Counties in Georgia by poverty rate

Calhoun County had the highest poverty rate of 159 counties in 2022, at 33.9%. Forsyth County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 17% and the figure for Georgia was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest33.9Calhoun County
Median17159 counties
Georgia12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 33.9 %33.9Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 31.1 %31.1Telfair CountyTelfair County: 30.6 %30.6Terrell CountyTerrell County: 29.2 %29.2Jenkins CountyJenkins County: 27.9 %27.9Dougherty CountyDougherty County: 27.7 %27.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 27.4 %27.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 27.3 %27.3Ben Hill CountyBen Hill County: 26.8 %26.8Clarke CountyClarke County: 26.5 %26.5Hancock CountyHancock County: 26.5 %26.5Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 26.4 %26.4Stewart CountyStewart County: 25.9 %25.9Brooks CountyBrooks County: 25.5 %25.5Turner CountyTurner County: 25.5 %25.5Clay CountyClay County: 25.1 %25.1Crisp CountyCrisp County: 25.1 %25.1Dodge CountyDodge County: 24.4 %24.4Baldwin CountyBaldwin County: 24.1 %24.1Bulloch CountyBulloch County: 23.8 %23.8Macon CountyMacon County: 23.8 %23.8Dooly CountyDooly County: 23.7 %23.7Early CountyEarly County: 23.7 %23.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 23.7 %23.7Tattnall CountyTattnall County: 23.5 %23.5Warren CountyWarren County: 23.4 %23.4Seminole CountySeminole County: 23.2 %23.2Bacon CountyBacon County: 22.9 %22.9Charlton CountyCharlton County: 22.9 %22.9Miller CountyMiller County: 22.9 %22.9Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 22.7 %22.7Colquitt CountyColquitt County: 22.6 %22.6Decatur CountyDecatur County: 22.6 %22.6Bibb CountyBibb County: 22.5 %22.5Taylor CountyTaylor County: 22.5 %22.5Quitman CountyQuitman County: 22.3 %22.3Sumter CountySumter County: 22.3 %22.3Worth CountyWorth County: 22.2 %22.2Washington CountyWashington County: 22 %22Berrien CountyBerrien County: 21.9 %21.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Calhoun County33.9-0.1 pts
2Wheeler County31.1-2.1 pts
3Telfair County30.6+0.4 pts
4Terrell County29.2+2.6 pts
5Jenkins County27.9+0.5 pts
6Dougherty County27.7+1.6 pts
7Randolph County27.4-0.7 pts
8Johnson County27.3+0.6 pts
9Ben Hill County26.8+4.7 pts
10Clarke County26.5+5 pts
10Hancock County26.5-4 pts
12Wilcox County26.4-1.2 pts
13Stewart County25.9-5.5 pts
14Brooks County25.5+2 pts
14Turner County25.5-0.7 pts
16Clay County25.1+0.8 pts
16Crisp County25.1+0.9 pts
18Dodge County24.4-1.2 pts
19Baldwin County24.1-0.3 pts
20Bulloch County23.8+2.5 pts
20Macon County23.8-6.5 pts
22Dooly County23.7+1.2 pts
22Early County23.7-2.4 pts
22Jefferson County23.7+3.4 pts
25Tattnall County23.5-4.5 pts
26Warren County23.4-2.2 pts
27Seminole County23.2-0.1 pts
28Bacon County22.9-0.5 pts
28Charlton County22.9-1.7 pts
28Miller County22.9-1.3 pts
31Mitchell County22.7-2 pts
32Colquitt County22.6+0.2 pts
32Decatur County22.6-1.2 pts
34Bibb County22.5-2 pts
34Taylor County22.5-0.2 pts
36Quitman County22.3-2.2 pts
36Sumter County22.3-5.6 pts
38Worth County22.2+1.6 pts
39Washington County22-0.6 pts
40Berrien County21.9+4.7 pts
41Burke County21.8+1.1 pts
42Treutlen County21.7-0.1 pts
43Baker County21.6-4.3 pts
43Evans County21.6-2.3 pts
43Grady County21.6-0.8 pts
46Clinch County21.5-2.4 pts
47Laurens County21.4-0.5 pts
48Twiggs County21.2+0.1 pts
