Counties in California by poverty rate

Madera County had the highest poverty rate of 58 counties in 2022, at 22%. Placer County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 13.1% and the figure for California was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22Madera County
Lowest6.2Placer County
Median13.158 counties
California12.2History

All counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Madera CountyMadera County: 22 %22Imperial CountyImperial County: 21.2 %21.2Merced CountyMerced County: 18.8 %18.8Fresno CountyFresno County: 18.6 %18.6Butte CountyButte County: 18.3 %18.3Tulare CountyTulare County: 18.2 %18.2Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 18 %18Kings CountyKings County: 17.9 %17.9Kern CountyKern County: 17.8 %17.8Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 17.6 %17.6Lassen CountyLassen County: 17.2 %17.2Lake CountyLake County: 17.1 %17.1Trinity CountyTrinity County: 16.8 %16.8Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 16.5 %16.5Alpine CountyAlpine County: 16.3 %16.3Yolo CountyYolo County: 16.1 %16.1Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 15.8 %15.8Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 15.1 %15.1Tehama CountyTehama County: 15.1 %15.1Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 15 %15Yuba CountyYuba County: 14.9 %14.9Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 14.1 %14.1Sutter CountySutter County: 14.1 %14.1Glenn CountyGlenn County: 14 %14Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 13.9 %13.9Shasta CountyShasta County: 13.9 %13.9Modoc CountyModoc County: 13.7 %13.7San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 13.5 %13.5Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 13.5 %13.5Plumas CountyPlumas County: 12.6 %12.6Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 12.5 %12.5San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 12.3 %12.3Sacramento CountySacramento County: 12.2 %12.2Sierra CountySierra County: 12.2 %12.2Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 12.1 %12.1Monterey CountyMonterey County: 12.1 %12.1San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 11.9 %11.9Inyo CountyInyo County: 11.2 %11.2Riverside CountyRiverside County: 10.9 %10.9Colusa CountyColusa County: 10.7 %10.7San Diego CountySan Diego County: 10.7 %10.7Nevada CountyNevada County: 10.6 %10.6San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 10.4 %10.4Mono CountyMono County: 10.3 %10.3Alameda CountyAlameda County: 10.1 %10.1Amador CountyAmador County: 10.1 %10.1Orange CountyOrange County: 10 %10Solano CountySolano County: 10 %10Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.5 %9.5Sonoma CountySonoma County: 8.9 %8.9Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 8.7 %8.7Napa CountyNapa County: 8.6 %8.6Marin CountyMarin County: 7.7 %7.7El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 7.6 %7.6Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 7.5 %7.5San Benito CountySan Benito County: 7.2 %7.2San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 7.2 %7.2Placer CountyPlacer County: 6.2 %6.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Madera County22+1.6 pts
2Imperial County21.2+3.9 pts
3Merced County18.8-3.1 pts
4Fresno County18.6-0.8 pts
5Butte County18.3+1.7 pts
6Tulare County18.2-0.5 pts
7Humboldt County18-1.4 pts
8Kings County17.9+0.2 pts
9Kern County17.8-0.7 pts
10Mendocino County17.6+1.5 pts
11Lassen County17.2-1.6 pts
12Lake County17.1+0.6 pts
13Trinity County16.8-2.3 pts
14Del Norte County16.5-4.9 pts
15Alpine County16.3+0.5 pts
16Yolo County16.1+1.3 pts
17Siskiyou County15.8-1 pts
18Mariposa County15.1+1 pts
18Tehama County15.1-0.5 pts
20Stanislaus County15+0.9 pts
21Yuba County14.9-0.7 pts
22Santa Barbara County14.1-1.1 pts
22Sutter County14.1-1.4 pts
24Glenn County14-1.5 pts
25Los Angeles County13.9-0.2 pts
25Shasta County13.9-0.1 pts
27Modoc County13.7-6.2 pts
28San Bernardino County13.5+0.3 pts
28Tuolumne County13.5+0.3 pts
30Plumas County12.6-0.4 pts
31Santa Cruz County12.5+1.9 pts
32San Joaquin County12.30 pts
33Sacramento County12.2-0.8 pts
33Sierra County12.2-0.1 pts
35Calaveras County12.1-1.4 pts
35Monterey County12.10 pts
37San Luis Obispo County11.9-1.2 pts
38Inyo County11.2-1.6 pts
39Riverside County10.9-0.7 pts
40Colusa County10.7-0.7 pts
40San Diego County10.70 pts
42Nevada County10.6-1.2 pts
43San Francisco County10.4-1 pts
44Mono County10.3+0.5 pts
45Alameda County10.1+0.7 pts
45Amador County10.1-1 pts
47Orange County10+0.1 pts
47Solano County100 pts
49Ventura County9.5+0.6 pts
50Sonoma County8.9-0.2 pts
51Contra Costa County8.7-0.1 pts
52Napa County8.6-0.4 pts
53Marin County7.7-0.1 pts
54El Dorado County7.6-1.2 pts
55Santa Clara County7.5+0.6 pts
56San Benito County7.2-1.7 pts
56San Mateo County7.2+0.4 pts
58Placer County6.2-0.4 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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?

Madera County, with 22% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Placer County, with 6.2% in 2022.

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