Counties in California by poverty rate

Trinity County had the highest poverty rate of 58 counties in 2023, at 20.8%. Placer County had the lowest, at 6.5%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for California was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest20.8Trinity County
Lowest6.5Placer County
Median12.858 counties
California12History

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Trinity CountyTrinity County: 20.8 %20.8Modoc CountyModoc County: 20.1 %20.1Butte CountyButte County: 19.9 %19.9Kern CountyKern County: 19 %19Merced CountyMerced County: 18.6 %18.6Madera CountyMadera County: 18 %18Fresno CountyFresno County: 17.7 %17.7Lake CountyLake County: 17.6 %17.6Kings CountyKings County: 17.5 %17.5Tulare CountyTulare County: 17.5 %17.5Imperial CountyImperial County: 17.3 %17.3Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 17.3 %17.3Lassen CountyLassen County: 17.1 %17.1Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 17.1 %17.1Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 16.7 %16.7Alpine CountyAlpine County: 15.6 %15.6Yuba CountyYuba County: 15.4 %15.4Sutter CountySutter County: 15.3 %15.3Yolo CountyYolo County: 15.3 %15.3Tehama CountyTehama County: 15 %15Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 14.9 %14.9Monterey CountyMonterey County: 14 %14Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 13.9 %13.9Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 13.8 %13.8Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 13.7 %13.7Glenn CountyGlenn County: 13.5 %13.5San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 13.2 %13.2Shasta CountyShasta County: 13.2 %13.2San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 12.8 %12.8Plumas CountyPlumas County: 12.7 %12.7San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 12.6 %12.6Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 12.6 %12.6Sierra CountySierra County: 12.6 %12.6Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 12.6 %12.6Colusa CountyColusa County: 12.3 %12.3Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 12.2 %12.2Sacramento CountySacramento County: 11.9 %11.9San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 11.9 %11.9Inyo CountyInyo County: 11.8 %11.8Amador CountyAmador County: 11.7 %11.7Riverside CountyRiverside County: 11.3 %11.3Nevada CountyNevada County: 10.9 %10.9Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 10.5 %10.5Solano CountySolano County: 10.3 %10.3San Diego CountySan Diego County: 10.1 %10.1Ventura CountyVentura County: 9.8 %9.8Alameda CountyAlameda County: 9.5 %9.5Orange CountyOrange County: 9.2 %9.2San Benito CountySan Benito County: 9.1 %9.1Sonoma CountySonoma County: 9.1 %9.1Napa CountyNapa County: 8.9 %8.9Marin CountyMarin County: 8.7 %8.7Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 8.3 %8.3Mono CountyMono County: 7.8 %7.8Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 7.6 %7.6San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 7.3 %7.3El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 7 %7Placer CountyPlacer County: 6.5 %6.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Trinity County20.8+4 pts
2Modoc County20.1+6.4 pts
3Butte County19.9+1.6 pts
4Kern County19+1.2 pts
5Merced County18.6-0.2 pts
6Madera County18-4 pts
7Fresno County17.7-0.9 pts
8Lake County17.6+0.5 pts
9Kings County17.5-0.4 pts
9Tulare County17.5-0.7 pts
11Imperial County17.3-3.9 pts
11Mariposa County17.3+2.2 pts
13Lassen County17.1-0.1 pts
13Siskiyou County17.1+1.3 pts
15Humboldt County16.7-1.3 pts
16Alpine County15.6-0.7 pts
17Yuba County15.4+0.5 pts
18Sutter County15.3+1.2 pts
18Yolo County15.3-0.8 pts
20Tehama County15-0.1 pts
21Santa Barbara County14.9+0.8 pts
22Monterey County14+1.9 pts
23Mendocino County13.9-3.7 pts
24Del Norte County13.8-2.7 pts
25Los Angeles County13.7-0.2 pts
26Glenn County13.5-0.5 pts
27San Bernardino County13.2-0.3 pts
27Shasta County13.2-0.7 pts
29San Luis Obispo County12.8+0.9 pts
30Plumas County12.7+0.1 pts
31San Joaquin County12.6+0.3 pts
31Santa Cruz County12.6+0.1 pts
31Sierra County12.6+0.4 pts
31Stanislaus County12.6-2.4 pts
35Colusa County12.3+1.6 pts
36Calaveras County12.2+0.1 pts
37Sacramento County11.9-0.3 pts
37San Francisco County11.9+1.5 pts
39Inyo County11.8+0.6 pts
40Amador County11.7+1.6 pts
41Riverside County11.3+0.4 pts
42Nevada County10.9+0.3 pts
43Tuolumne County10.5-3 pts
44Solano County10.3+0.3 pts
45San Diego County10.1-0.6 pts
46Ventura County9.8+0.3 pts
47Alameda County9.5-0.6 pts
48Orange County9.2-0.8 pts
49San Benito County9.1+1.9 pts
49Sonoma County9.1+0.2 pts
51Napa County8.9+0.3 pts
52Marin County8.7+1 pts
53Contra Costa County8.3-0.4 pts
54Mono County7.8-2.5 pts
55Santa Clara County7.6+0.1 pts
56San Mateo County7.3+0.1 pts
57El Dorado County7-0.6 pts
58Placer County6.5+0.3 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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?

Trinity County, with 20.8% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Placer County, with 6.5% in 2023.

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