Counties in Georgia by poverty rate

Mitchell County had the highest poverty rate of 159 counties in 2020, at 38.2%. Forsyth County had the lowest, at 5.1%. The median was 18.5% and the figure for Georgia was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest38.2Mitchell County
Median18.5159 counties
Georgia14History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 38.2 %38.2Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 35.6 %35.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 34.4 %34.4Stewart CountyStewart County: 31.3 %31.3Macon CountyMacon County: 31.1 %31.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 30.7 %30.7Telfair CountyTelfair County: 29.9 %29.9Bibb CountyBibb County: 28 %28Jenkins CountyJenkins County: 28 %28Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 27.9 %27.9Terrell CountyTerrell County: 27.8 %27.8Dougherty CountyDougherty County: 27.4 %27.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 27.4 %27.4Dooly CountyDooly County: 27 %27Emanuel CountyEmanuel County: 26.4 %26.4Ware CountyWare County: 26 %26Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25.9 %25.9Decatur CountyDecatur County: 25.6 %25.6Charlton CountyCharlton County: 25.5 %25.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 25.5 %25.5Clarke CountyClarke County: 24.6 %24.6Crisp CountyCrisp County: 24.5 %24.5Sumter CountySumter County: 24.3 %24.3Clay CountyClay County: 24.1 %24.1Early CountyEarly County: 24 %24Elbert CountyElbert County: 23.8 %23.8Baker CountyBaker County: 23.7 %23.7Treutlen CountyTreutlen County: 23.4 %23.4Warren CountyWarren County: 23.4 %23.4Taliaferro CountyTaliaferro County: 23.2 %23.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 23.2 %23.2Coffee CountyCoffee County: 23.1 %23.1Quitman CountyQuitman County: 23.1 %23.1Seminole CountySeminole County: 22.9 %22.9Baldwin CountyBaldwin County: 22.6 %22.6Ben Hill CountyBen Hill County: 22.3 %22.3Toombs CountyToombs County: 22.2 %22.2Turner CountyTurner County: 22.2 %22.2Meriwether CountyMeriwether County: 22.1 %22.1Atkinson CountyAtkinson County: 21.6 %21.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Mitchell County38.2+7.5 pts
2Wheeler County35.6+1.4 pts
3Calhoun County34.4-1.5 pts
4Stewart County31.3-3.4 pts
5Macon County31.1+1.7 pts
6Hancock County30.7-0.5 pts
7Telfair County29.9+2.2 pts
8Bibb County28+4.8 pts
8Jenkins County28-1 pts
10Wilcox County27.9-1.5 pts
11Terrell County27.8-0.4 pts
12Dougherty County27.4-0.2 pts
12Randolph County27.4+2.1 pts
14Dooly County27-1.2 pts
15Emanuel County26.4+5.5 pts
16Ware County26-0.3 pts
17Johnson County25.9+1.7 pts
18Decatur County25.6+2.2 pts
19Charlton County25.5-0.4 pts
19Richmond County25.5+3.8 pts
21Clarke County24.6-1.1 pts
22Crisp County24.5-2.2 pts
23Sumter County24.3-2.4 pts
24Clay County24.1-4.7 pts
25Early County24-3.3 pts
26Elbert County23.8+3.2 pts
27Baker County23.7-1.1 pts
28Treutlen County23.4-8.2 pts
28Warren County23.4-3.1 pts
30Taliaferro County23.2+0.7 pts
30Taylor County23.2+0.3 pts
32Coffee County23.1+2.9 pts
32Quitman County23.1+0.3 pts
34Seminole County22.9+0.3 pts
35Baldwin County22.6-0.3 pts
36Ben Hill County22.3-0.5 pts
37Toombs County22.2+3 pts
37Turner County22.2-5.8 pts
39Meriwether County22.1-0.1 pts
40Atkinson County21.6-1.6 pts
41Dodge County21.4+0.8 pts
42Washington County21.3-0.1 pts
43Bacon County21.1+1.9 pts
43Jefferson County21.1-4 pts
43Muscogee County21.1+2.7 pts
46Irwin County20.9+0.4 pts
47Butts County20.8+6.1 pts
47Talbot County20.8+1.2 pts
