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 2018, at 22.2%. Marin County had the lowest, at 6.6%. The median was 13.4% and the figure for California was 12.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.2Tulare County
Lowest6.6Marin County
Median13.458 counties
California12.8History

All counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Tulare CountyTulare County: 22.2 %22.2Trinity CountyTrinity County: 21.6 %21.6Imperial CountyImperial County: 21.4 %21.4Fresno CountyFresno County: 21.3 %21.3Merced CountyMerced County: 21.2 %21.2Kern CountyKern County: 20.5 %20.5Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 20.4 %20.4Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 20.3 %20.3Madera CountyMadera County: 20.2 %20.2Yolo CountyYolo County: 20.1 %20.1Modoc CountyModoc County: 19.1 %19.1Kings CountyKings County: 18.8 %18.8Butte CountyButte County: 18.5 %18.5Lake CountyLake County: 18.4 %18.4Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 17.5 %17.5Alpine CountyAlpine County: 17.3 %17.3Yuba CountyYuba County: 17.2 %17.2Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 17.1 %17.1Tehama CountyTehama County: 17 %17Lassen CountyLassen County: 15.8 %15.8Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 15.6 %15.6Glenn CountyGlenn County: 15.4 %15.4Shasta CountyShasta County: 15.2 %15.2Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 14.9 %14.9San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 14.9 %14.9Sacramento CountySacramento County: 14.3 %14.3San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 14.3 %14.3Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 14.2 %14.2Sutter CountySutter County: 13.5 %13.5Monterey CountyMonterey County: 13.3 %13.3Sierra CountySierra County: 13.3 %13.3Riverside CountyRiverside County: 12.7 %12.7San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 12.7 %12.7Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 12.6 %12.6Plumas CountyPlumas County: 12.5 %12.5Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 12.5 %12.5Inyo CountyInyo County: 12.3 %12.3Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 12.2 %12.2Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 12.1 %12.1Amador CountyAmador County: 11.8 %11.8San Diego CountySan Diego County: 11.5 %11.5Colusa CountyColusa County: 11 %11Orange CountyOrange County: 10.5 %10.5Nevada CountyNevada County: 10.3 %10.3San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 10.1 %10.1Sonoma CountySonoma County: 9.9 %9.9Mono CountyMono County: 9.3 %9.3Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.1 %9.1Alameda CountyAlameda County: 9 %9Napa CountyNapa County: 8.8 %8.8San Benito CountySan Benito County: 8.6 %8.6El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 8.1 %8.1Solano CountySolano County: 7.9 %7.9Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 7.8 %7.8Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 7.3 %7.3Placer CountyPlacer County: 7.1 %7.1San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 6.8 %6.8Marin CountyMarin County: 6.6 %6.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Tulare County22.2-1.8 pts
2Trinity County21.6+1.3 pts
3Imperial County21.4+0.7 pts
4Fresno County21.3+0.2 pts
5Merced County21.2-1.8 pts
6Kern County20.5-0.7 pts
7Del Norte County20.4-4.2 pts
8Humboldt County20.3+0.6 pts
9Madera County20.2-1 pts
10Yolo County20.1+2.6 pts
11Modoc County19.1-0.1 pts
12Kings County18.8+0.4 pts
13Butte County18.5+0.4 pts
14Lake County18.4-1.8 pts
15Mendocino County17.5+1.2 pts
16Alpine County17.3-0.8 pts
17Yuba County17.2+1.9 pts
18Siskiyou County17.1-0.6 pts
19Tehama County17-3.1 pts
20Lassen County15.8-0.5 pts
21Stanislaus County15.6+1.6 pts
22Glenn County15.4+0.6 pts
23Shasta County15.2-1.8 pts
24Mariposa County14.9-0.3 pts
24San Bernardino County14.9-1.1 pts
26Sacramento County14.3+0.2 pts
26San Joaquin County14.3-1.2 pts
28Los Angeles County14.2-0.7 pts
29Sutter County13.5+0.3 pts
30Monterey County13.3+1.4 pts
30Sierra County13.3-0.4 pts
32Riverside County12.7-0.2 pts
32San Luis Obispo County12.7+0.8 pts
34Santa Barbara County12.6-1.6 pts
35Plumas County12.5-1.8 pts
35Tuolumne County12.5+0.3 pts
37Inyo County12.3+0.5 pts
38Santa Cruz County12.2-0.4 pts
39Calaveras County12.1-1 pts
40Amador County11.8+0.9 pts
41San Diego County11.5-0.4 pts
42Colusa County11-1.2 pts
43Orange County10.5-1 pts
44Nevada County10.3-0.7 pts
45San Francisco County10.10 pts
46Sonoma County9.9+0.6 pts
47Mono County9.30 pts
48Ventura County9.1-0.4 pts
49Alameda County9-0.3 pts
50Napa County8.8+2 pts
51San Benito County8.6+0.2 pts
52El Dorado County8.1-0.2 pts
53Solano County7.9-2.1 pts
54Contra Costa County7.8-1.3 pts
55Santa Clara County7.3-0.2 pts
56Placer County7.1-0.7 pts
57San Mateo County6.8+0.4 pts
58Marin County6.6-1.3 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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?

Tulare County, with 22.2% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Marin County, with 6.6% in 2018.

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