Counties in Florida by poverty rate

Putnam County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2020, at 24.3%. Seminole County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 13.8% and the figure for Florida was 12.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.3Putnam County
Median13.867 counties
Florida12.4History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Putnam CountyPutnam County: 24.3 %24.3Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 24.2 %24.2Madison CountyMadison County: 23.8 %23.8Dixie CountyDixie County: 23.2 %23.2Hendry CountyHendry County: 22.9 %22.9Gadsden CountyGadsden County: 21.9 %21.9Hardee CountyHardee County: 21.2 %21.2Liberty CountyLiberty County: 21.2 %21.2DeSoto CountyDeSoto County: 20.8 %20.8Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 20.7 %20.7Union CountyUnion County: 20.7 %20.7Holmes CountyHolmes County: 20.5 %20.5Washington CountyWashington County: 20.4 %20.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 20.3 %20.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 19.5 %19.5Taylor CountyTaylor County: 19.3 %19.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 19.1 %19.1Glades CountyGlades County: 18.1 %18.1Okeechobee CountyOkeechobee County: 17.7 %17.7Suwannee CountySuwannee County: 17.7 %17.7Leon CountyLeon County: 17.6 %17.6Bradford CountyBradford County: 17.5 %17.5Alachua CountyAlachua County: 17.2 %17.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 17.2 %17.2Levy CountyLevy County: 16.9 %16.9Highlands CountyHighlands County: 16.1 %16.1Columbia CountyColumbia County: 15.6 %15.6Marion CountyMarion County: 15.3 %15.3Duval CountyDuval County: 15.2 %15.2Gulf CountyGulf County: 15.1 %15.1Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County: 15 %15Gilchrist CountyGilchrist County: 14.5 %14.5Polk CountyPolk County: 14.4 %14.4St. Lucie CountySt. Lucie County: 13.8 %13.8Escambia CountyEscambia County: 13.5 %13.5Baker CountyBaker County: 12.8 %12.8Orange CountyOrange County: 12.7 %12.7Citrus CountyCitrus County: 12.6 %12.6Hernando CountyHernando County: 12.5 %12.5Bay CountyBay County: 12.4 %12.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Putnam County24.3+1.9 pts
2Hamilton County24.2-8.3 pts
3Madison County23.8+1.1 pts
4Dixie County23.2+1 pts
5Hendry County22.9+3.4 pts
6Gadsden County21.9+2.2 pts
7Hardee County21.2-0.9 pts
7Liberty County21.2-1.8 pts
9DeSoto County20.8-1 pts
10Lafayette County20.7+2.7 pts
10Union County20.7+0.8 pts
12Holmes County20.5+0.4 pts
13Washington County20.4+0.3 pts
14Calhoun County20.30 pts
15Jackson County19.5+0.1 pts
16Taylor County19.3-0.6 pts
17Franklin County19.1-0.1 pts
18Glades County18.1-1.2 pts
19Okeechobee County17.7-0.7 pts
19Suwannee County17.7+0.6 pts
21Leon County17.6-3.2 pts
22Bradford County17.5-3.5 pts
23Alachua County17.2-1.2 pts
23Jefferson County17.2-0.4 pts
25Levy County16.9-1.3 pts
26Highlands County16.1+0.3 pts
27Columbia County15.60 pts
28Marion County15.3+0.4 pts
29Duval County15.2+1.7 pts
30Gulf County15.1+1.1 pts
31Miami-Dade County15-0.7 pts
32Gilchrist County14.5-0.5 pts
33Polk County14.4+0.4 pts
34St. Lucie County13.8+3.3 pts
35Escambia County13.5-2 pts
36Baker County12.8-2.1 pts
37Orange County12.7+0.1 pts
38Citrus County12.6-2.6 pts
39Hernando County12.5+0.1 pts
40Bay County12.4+0.3 pts
41Sumter County12.3+3.4 pts
42Palm Beach County12+0.6 pts
43Hillsborough County11.9-1.6 pts
44Osceola County11.8-1.6 pts
45Volusia County11.6-1.5 pts
46Pasco County11.4+0.1 pts
46Walton County11.4+0.6 pts
48Martin County11.1+2.2 pts
48Pinellas County11.1-0.3 pts
50Broward County11-1.3 pts
51Manatee County10.9-0.4 pts
52Lee County10.5-0.7 pts
53Wakulla County10.3-1.7 pts
54Monroe County10.2+0.3 pts
55Collier County10.1+0.7 pts
56Brevard County9.9+0.5 pts
57Charlotte County9.8-1.6 pts
58Okaloosa County9.6-1 pts
59Flagler County9.4-0.3 pts
59Santa Rosa County9.4-0.4 pts
61Lake County9.2-1.7 pts
62Clay County8.9+0.6 pts
63Indian River County8.7-2.8 pts
63Sarasota County8.7+0.9 pts
65Nassau County8.1-0.9 pts
65St. Johns County8.1+1.7 pts
67Seminole County8-1.3 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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?

Putnam County, with 24.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Seminole County, with 8% in 2020.

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