pts
24Mariposa County15.2-2.7 pts
25Los Angeles County14.9-1.4 pts
26Glenn County14.8-1.9 pts
27Plumas County14.3+1.7 pts
28Santa Barbara County14.2+0.3 pts
29Sacramento County14.1-2.2 pts
30Stanislaus County14-0.5 pts
31Sierra County13.7-0.7 pts
32Sutter County13.2-3.9 pts
33Calaveras County13.10 pts
34Riverside County12.9-2.4 pts
35Santa Cruz County12.6-0.8 pts
36Colusa County12.2+1.1 pts
36Tuolumne County12.2-3.2 pts
38Monterey County11.9-1 pts
38San Diego County11.9-0.5 pts
38San Luis Obispo County11.9+0.9 pts
41Inyo County11.8-0.5 pts
42Orange County11.5+0.4 pts
43Nevada County11+0.1 pts
44Amador County10.9-0.4 pts
45San Francisco County10.1-0.1 pts
46Solano County10-1.4 pts
47Ventura County9.5-0.3 pts
48Alameda County9.3-1.4 pts
48Mono County9.3-2.2 pts
48Sonoma County9.3-0.1 pts
51Contra Costa County9.1+0.4 pts
52San Benito County8.4-2.1 pts
53El Dorado County8.3-0.4 pts
54Marin County7.9+0.1 pts
55Placer County7.8+0.6 pts
56Santa Clara County7.5-1.8 pts
57Napa County6.8-1.1 pts
58San Mateo County6.4-0.2 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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?

Del Norte County, with 24.6% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

San Mateo County, with 6.4% in 2017.

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