Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Georgia

Counties in Georgia by poverty rate

Wheeler County had the highest poverty rate of 159 counties in 2023, at 36.3%. Forsyth County had the lowest, at 5.1%. The median was 17.8% and the figure for Georgia was 13.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.3Wheeler County
Lowest5.1Forsyth County
Median17.8159 counties
Georgia13.7History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 36.3 %36.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 35.5 %35.5Stewart CountyStewart County: 32.5 %32.5Macon CountyMacon County: 31.6 %31.6Hancock CountyHancock County: 30.3 %30.3Telfair CountyTelfair County: 30.1 %30.1Jenkins CountyJenkins County: 28.9 %28.9Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 28.4 %28.4Terrell CountyTerrell County: 28.1 %28.1Talbot CountyTalbot County: 27.3 %27.3Randolph CountyRandolph County: 26.7 %26.7Taylor CountyTaylor County: 26.6 %26.6Clay CountyClay County: 26.4 %26.4Dougherty CountyDougherty County: 26.4 %26.4Sumter CountySumter County: 26.3 %26.3Baker CountyBaker County: 26.2 %26.2Charlton CountyCharlton County: 26.2 %26.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 26.2 %26.2Emanuel CountyEmanuel County: 26.1 %26.1Crisp CountyCrisp County: 26 %26Tattnall CountyTattnall County: 25.7 %25.7Early CountyEarly County: 25.5 %25.5Taliaferro CountyTaliaferro County: 24.5 %24.5Ben Hill CountyBen Hill County: 24.4 %24.4Marion CountyMarion County: 24.2 %24.2Warren CountyWarren County: 24.2 %24.2Clarke CountyClarke County: 24.1 %24.1Treutlen CountyTreutlen County: 24 %24Turner CountyTurner County: 23.9 %23.9Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 23.8 %23.8Bulloch CountyBulloch County: 23.7 %23.7Evans CountyEvans County: 23.7 %23.7Quitman CountyQuitman County: 23.7 %23.7Dodge CountyDodge County: 23.5 %23.5Colquitt CountyColquitt County: 23.4 %23.4Clinch CountyClinch County: 23.3 %23.3Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 23 %23Bacon CountyBacon County: 22.9 %22.9Brooks CountyBrooks County: 22.8 %22.8Toombs CountyToombs County: 22.8 %22.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Wheeler County36.3+5.2 pts
2Calhoun County35.5+1.6 pts
3Stewart County32.5+6.6 pts
4Macon County31.6+7.8 pts
5Hancock County30.3+3.8 pts
6Telfair County30.1-0.5 pts
7Jenkins County28.9+1 pts
8Wilcox County28.4+2 pts
9Terrell County28.1-1.1 pts
10Talbot County27.3+6.5 pts
11Randolph County26.7-0.7 pts
12Taylor County26.6+4.1 pts
13Clay County26.4+1.3 pts
13Dougherty County26.4-1.3 pts
15Sumter County26.3+4 pts
16Baker County26.2+4.6 pts
16Charlton County26.2+3.3 pts
16Johnson County26.2-1.1 pts
19Emanuel County26.1+5.3 pts
20Crisp County26+0.9 pts
21Tattnall County25.7+2.2 pts
22Early County25.5+1.8 pts
23Taliaferro County24.5+4.5 pts
24Ben Hill County24.4-2.4 pts
25Marion County24.2+4.8 pts
25Warren County24.2+0.8 pts
27Clarke County24.1-2.4 pts
28Treutlen County24+2.3 pts
29Turner County23.9-1.6 pts
30Mitchell County23.8+1.1 pts
31Bulloch County23.7-0.1 pts
31Evans County23.7+2.1 pts
31Quitman County23.7+1.4 pts
34Dodge County23.5-0.9 pts
35Colquitt County23.4+0.8 pts
36Clinch County23.3+1.8 pts
37Pulaski County23+3.4 pts
38Bacon County22.90 pts
39Brooks County22.8-2.7 pts
39Toombs County22.8+1.7 pts
41Coffee County22.5+2.6 pts
41Dooly County22.5-1.2 pts
41Jefferson County22.5-1.2 pts
41Screven County22.5+3.7 pts
45Atkinson County22.4+1.3 pts
