Counties in Indiana by poverty rate

Monroe County had the highest poverty rate of 92 counties in 2016, at 23.8%. Hamilton County had the lowest, at 4.8%. The median was 12.6% and the figure for Indiana was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest23.8Monroe County
Median12.692 counties
Indiana14History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Monroe CountyMonroe County: 23.8 %23.8Delaware CountyDelaware County: 21.6 %21.6Grant CountyGrant County: 20.3 %20.3Marion CountyMarion County: 18.9 %18.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 17.8 %17.8Vigo CountyVigo County: 17.8 %17.8Tippecanoe CountyTippecanoe County: 17.6 %17.6Madison CountyMadison County: 17.5 %17.5Vanderburgh CountyVanderburgh County: 17.4 %17.4Crawford CountyCrawford County: 17.2 %17.2Switzerland CountySwitzerland County: 17.2 %17.2Knox CountyKnox County: 17 %17Wayne CountyWayne County: 17 %17Lake CountyLake County: 16.6 %16.6Orange CountyOrange County: 16.3 %16.3Parke CountyParke County: 16.3 %16.3Henry CountyHenry County: 16.2 %16.2St. Joseph CountySt. Joseph County: 16.2 %16.2Greene CountyGreene County: 16.1 %16.1Starke CountyStarke County: 16.1 %16.1Scott CountyScott County: 15.8 %15.8LaPorte CountyLaPorte County: 15.7 %15.7Miami CountyMiami County: 15.7 %15.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 15.4 %15.4Adams CountyAdams County: 15.2 %15.2Allen CountyAllen County: 15 %15Perry CountyPerry County: 14.9 %14.9Howard CountyHoward County: 14.8 %14.8Washington CountyWashington County: 14.3 %14.3Clay CountyClay County: 14.2 %14.2Daviess CountyDaviess County: 14.2 %14.2Sullivan CountySullivan County: 14.2 %14.2Jay CountyJay County: 13.9 %13.9Rush CountyRush County: 13.9 %13.9Owen CountyOwen County: 13.8 %13.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.7 %13.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 13.7 %13.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 13.4 %13.4Vermillion CountyVermillion County: 13.3 %13.3Elkhart CountyElkhart County: 13.2 %13.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Monroe County23.8+0.3 pts
2Delaware County21.6-1.4 pts
3Grant County20.3+2.3 pts
4Marion County18.9-1.7 pts
5Fayette County17.8+1.6 pts
5Vigo County17.8-2.6 pts
7Tippecanoe County17.6-1.3 pts
8Madison County17.5+0.8 pts
9Vanderburgh County17.4+0.2 pts
10Crawford County17.2-1.5 pts
10Switzerland County17.2+1.3 pts
12Knox County17-2.1 pts
12Wayne County17-1 pts
14Lake County16.60 pts
15Orange County16.3+0.6 pts
15Parke County16.3-0.9 pts
17Henry County16.2+1.5 pts
17St. Joseph County16.2-0.5 pts
19Greene County16.1+1.4 pts
19Starke County16.1+1.3 pts
21Scott County15.8+0.2 pts
22LaPorte County15.70 pts
22Miami County15.7+0.9 pts
24Randolph County15.4-2.6 pts
25Adams County15.2+2.4 pts
26Allen County15+0.4 pts
27Perry County14.9+1.7 pts
28Howard County14.8-2.1 pts
29Washington County14.3-0.1 pts
30Clay County14.2+1.3 pts
30Daviess County14.2-0.4 pts
30Sullivan County14.2-2.2 pts
33Jay County13.9-1.3 pts
33Rush County13.90 pts
35Owen County13.8-2 pts
36Clinton County13.7+1.8 pts
36Lawrence County13.7-0.2 pts
38Jefferson County13.40 pts
39Vermillion County13.3+0.4 pts
40Elkhart County13.2-0.8 pts
40Fountain County13.2+1.1 pts
42Jackson County13.1+1 pts
43Blackford County12.8-1.7 pts
43Union County12.8+0.4 pts
45Jennings County12.7-0.4 pts
46Putnam County12.6-1 pts
47Cass County12.5-0.6 pts
47Fulton County12.5+0.8 pts
49Martin County12.4-1.4 pts
50Shelby County12.3+0.4 pts
51Newton County12.20 pts
51Ripley County12.2+1.6 pts
53Marshall County12+1.4 pts
54Bartholomew County11.7-0.2 pts
55Benton County11.5+0.4 pts
55Decatur County11.5-1.5 pts
55Pulaski County11.5-2.7 pts
55Wabash County11.5-0.5 pts
59Noble County11.4+1.6 pts
59Pike County11.4+0.3 pts
61Montgomery County11.3-1 pts
62Huntington County11.1+0.2 pts
63Brown County10.9-0.5 pts
63White County10.90 pts
65Gibson County10.8-0.2 pts
66Franklin County10.7+0.8 pts
66Steuben County10.7+0.6 pts
68Clark County10.5+0.1 pts
68Morgan County10.5-0.9 pts
70Kosciusko County10.4+0.4 pts
71Carroll County10.3+0.9 pts
71Floyd County10.3-1 pts
73Harrison County10.2-1 pts
74Ohio County10.1-0.1 pts
75LaGrange County10+1.4 pts
76Wells County9.7+0.2 pts
77Jasper County9.4+0.1 pts
78Spencer County9.1-0.3 pts
78Warren County9.1-1.1 pts
80DeKalb County9-1.5 pts
80Whitley County9+1.1 pts
82Posey County8.7-1 pts
83Tipton County8.5-0.2 pts
84Dearborn County8.2-0.7 pts
85Porter County7.8-3.8 pts
86Johnson County7.6-0.4 pts
87Warrick County7.50 pts
88Hancock County7.3+1.3 pts
89Boone County7+1 pts
90Dubois County6.6-1 pts
91Hendricks County5.8+0.3 pts
92Hamilton County4.8+0.1 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Monroe County, with 23.8% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Hamilton County, with 4.8% in 2016.

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 Indiana: more rankings