Counties in Florida by poverty rate

Putnam County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2021, at 26.3%. St. Johns County had the lowest, at 6.3%. The median was 15.1% and the figure for Florida was 13.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.3Putnam County
Median15.167 counties
Florida13.2History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Putnam CountyPutnam County: 26.3 %26.3Gadsden CountyGadsden County: 25.8 %25.8Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 25.7 %25.7DeSoto CountyDeSoto County: 25.5 %25.5Dixie CountyDixie County: 23.4 %23.4Liberty CountyLiberty County: 23.1 %23.1Union CountyUnion County: 22.7 %22.7Hardee CountyHardee County: 21.9 %21.9Madison CountyMadison County: 21.8 %21.8Hendry CountyHendry County: 21.7 %21.7Franklin CountyFranklin County: 21 %21Okeechobee CountyOkeechobee County: 20.9 %20.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 20.6 %20.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 20.6 %20.6Suwannee CountySuwannee County: 20.6 %20.6Taylor CountyTaylor County: 20.1 %20.1Holmes CountyHolmes County: 20 %20Glades CountyGlades County: 19.2 %19.2Washington CountyWashington County: 19.2 %19.2Alachua CountyAlachua County: 19.1 %19.1Bradford CountyBradford County: 19.1 %19.1Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 18.9 %18.9Levy CountyLevy County: 18.8 %18.8Escambia CountyEscambia County: 18.5 %18.5Columbia CountyColumbia County: 16.5 %16.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 16.4 %16.4Leon CountyLeon County: 16.2 %16.2Baker CountyBaker County: 16.1 %16.1Gulf CountyGulf County: 15.7 %15.7Polk CountyPolk County: 15.6 %15.6Citrus CountyCitrus County: 15.5 %15.5Gilchrist CountyGilchrist County: 15.3 %15.3Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County: 15.2 %15.2Highlands CountyHighlands County: 15.1 %15.1Duval CountyDuval County: 14.9 %14.9Orange CountyOrange County: 14.9 %14.9Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County: 14.3 %14.3Bay CountyBay County: 13.9 %13.9Volusia CountyVolusia County: 13.8 %13.8Marion CountyMarion County: 13.6 %13.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Putnam County26.3+2 pts
2Gadsden County25.8+3.9 pts
3Hamilton County25.7+1.5 pts
4DeSoto County25.5+4.7 pts
5Dixie County23.4+0.2 pts
6Liberty County23.1+1.9 pts
7Union County22.7+2 pts
8Hardee County21.9+0.7 pts
9Madison County21.8-2 pts
10Hendry County21.7-1.2 pts
11Franklin County21+1.9 pts
12Okeechobee County20.9+3.2 pts
13Calhoun County20.6+0.3 pts
13Jackson County20.6+1.1 pts
13Suwannee County20.6+2.9 pts
16Taylor County20.1+0.8 pts
17Holmes County20-0.5 pts
18Glades County19.2+1.1 pts
18Washington County19.2-1.2 pts
20Alachua County19.1+1.9 pts
20Bradford County19.1+1.6 pts
22Lafayette County18.9-1.8 pts
23Levy County18.8+1.9 pts
24Escambia County18.5+5 pts
25Columbia County16.5+0.9 pts
26Jefferson County16.4-0.8 pts
27Leon County16.2-1.4 pts
28Baker County16.1+3.3 pts
29Gulf County15.7+0.6 pts
30Polk County15.6+1.2 pts
31Citrus County15.5+2.9 pts
32Gilchrist County15.3+0.8 pts
33Miami-Dade County15.2+0.2 pts
34Highlands County15.1-1 pts
35Duval County14.9-0.3 pts
35Orange County14.9+2.2 pts
37Hillsborough County14.3+2.4 pts
38Bay County13.9+1.5 pts
39Volusia County13.8+2.2 pts
40Marion County13.6-1.7 pts
41Osceola County13.3+1.5 pts
42Broward County12.8+1.8 pts
43Walton County12.4+1 pts
44Pinellas County12.3+1.2 pts
45Lee County12.2+1.7 pts
46Hernando County12-0.5 pts
47Indian River County11.7+3 pts
48Palm Beach County11.6-0.4 pts
48Pasco County11.6+0.2 pts
50Martin County11.4+0.3 pts
50St. Lucie County11.4-2.4 pts
52Brevard County11.3+1.4 pts
53Monroe County11+0.8 pts
54Charlotte County10.9+1.1 pts
55Collier County10.4+0.3 pts
56Flagler County10.3+0.9 pts
57Wakulla County10.1-0.2 pts
58Lake County10+0.8 pts
59Manatee County9.9-1 pts
59Nassau County9.9+1.8 pts
61Okaloosa County9.7+0.1 pts
62Sumter County9.5-2.8 pts
63Seminole County9.4+1.4 pts
64Santa Rosa County8.9-0.5 pts
65Sarasota County8.6-0.1 pts
66Clay County8-0.9 pts
67St. Johns County6.3-1.8 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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 26.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Johns County, with 6.3% in 2021.

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