Counties in Florida by poverty rate

Hamilton County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2018, at 27.6%. St. Johns County had the lowest, at 6.6%. The median was 15.2% and the figure for Florida was 13.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.6Hamilton County
Median15.267 counties
Florida13.7History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 27.6 %27.6Hardee CountyHardee County: 27 %27DeSoto CountyDeSoto County: 26.1 %26.1Dixie CountyDixie County: 24.7 %24.7Hendry CountyHendry County: 24 %24Holmes CountyHolmes County: 23.9 %23.9Liberty CountyLiberty County: 23.8 %23.8Gadsden CountyGadsden County: 23.6 %23.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.5 %23.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 22.8 %22.8Madison CountyMadison County: 22.8 %22.8Washington CountyWashington County: 22.8 %22.8Taylor CountyTaylor County: 21.6 %21.6Okeechobee CountyOkeechobee County: 21.5 %21.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.3 %21.3Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 21 %21Highlands CountyHighlands County: 20.8 %20.8Leon CountyLeon County: 20.7 %20.7Union CountyUnion County: 20.6 %20.6Gulf CountyGulf County: 20.3 %20.3Glades CountyGlades County: 20.1 %20.1Alachua CountyAlachua County: 19.8 %19.8Bradford CountyBradford County: 19.5 %19.5Suwannee CountySuwannee County: 19.3 %19.3Putnam CountyPutnam County: 18.8 %18.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 17.9 %17.9Columbia CountyColumbia County: 17.3 %17.3Gilchrist CountyGilchrist County: 16.8 %16.8Levy CountyLevy County: 16.1 %16.1Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County: 16 %16Polk CountyPolk County: 15.7 %15.7Orange CountyOrange County: 15.6 %15.6Baker CountyBaker County: 15.4 %15.4Citrus CountyCitrus County: 15.2 %15.2Marion CountyMarion County: 15.1 %15.1Escambia CountyEscambia County: 14.7 %14.7Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County: 14.7 %14.7Duval CountyDuval County: 14.5 %14.5Hernando CountyHernando County: 14.1 %14.1Bay CountyBay County: 13.4 %13.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Hamilton County27.6+3.6 pts
2Hardee County27+3.7 pts
3DeSoto County26.10 pts
4Dixie County24.7+0.3 pts
5Hendry County24+0.1 pts
6Holmes County23.9+2.7 pts
7Liberty County23.8+0.8 pts
8Gadsden County23.6+0.5 pts
9Jackson County23.5+5.5 pts
10Franklin County22.8+1.5 pts
10Madison County22.8-5.5 pts
10Washington County22.8+1.7 pts
13Taylor County21.6-2.2 pts
14Okeechobee County21.5-0.3 pts
15Calhoun County21.3+0.2 pts
16Lafayette County21-1.7 pts
17Highlands County20.8+1 pts
18Leon County20.7+2.7 pts
19Union County20.6-1.6 pts
20Gulf County20.3-1.3 pts
21Glades County20.1+1.2 pts
22Alachua County19.8-1.4 pts
23Bradford County19.5+0.4 pts
24Suwannee County19.3-1 pts
25Putnam County18.8-7.5 pts
26Jefferson County17.9+0.2 pts
27Columbia County17.3+0.8 pts
28Gilchrist County16.8+0.7 pts
29Levy County16.1-4.7 pts
30Miami-Dade County16-0.7 pts
31Polk County15.7-0.4 pts
32Orange County15.6+0.3 pts
33Baker County15.4+0.1 pts
34Citrus County15.2+0.8 pts
35Marion County15.1-1.1 pts
36Escambia County14.7-1.7 pts
36Hillsborough County14.7-0.8 pts
38Duval County14.5-0.6 pts
39Hernando County14.1+0.1 pts
40Bay County13.4-1.5 pts
40Osceola County13.4-0.6 pts
42Volusia County13.2-2 pts
43Okaloosa County12.7+1.8 pts
44Broward County12.6-0.5 pts
44Pasco County12.6-0.4 pts
46Palm Beach County12.2+0.4 pts
47Lee County12.1+0.3 pts
47St. Lucie County12.1-0.7 pts
49Monroe County12+0.2 pts
50Wakulla County11.9-1 pts
51Pinellas County11.7-0.5 pts
52Lake County11.5-1.1 pts
53Walton County11.4-4.5 pts
54Charlotte County11.1+0.3 pts
55Brevard County11-1.4 pts
56Indian River County10.7+0.1 pts
56Martin County10.7-0.2 pts
58Collier County10.6-1.1 pts
59Manatee County10.4-0.4 pts
59Nassau County10.4+1.3 pts
61Flagler County10.3-1.7 pts
61Sarasota County10.3+1.1 pts
63Seminole County9.9-1.3 pts
64Santa Rosa County9.5-0.7 pts
65Sumter County9.3+0.2 pts
66Clay County8.8-1.1 pts
67St. Johns County6.6-1.7 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.

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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?

Hamilton County, with 27.6% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Johns 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 Florida: more rankings