Counties in Colorado by poverty rate

Crowley County had the highest poverty rate of 64 counties in 2016, at 48%. Douglas County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 13.1% and the figure for Colorado was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median13.164 counties
Colorado11History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Crowley CountyCrowley County: 48 %48Bent CountyBent County: 34.1 %34.1Costilla CountyCostilla County: 30.4 %30.4Saguache CountySaguache County: 27.6 %27.6Alamosa CountyAlamosa County: 24.8 %24.8Otero CountyOtero County: 23.6 %23.6Conejos CountyConejos County: 22.7 %22.7Huerfano CountyHuerfano County: 21.9 %21.9Las Animas CountyLas Animas County: 21.6 %21.6Prowers CountyProwers County: 20.9 %20.9Baca CountyBaca County: 20.2 %20.2Pueblo CountyPueblo County: 19.9 %19.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 18.1 %18.1Delta CountyDelta County: 17.8 %17.8Fremont CountyFremont County: 17.5 %17.5Rio Grande CountyRio Grande County: 17.5 %17.5Logan CountyLogan County: 16.4 %16.4Montrose CountyMontrose County: 16.4 %16.4San Juan CountySan Juan County: 15.5 %15.5Montezuma CountyMontezuma County: 15.1 %15.1Mesa CountyMesa County: 15 %15Sedgwick CountySedgwick County: 14.8 %14.8Lake CountyLake County: 14.6 %14.6Kit Carson CountyKit Carson County: 14.3 %14.3Washington CountyWashington County: 14.3 %14.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 14.1 %14.1Cheyenne CountyCheyenne County: 14 %14Denver CountyDenver County: 14 %14Kiowa CountyKiowa County: 13.9 %13.9Gunnison CountyGunnison County: 13.8 %13.8Custer CountyCuster County: 13.6 %13.6Dolores CountyDolores County: 13.2 %13.2Moffat CountyMoffat County: 12.9 %12.9Yuma CountyYuma County: 12.3 %12.3Archuleta CountyArchuleta County: 12 %12Adams CountyAdams County: 11.7 %11.7Morgan CountyMorgan County: 11.7 %11.7El Paso CountyEl Paso County: 11.5 %11.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 11.5 %11.5Weld CountyWeld County: 11.5 %11.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Crowley County48+3.7 pts
2Bent County34.1-2.6 pts
3Costilla County30.4+2.2 pts
4Saguache County27.6-2 pts
5Alamosa County24.8+0.8 pts
6Otero County23.6+3 pts
7Conejos County22.7+2.5 pts
8Huerfano County21.9-1.3 pts
9Las Animas County21.6+2.3 pts
10Prowers County20.9+1.3 pts
11Baca County20.2-0.6 pts
12Pueblo County19.9+0.1 pts
13Lincoln County18.1-1.3 pts
14Delta County17.8+2 pts
15Fremont County17.5+0.3 pts
15Rio Grande County17.5+0.3 pts
17Logan County16.4+0.9 pts
17Montrose County16.4-1.3 pts
19San Juan County15.5-0.1 pts
20Montezuma County15.1-4.2 pts
21Mesa County15+0.9 pts
22Sedgwick County14.8+1.2 pts
23Lake County14.6-1.1 pts
24Kit Carson County14.3+2.1 pts
24Washington County14.3+2.9 pts
26Jackson County14.1+0.2 pts
27Cheyenne County14+2.3 pts
27Denver County14-1.7 pts
29Kiowa County13.90 pts
30Gunnison County13.8+1.3 pts
31Custer County13.6-1.5 pts
32Dolores County13.2-1.7 pts
33Moffat County12.9+1.2 pts
34Yuma County12.3-1.8 pts
35Archuleta County12-1.1 pts
36Adams County11.7-1.1 pts
36Morgan County11.7-0.4 pts
38El Paso County11.5+0.5 pts
38Phillips County11.5+0.4 pts
38Weld County11.5+0.2 pts
41Chaffee County11.4-0.3 pts
42Larimer County11.2-1 pts
43La Plata County10.9+1.5 pts
44Boulder County10.8-1.5 pts
45San Miguel County10.1-0.9 pts
46Hinsdale County10-0.9 pts
47Rio Blanco County9.5-0.2 pts
47Teller County9.5+0.7 pts
49Mineral County9.3-0.1 pts
50Park County9.20 pts
51Garfield County9.1-1.2 pts
52Arapahoe County9-0.2 pts
53Ouray County8.8-0.6 pts
54Grand County8.2-0.1 pts
55Clear Creek County8.1-1.5 pts
56Eagle County7.9+0.3 pts
56Summit County7.9-0.8 pts
58Gilpin County7.5-0.5 pts
59Routt County7.2-1.7 pts
60Jefferson County7-0.9 pts
61Pitkin County6.9-0.1 pts
62Elbert County6+0.1 pts
63Broomfield County5.3+0.4 pts
64Douglas County3.40 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

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Colorado by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Colorado","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate&level=province&within=Colorado&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Crowley County, with 48% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Douglas County, with 3.4% 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 Colorado: more rankings