Counties in Georgia by poverty rate

Wheeler County had the highest poverty rate of 159 counties in 2018, at 39.6%. Forsyth County had the lowest, at 5%. The median was 20% and the figure for Georgia was 14.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest39.6Wheeler County
Median20159 counties
Georgia14.5History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 39.6 %39.6Stewart CountyStewart County: 37.9 %37.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 37.2 %37.2Telfair CountyTelfair County: 31.9 %31.9Jenkins CountyJenkins County: 31.8 %31.8Randolph CountyRandolph County: 30.8 %30.8Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 30.8 %30.8Hancock CountyHancock County: 30.7 %30.7Macon CountyMacon County: 30.5 %30.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 30 %30Clay CountyClay County: 29.8 %29.8Dougherty CountyDougherty County: 29.5 %29.5Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 29.3 %29.3Dooly CountyDooly County: 29.1 %29.1Turner CountyTurner County: 27.9 %27.9Terrell CountyTerrell County: 27.8 %27.8Crisp CountyCrisp County: 27.4 %27.4Clarke CountyClarke County: 27 %27Evans CountyEvans County: 26.6 %26.6Dodge CountyDodge County: 26.5 %26.5Early CountyEarly County: 26.5 %26.5Treutlen CountyTreutlen County: 26.3 %26.3Ben Hill CountyBen Hill County: 26.2 %26.2Atkinson CountyAtkinson County: 26.1 %26.1Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 25.9 %25.9Screven CountyScreven County: 25.9 %25.9Washington CountyWashington County: 25.9 %25.9Clinch CountyClinch County: 25.8 %25.8Sumter CountySumter County: 25.7 %25.7Warren CountyWarren County: 25.7 %25.7Charlton CountyCharlton County: 25.6 %25.6Tattnall CountyTattnall County: 25.6 %25.6Quitman CountyQuitman County: 25.5 %25.5Seminole CountySeminole County: 25.4 %25.4Emanuel CountyEmanuel County: 25.1 %25.1Toombs CountyToombs County: 24.9 %24.9Talbot CountyTalbot County: 24.8 %24.8Bibb CountyBibb County: 24.7 %24.7Candler CountyCandler County: 24.6 %24.6Laurens CountyLaurens County: 24.6 %24.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Wheeler County39.6+2.2 pts
2Stewart County37.9+1.7 pts
3Calhoun County37.2+2.1 pts
4Telfair County31.9-2.7 pts
5Jenkins County31.8-1 pts
6Randolph County30.8-2.8 pts
6Wilcox County30.8+0.1 pts
8Hancock County30.7+0.4 pts
9Macon County30.5+0.9 pts
10Johnson County30+1 pts
11Clay County29.8-3.3 pts
12Dougherty County29.5+1.3 pts
13Mitchell County29.3+1.8 pts
14Dooly County29.1+1.5 pts
15Turner County27.9+0.3 pts
16Terrell County27.8-5.2 pts
17Crisp County27.4-2.3 pts
18Clarke County27+0.4 pts
19Evans County26.6-1.4 pts
20Dodge County26.5+4.7 pts
20Early County26.5-0.2 pts
22Treutlen County26.3-1.1 pts
23Ben Hill County26.2+1.7 pts
24Atkinson County26.1+1.9 pts
25Lowndes County25.9+0.6 pts
25Screven County25.9+5.4 pts
25Washington County25.9-0.8 pts
28Clinch County25.8-1.8 pts
29Sumter County25.7+0.2 pts
29Warren County25.7-2.2 pts
31Charlton County25.60 pts
31Tattnall County25.6-1.7 pts
33Quitman County25.5-0.6 pts
34Seminole County25.4-3.8 pts
35Emanuel County25.1-2.5 pts
36Toombs County24.9+2.6 pts
37Talbot County24.8+2.6 pts
38Bibb County24.7-0.3 pts
39Candler County24.6-0.1 pts
39Laurens County24.6+2 pts
39Taliaferro County24.6-1.9 pts
42Brooks County24.5+0.8 pts
42Cook County24.5+3.2 pts
44Echols County24.4-2.1 pts
44Meriwether County24.4+4.5 pts
46Irwin County24.3+2.3 pts
47Peach County24+4.4 pts