46Decatur County22.3-0.3 pts
46Seminole County22.3-0.9 pts
48Richmond County22.2+3.8 pts
49Bibb County22.1-0.4 pts
50Echols County21.6+0.5 pts
50Washington County21.6-0.4 pts
52Candler County21.5+3 pts
53Baldwin County21.4-2.7 pts
53Worth County21.4-0.8 pts
55Twiggs County21.3+0.1 pts
56Burke County21.2-0.6 pts
57Appling County21.1+0.8 pts
57Miller County21.1-1.8 pts
59Chattooga County20.7+2.6 pts
59Montgomery County20.7+0.5 pts
59Muscogee County20.7+2.9 pts
59Webster County20.7+2.6 pts
63Wilkinson County20.6+3.6 pts
64Cook County19.9-0.7 pts
64Ware County19.9+2.3 pts
66Grady County19.7-1.9 pts
66Jeff Davis County19.7-0.5 pts
66Wayne County19.7+1.9 pts
69Lowndes County19.5+4.1 pts
70Irwin County19.4+0.3 pts
71Laurens County19.2-2.2 pts
71Tift County19.2+2.6 pts
73McDuffie County19.1+1.4 pts
74Berrien County18.8-3.1 pts
75McIntosh County18.7+1.7 pts
76Thomas County18.4-1.4 pts
77Bleckley County18.2+1.9 pts
78Troup County18.1+0.3 pts
79Elbert County18+1.8 pts
80Brantley County17.8+1.6 pts
80Wilkes County17.8-0.8 pts
82Lanier County17.5-1.7 pts
82Upson County17.5-3.4 pts
84Clayton County17.3+2.7 pts
84Peach County17.3-1.1 pts
84Polk County17.3+2.4 pts
87Floyd County17+1.9 pts
88Franklin County16.9+0.9 pts
89Heard County16.5+1.6 pts
90Chattahoochee County16.3+0.7 pts
90Haralson County16.3+1.2 pts
90Spalding County16.3-3 pts
93Liberty County16.2+1.8 pts
93Pierce County16.2-0.5 pts
95Meriwether County15.9-0.7 pts
96Crawford County15.8-1.1 pts
97Glascock County15.7+1.8 pts
97Glynn County15.7+2 pts
99Putnam County15.6+2.3 pts
99Stephens County15.6+1.9 pts
101Butts County15.5+2.3 pts
101Whitfield County15.5+2.6 pts
103Schley County15.3-0.1 pts
104Chatham County15.2-0.7 pts
105Lincoln County15.1-0.3 pts
105Long County15.1+0.9 pts
105Lumpkin County15.1+3 pts
105Walker County15.1+0.3 pts
109Hart County14.9+0.7 pts
110Jasper County14.8+1.9 pts
111Murray County14.4+1.1 pts
112Carroll County14.3+1.1 pts
113Lamar County14.2+1.2 pts
114Dade County14.1+2.8 pts
114Greene County14.1+0.5 pts
116Fannin County13.9+2.5 pts
117Gilmer County13.6-0.4 pts
118Habersham County13.5-0.3 pts
119DeKalb County13.3-0.2 pts
120Oglethorpe County13.1+0.4 pts
121Fulton County13+0.3 pts
121Madison County13+0.8 pts
121Rabun County13+0.3 pts
121Rockdale County13+1.8 pts
125Gordon County12.9+1.4 pts
126Houston County12.8+2.1 pts
127Jones County12.7+1.2 pts
128Banks County12.2+0.1 pts
129Douglas County11.9+1.7 pts
130Newton County11.8-0.5 pts
131Monroe County11.7+0.3 pts
132Camden County11.6-0.8 pts
132Towns County11.6-1.3 pts
134Gwinnett County11.4+2.5 pts
135Barrow County11.2+1.9 pts
135Morgan County11.20 pts
135Pike County11.2+2.5 pts
138Hall County11-0.7 pts
139White County10.8-1.3 pts
140Catoosa County10.7-0.3 pts
140Union County10.7+0.4 pts
142Henry County10.3+2.3 pts
143Pickens County10.1-0.6 pts
143Walton County10.1-1.2 pts
145Coweta County9.9+2.4 pts
146Bartow County9.7-0.6 pts
147Lee County9-1.3 pts
148Cobb County8.8+0.8 pts
149Harris County8.6-0.4 pts
150Effingham County8.5-0.1 pts
151Jackson County8.3+1 pts
152Bryan County8.2+0.2 pts
153Dawson County80 pts
154Paulding County7.7-0.2 pts
155Oconee County7.5+1.5 pts
156Columbia County6.8-0.2 pts
157Cherokee County6.6+1 pts
158Fayette County5.8-0.1 pts
159Forsyth County5.1+1 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 36.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Forsyth County, with 5.1% in 2023.

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