Counties in Florida by poverty rate

Madison County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2017, at 28.3%. St. Johns County had the lowest, at 8.3%. The median was 15.9% and the figure for Florida was 14.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28.3Madison County
Median15.967 counties
Florida14.1History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Madison CountyMadison County: 28.3 %28.3Putnam CountyPutnam County: 26.3 %26.3DeSoto CountyDeSoto County: 26.1 %26.1Dixie CountyDixie County: 24.4 %24.4Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 24 %24Hendry CountyHendry County: 23.9 %23.9Taylor CountyTaylor County: 23.8 %23.8Hardee CountyHardee County: 23.3 %23.3Gadsden CountyGadsden County: 23.1 %23.1Liberty CountyLiberty County: 23 %23Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 22.7 %22.7Union CountyUnion County: 22.2 %22.2Okeechobee CountyOkeechobee County: 21.8 %21.8Gulf CountyGulf County: 21.6 %21.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 21.3 %21.3Alachua CountyAlachua County: 21.2 %21.2Holmes CountyHolmes County: 21.2 %21.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.1 %21.1Washington CountyWashington County: 21.1 %21.1Levy CountyLevy County: 20.8 %20.8Suwannee CountySuwannee County: 20.3 %20.3Highlands CountyHighlands County: 19.8 %19.8Bradford CountyBradford County: 19.1 %19.1Glades CountyGlades County: 18.9 %18.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 18 %18Leon CountyLeon County: 18 %18Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 17.7 %17.7Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County: 16.7 %16.7Columbia CountyColumbia County: 16.5 %16.5Escambia CountyEscambia County: 16.4 %16.4Marion CountyMarion County: 16.2 %16.2Gilchrist CountyGilchrist County: 16.1 %16.1Polk CountyPolk County: 16.1 %16.1Walton CountyWalton County: 15.9 %15.9Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County: 15.5 %15.5Baker CountyBaker County: 15.3 %15.3Orange CountyOrange County: 15.3 %15.3Volusia CountyVolusia County: 15.2 %15.2Duval CountyDuval County: 15.1 %15.1Bay CountyBay County: 14.9 %14.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Madison County28.3-3.6 pts
2Putnam County26.3+4.8 pts
3DeSoto County26.1-2.5 pts
4Dixie County24.4-1 pts
5Hamilton County24-4.9 pts
6Hendry County23.9-1.2 pts
7Taylor County23.8+1.3 pts
8Hardee County23.3-0.5 pts
9Gadsden County23.1+2.5 pts
10Liberty County23-0.6 pts
11Lafayette County22.7-0.6 pts
12Union County22.2-2.5 pts
13Okeechobee County21.8+1.6 pts
14Gulf County21.6-1.9 pts
15Franklin County21.3-1.8 pts
16Alachua County21.2-1.1 pts
16Holmes County21.2-3 pts
18Calhoun County21.1-0.8 pts
18Washington County21.1-1.7 pts
20Levy County20.8-0.6 pts
21Suwannee County20.3-0.1 pts
22Highlands County19.8+0.7 pts
23Bradford County19.1+0.5 pts
24Glades County18.9-2.6 pts
25Jackson County18-4.6 pts
25Leon County18-1 pts
27Jefferson County17.7-1.2 pts
28Miami-Dade County16.7-1.5 pts
29Columbia County16.5-1.3 pts
30Escambia County16.4+1.2 pts
31Marion County16.2-1.2 pts
32Gilchrist County16.1-1.2 pts
32Polk County16.1-0.3 pts
34Walton County15.9+2.8 pts
35Hillsborough County15.5+0.5 pts
36Baker County15.3-1.9 pts
36Orange County15.3-1 pts
38Volusia County15.2+1 pts
39Duval County15.1+0.6 pts
40Bay County14.90 pts
41Citrus County14.4-2.2 pts
42Hernando County14-1.4 pts
42Osceola County14-0.8 pts
44Broward County13.1-0.4 pts
45Pasco County13-0.3 pts
46Wakulla County12.9-0.2 pts
47St. Lucie County12.8-4.2 pts
48Lake County12.6+0.8 pts
49Brevard County12.4-2.3 pts
50Pinellas County12.2-1.1 pts
51Flagler County12+0.8 pts
52Lee County11.8-1 pts
52Monroe County11.8+0.3 pts
52Palm Beach County11.8-0.8 pts
55Collier County11.7+0.3 pts
56Seminole County11.2-0.2 pts
57Martin County10.9-0.4 pts
57Okaloosa County10.9+0.2 pts
59Charlotte County10.8-1.8 pts
59Manatee County10.8-1.9 pts
61Indian River County10.6-1.7 pts
62Santa Rosa County10.2-0.4 pts
63Clay County9.9+0.3 pts
64Sarasota County9.2-1.6 pts
65Nassau County9.1-1.2 pts
65Sumter County9.1-1.4 pts
67St. Johns County8.3+0.6 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.

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Rank Counties in Florida by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Madison County, with 28.3% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Johns County, with 8.3% 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 Florida: more rankings