Counties in Iowa by poverty rate, 2024

Decatur County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2024, at 18.1%. Dallas County had the lowest, at 5.2%. The median was 11% and the figure for Iowa was 11.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest18.1Decatur County
Lowest5.2Dallas County
Median1199 counties
Iowa11.2History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Decatur CountyDecatur County: 18.1 %18.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 17.7 %17.7Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 16.8 %16.8Story CountyStory County: 15.9 %15.9Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 15.8 %15.8Wapello CountyWapello County: 15.6 %15.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 14.6 %14.6Page CountyPage County: 14.5 %14.5Lucas CountyLucas County: 14.3 %14.3Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 14.2 %14.2Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 14 %14Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14 %14Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 13.9 %13.9Lee CountyLee County: 13.7 %13.7Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 13.6 %13.6Union CountyUnion County: 13.4 %13.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 13.3 %13.3Muscatine CountyMuscatine County: 13.3 %13.3Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 13.3 %13.3Webster CountyWebster County: 13.1 %13.1Clinton CountyClinton County: 13 %13Fayette CountyFayette County: 12.9 %12.9Henry CountyHenry County: 12.9 %12.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.9 %12.9Hardin CountyHardin County: 12.5 %12.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 12.4 %12.4Taylor CountyTaylor County: 12.4 %12.4Adams CountyAdams County: 12.1 %12.1Jones CountyJones County: 12 %12Emmet CountyEmmet County: 11.9 %11.9Palo Alto CountyPalo Alto County: 11.8 %11.8Poweshiek CountyPoweshiek County: 11.8 %11.8Crawford CountyCrawford County: 11.7 %11.7Scott CountyScott County: 11.7 %11.7Cass CountyCass County: 11.6 %11.6Mahaska CountyMahaska County: 11.6 %11.6Tama CountyTama County: 11.6 %11.6Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 11.5 %11.5Sac CountySac County: 11.5 %11.5Clay CountyClay County: 11.3 %11.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Decatur County18.1-0.2 pts
2Johnson County17.7+2.2 pts
3Van Buren County16.8+2 pts
4Story County15.9+1 pts
5Appanoose County15.8-0.3 pts
6Wapello County15.6+1.8 pts
7Montgomery County14.6+1.6 pts
8Page County14.5+0.7 pts
9Lucas County14.3+0.6 pts
10Black Hawk County14.20 pts
11Des Moines County14-0.3 pts
11Jefferson County14-0.1 pts
13Pottawattamie County13.9+2.3 pts
14Lee County13.7-0.7 pts
15Woodbury County13.6+0.7 pts
16Union County13.4-0.3 pts
17Calhoun County13.3+1.7 pts
17Muscatine County13.3+1.6 pts
17Ringgold County13.3-0.8 pts
20Webster County13.1-0.9 pts
21Clinton County13-0.3 pts
22Fayette County12.9-1 pts
22Henry County12.9+0.2 pts
22Wayne County12.9-1.8 pts
25Hardin County12.5+2.1 pts
26Marshall County12.4+0.4 pts
26Taylor County12.4-0.6 pts
28Adams County12.1+0.5 pts
29Jones County12+1.7 pts
30Emmet County11.9+2.1 pts
31Palo Alto County11.8+1.1 pts
31Poweshiek County11.8+1.5 pts
33Crawford County11.7+0.5 pts
33Scott County11.7+0.7 pts
35Cass County11.6-3.2 pts
35Mahaska County11.6-0.1 pts
35Tama County11.6-0.7 pts
38Keokuk County11.5+0.4 pts
38Sac County11.5+1.5 pts
40Clay County11.3+0.8 pts
40Floyd County11.3-0.2 pts
40Greene County11.3+0.6 pts
40Monroe County11.3+1.1 pts
44Franklin County11.2-0.1 pts
44Humboldt County11.2+1.6 pts
46Monona County11.1-1.5 pts
46Osceola County11.1+0.6 pts
48Audubon County11+0.8 pts
48Dubuque County11+1.4 pts
48Jackson County11+1.7 pts
48Pocahontas County11-0.1 pts
52Clarke County10.9+0.4 pts
53Wright County10.8-0.2 pts
54Buena Vista County10.7-1.5 pts
55Ida County10.6+1.2 pts
56Allamakee County10.5-0.6 pts
56Buchanan County10.5+1.7 pts
58Cerro Gordo County10.4-0.3 pts
58Cherokee County10.4+0.5 pts
58Davis County10.4-1.2 pts
58Mitchell County10.4+1.2 pts
58Winnebago County10.4-1 pts
63Adair County10.2+0.4 pts
63Fremont County10.2+0.4 pts
63Polk County10.2-1.3 pts
66Worth County10+0.8 pts
67Marion County9.8+1.8 pts
67Mills County9.8+1.3 pts
69Clayton County9.7-0.8 pts
69Howard County9.7-0.2 pts
71Linn County9.6-0.3 pts
72Louisa County9.5-0.3 pts
73Hancock County9.4-0.5 pts
74Jasper County9.3-0.3 pts
74O'Brien County9.3+0.2 pts
76Chickasaw County9.2+0.4 pts
77Washington County9-0.5 pts
78Kossuth County8.9-1.3 pts
78Winneshiek County8.9+1 pts
80Butler County8.8+0.9 pts
80Guthrie County8.8-1.1 pts
82Delaware County8.5-0.2 pts
83Hamilton County8.3-0.2 pts
84Boone County8.20 pts
84Shelby County8.2-0.6 pts
86Dickinson County8.1+0.2 pts
87Carroll County8-1.3 pts
88Cedar County7.90 pts
89Harrison County7.6-2.2 pts
89Plymouth County7.6-1.1 pts
91Lyon County7.3-0.5 pts
91Sioux County7.3+0.4 pts
93Benton County7.2-0.8 pts
93Bremer County7.2-0.6 pts
95Iowa County7.1-0.5 pts
96Warren County6.6+0.8 pts
97Madison County6.4-0.6 pts
98Grundy County6.2-0.5 pts
99Dallas County5.2-0.8 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/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Decatur County, with 18.1% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 5.2% in 2024.

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 Iowa: more rankings