49Bulloch County20.7-1.2 pts
49Laurens County20.7-3.2 pts
49Screven County20.7-3.4 pts
49Tattnall County20.7-5.8 pts
53Brooks County20.6-1.3 pts
53Echols County20.6-1 pts
53Marion County20.6-0.5 pts
56Tift County20.5-1 pts
57Clinch County20.4-1.6 pts
57Colquitt County20.4-1.5 pts
57Pulaski County20.4-0.3 pts
60Lowndes County20.3-0.1 pts
61Wilkes County20.2+0.6 pts
62Candler County20.1-3 pts
62Wilkinson County20.1+3.1 pts
64Burke County20-3.6 pts
64Jeff Davis County20-1.2 pts
64Twiggs County20+1 pts
67Appling County19.9-1 pts
67McIntosh County19.9+1.2 pts
69Miller County19.8-1.5 pts
70Wayne County19.7+1.3 pts
71Evans County19.6-4.5 pts
71Lanier County19.6+1.1 pts
73Cook County19.5-1.9 pts
74Montgomery County19.3-0.1 pts
75Peach County19.2-0.6 pts
76Berrien County18.9-1.2 pts
77Chattooga County18.8+1.4 pts
78Grady County18.7-3 pts
79Webster County18.6+0.2 pts
80Bleckley County18.50 pts
81Floyd County18.4+2 pts
82Worth County18.2-2.1 pts
83Spalding County17.9+0.2 pts
84Brantley County17.8+1.7 pts
85Stephens County16.9+1.9 pts
86Carroll County16.8+1.9 pts
86Clayton County16.8+0.8 pts
88Long County16.7+2.5 pts
88McDuffie County16.7-1.3 pts
90Lincoln County16.5-0.8 pts
90Pierce County16.5+0.1 pts
92Heard County16.4-0.3 pts
92Troup County16.4-2.8 pts
94Franklin County16.3-1 pts
94Polk County16.3+0.1 pts
94Putnam County16.3+1.2 pts
97Thomas County16.2-1.8 pts
98Crawford County16.1+0.8 pts
99Murray County15.9+1.4 pts
100DeKalb County15.8+2.9 pts
101Chatham County15.6+0.8 pts
101Chattahoochee County15.6-2.9 pts
101Fannin County15.6+3.5 pts
104Glascock County15.5-1.4 pts
104Glynn County15.5+0.1 pts
104Haralson County15.5+1.1 pts
107Greene County15.3+0.3 pts
108Upson County15.2-3.9 pts
109Schley County15-0.9 pts
110Liberty County14.7+0.2 pts
111Madison County14.5-1.1 pts
112Hart County14.4-0.2 pts
112Newton County14.4+3.2 pts
114Walker County14.1-0.6 pts
115Gilmer County14-0.6 pts
115Jasper County14+1.6 pts
117Lamar County13.8-1 pts
117Rabun County13.8+0.8 pts
119Habersham County13.7-1.5 pts
120Oglethorpe County13.4+0.6 pts
121Towns County13.2+0.5 pts
122Dade County13-0.5 pts
122Fulton County13-0.8 pts
122Whitfield County13+0.3 pts
125Union County12.9+1.3 pts
126Monroe County12.8+2.2 pts
127Hall County12.7-0.8 pts
127Rockdale County12.7+0.6 pts
129Lumpkin County12.5-2 pts
129White County12.5+1.6 pts
131Gordon County11.8-0.5 pts
132Banks County11.6-1.2 pts
132Jones County11.6-1.2 pts
132Morgan County11.6+0.5 pts
135Douglas County11.5+0.6 pts
136Walton County11.4+0.6 pts
137Houston County10.8-0.2 pts
138Pickens County10.5+0.2 pts
139Gwinnett County10.4+1.2 pts
140Bartow County10.2-2.3 pts
141Barrow County10.1+0.4 pts
141Catoosa County10.1+0.1 pts
141Lee County10.1+0.8 pts
141Pike County10.1+1.4 pts
145Camden County9.4-4.4 pts
146Cobb County9.2+0.9 pts
147Jackson County9.1-1.2 pts
148Harris County9+2.5 pts
149Dawson County8.7-0.1 pts
149Henry County8.7+0.6 pts
151Coweta County8.6-0.4 pts
152Effingham County8.1-1 pts
153Bryan County8+0.2 pts
154Paulding County7.3+0.5 pts
155Cherokee County6.7+0.2 pts
155Columbia County6.7+1.1 pts
157Oconee County6+0.4 pts
158Fayette County5.3-0.1 pts
159Forsyth County5.1+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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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?

Mitchell County, with 38.2% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Forsyth County, with 5.1% 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 Georgia: more rankings