49Atkinson County21.1-2.7 pts
49Echols County21.1-0.5 pts
49Toombs County21.1-1.8 pts
52Upson County20.9+2.1 pts
53Emanuel County20.8-3.3 pts
53Talbot County20.8-2.5 pts
55Cook County20.6+0.5 pts
56Appling County20.3+2.1 pts
57Jeff Davis County20.2+0.8 pts
57Montgomery County20.2-0.6 pts
59Taliaferro County20-3 pts
60Coffee County19.9-6.1 pts
61Thomas County19.8+0.7 pts
62Pulaski County19.6-1.3 pts
63Marion County19.4-1.9 pts
64Spalding County19.3-2 pts
65Lanier County19.2-0.6 pts
66Irwin County19.1-2.3 pts
67Screven County18.8-1.5 pts
68Wilkes County18.6-1.5 pts
69Candler County18.5-3.5 pts
70Peach County18.4-1.1 pts
70Richmond County18.4-3 pts
72Chattooga County18.1-2.1 pts
72Webster County18.1-2.3 pts
74Muscogee County17.8-2.6 pts
74Troup County17.8+2.2 pts
74Wayne County17.8-6.9 pts
77McDuffie County17.7-1.9 pts
78Ware County17.6-6.7 pts
79McIntosh County17-4.4 pts
79Wilkinson County17-4.2 pts
81Crawford County16.9+0.6 pts
82Pierce County16.7+1.3 pts
83Meriwether County16.6-5.1 pts
83Tift County16.6-4.8 pts
85Bleckley County16.3-2.7 pts
86Brantley County16.2-2.2 pts
86Elbert County16.2-3 pts
88Franklin County16-0.5 pts
89Chatham County15.9+0.4 pts
90Chattahoochee County15.6-0.9 pts
91Lincoln County15.4-1.1 pts
91Lowndes County15.4-9 pts
91Schley County15.4-0.7 pts
94Floyd County15.1-1.1 pts
94Haralson County15.1+0.2 pts
96Heard County14.9-2.3 pts
96Polk County14.9-2.8 pts
98Walker County14.8+0.6 pts
99Clayton County14.6-4.3 pts
100Liberty County14.4-3.7 pts
101Hart County14.2-1.6 pts
101Long County14.2-0.4 pts
103Gilmer County140 pts
104Glascock County13.9-1.4 pts
105Habersham County13.8+0.5 pts
106Glynn County13.7-2.8 pts
106Stephens County13.7-3 pts
108Greene County13.6-0.4 pts
109DeKalb County13.5-1 pts
110Murray County13.3-2.4 pts
110Putnam County13.3-2.9 pts
112Butts County13.2-0.8 pts
112Carroll County13.2-3.1 pts
114Lamar County13-1.1 pts
115Jasper County12.9-1.8 pts
115Towns County12.9-0.7 pts
115Whitfield County12.9-0.5 pts
118Fulton County12.7-1 pts
118Oglethorpe County12.7-0.7 pts
118Rabun County12.7+0.2 pts
121Camden County12.4+0.6 pts
122Newton County12.3-0.2 pts
123Madison County12.2-2.9 pts
124Banks County12.1-0.7 pts
124Lumpkin County12.1-1.5 pts
124White County12.1-0.4 pts
127Hall County11.7-0.4 pts
128Gordon County11.5-1.3 pts
128Jones County11.5-1 pts
130Fannin County11.4-1.8 pts
130Monroe County11.4-0.3 pts
132Dade County11.30 pts
132Walton County11.3+0.6 pts
134Morgan County11.2+0.3 pts
134Rockdale County11.2-2.4 pts
136Catoosa County11-0.6 pts
137Houston County10.7-0.9 pts
137Pickens County10.7+0.4 pts
139Bartow County10.3-1.3 pts
139Lee County10.3+0.5 pts
139Union County10.3-1.7 pts
142Douglas County10.2-2.6 pts
143Barrow County9.3-0.3 pts
144Harris County9+0.8 pts
145Gwinnett County8.9-1.9 pts
146Pike County8.7-1 pts
147Effingham County8.6-0.6 pts
148Bryan County8-0.1 pts
148Cobb County8-1.6 pts
148Dawson County8-1 pts
148Henry County8-1.5 pts
152Paulding County7.9+0.3 pts
153Coweta County7.5-0.6 pts
154Jackson County7.3-4.6 pts
155Columbia County7-0.3 pts
156Oconee County60 pts
157Fayette County5.9-0.6 pts
158Cherokee County5.6-1.4 pts
159Forsyth County4.1-1.2 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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?

Calhoun County, with 33.9% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Forsyth County, with 4.1% in 2022.

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