48Coffee County23.9-1 pts
48Colquitt County23.9-1.7 pts
48Pulaski County23.9+1.4 pts
51Baldwin County23.8-1.4 pts
52Ware County23.6+1.6 pts
53Wilkinson County23.3-0.2 pts
54Decatur County23.2+1.3 pts
55Baker County22.9-1.7 pts
55Bulloch County22.9-1.7 pts
55Taylor County22.9-0.8 pts
58Bacon County22.8-5.4 pts
58Marion County22.8-1.1 pts
60Webster County22.7+2.7 pts
61Miller County22.4-1.4 pts
62Jefferson County22.3-1.7 pts
63Montgomery County22.1+1.6 pts
64Burke County22-1.1 pts
65Appling County21.9-0.3 pts
65Richmond County21.9-1.8 pts
67Berrien County21.8+3.2 pts
67Polk County21.8+2.8 pts
69Upson County21.6+1.1 pts
70McIntosh County21.5+2 pts
71Twiggs County21.3-0.9 pts
72Floyd County20.7+1.5 pts
73Jeff Davis County20.6-0.6 pts
74Worth County20.5-1.1 pts
75Lanier County20.3-0.2 pts
75Wilkes County20.3-2.5 pts
77Thomas County20.2+2.3 pts
77Troup County20.2-1.4 pts
79Muscogee County20.1-2.5 pts
80Grady County20-0.3 pts
81McDuffie County19.9-1.3 pts
82Butts County19.7+1.4 pts
83Tift County19.6-2.1 pts
84Chattooga County19.5-0.7 pts
85Greene County19.3+2.3 pts
86Bleckley County18.7-1.6 pts
87Wayne County18.6-1.6 pts
88Crawford County18.5+0.9 pts
88Elbert County18.5-4.4 pts
90Brantley County18.3-0.7 pts
91Pierce County18.1-1.3 pts
91Schley County18.1+0.1 pts
93Clayton County17.6+1.3 pts
94Glascock County17.5+0.2 pts
95Gilmer County17.4+3 pts
96Chattahoochee County17.3-2.3 pts
96Lamar County17.3+0.8 pts
96Spalding County17.3-2.6 pts
99Lincoln County17.2-0.9 pts
100Heard County17.1-1.8 pts
101Carroll County16.8-0.4 pts
101Fannin County16.8+3.2 pts
101Gordon County16.8+2.8 pts
101Long County16.8-2.3 pts
105Glynn County16.6-0.4 pts
106Franklin County16.4-2.3 pts
107Stephens County16.3-2.4 pts
108Liberty County16.1-0.7 pts
108Madison County16.1+0.2 pts
108Putnam County16.1-1.1 pts
111Towns County16+2.2 pts
112Haralson County15.9+0.6 pts
113Camden County15.8+3.3 pts
114Walker County15.5-0.1 pts
115Jasper County15.4-2.2 pts
116Murray County15.2-2 pts
117Hart County15-3.9 pts
118Habersham County14.9+1.6 pts
118Lumpkin County14.9+1 pts
120Newton County14.8+1.4 pts
121Jones County14.5+1.6 pts
122Chatham County14.4-1.9 pts
123DeKalb County14.3-1 pts
124Rabun County14.2-3.6 pts
124Whitfield County14.2-2.3 pts
126White County14.1+0.8 pts
127Oglethorpe County13.8+0.4 pts
127Union County13.8-1.6 pts
129Dade County13.6-1.6 pts
130Fulton County13.5-1.3 pts
131Hall County13.2-0.1 pts
131Rockdale County13.2-0.9 pts
133Banks County13-0.5 pts
133Monroe County13-0.3 pts
135Morgan County12.7+0.7 pts
136Douglas County12.6+0.8 pts
137Lee County12.4+1.5 pts
138Bartow County12.2-1 pts
139Houston County12.1-0.9 pts
140Catoosa County11.9-0.1 pts
140Walton County11.9-0.4 pts
142Pickens County11+0.2 pts
143Pike County10.6-0.1 pts
144Coweta County10.2-0.2 pts
145Barrow County9.5-2.5 pts
146Gwinnett County9.2-1.5 pts
147Cobb County9.1-0.4 pts
148Dawson County8.7-0.7 pts
148Harris County8.7+0.4 pts
148Jackson County8.7-2.8 pts
151Bryan County8.6-1.8 pts
152Effingham County8.3-1.5 pts
153Paulding County7.8-0.5 pts
154Henry County7.5-2.3 pts
155Cherokee County7.4-0.1 pts
156Columbia County7.1+0.5 pts
157Oconee County5.7-0.8 pts
158Fayette County5-0.7 pts
158Forsyth County5-0.3 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Wheeler County, with 39.6% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Forsyth County, with 5% 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 Georgia: more rankings