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

Counties in Iowa by poverty rate

Decatur County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2015, at 21.7%. Dallas County had the lowest, at 5.3%. The median was 11.5% and the figure for Iowa was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest21.7Decatur County
Lowest5.3Dallas County
Median11.599 counties
Iowa12.1History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Decatur CountyDecatur County: 21.7 %21.7Story CountyStory County: 18.6 %18.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 18.3 %18.3Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 16.5 %16.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 16.4 %16.4Wapello CountyWapello County: 16 %16Lee CountyLee County: 15.9 %15.9Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 15.8 %15.8Page CountyPage County: 15.7 %15.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 15.3 %15.3Crawford CountyCrawford County: 15.1 %15.1Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 14.7 %14.7Lucas CountyLucas County: 14.7 %14.7Taylor CountyTaylor County: 14.7 %14.7Webster CountyWebster County: 14.6 %14.6Floyd CountyFloyd County: 14.5 %14.5Mahaska CountyMahaska County: 14.4 %14.4Union CountyUnion County: 14.3 %14.3Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 14.2 %14.2Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 14.1 %14.1Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 14 %14Cass CountyCass County: 13.9 %13.9Emmet CountyEmmet County: 13.8 %13.8Buena Vista CountyBuena Vista County: 13.7 %13.7Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 13.5 %13.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.4 %13.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 13.4 %13.4Monona CountyMonona County: 13.2 %13.2Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 13.1 %13.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 12.9 %12.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 12.9 %12.9Davis CountyDavis County: 12.7 %12.7Wright CountyWright County: 12.6 %12.6Adams CountyAdams County: 12.5 %12.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 12.5 %12.5Scott CountyScott County: 12.4 %12.4Cerro Gordo CountyCerro Gordo County: 12.3 %12.3Fremont CountyFremont County: 12.1 %12.1Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 12.1 %12.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.1 %12.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Decatur County21.7
2Story County18.6
3Johnson County18.3
4Appanoose County16.5
5Wayne County16.4
6Wapello County16
7Lee County15.9
8Van Buren County15.8
9Page County15.7
10Jefferson County15.3
11Crawford County15.1
12Des Moines County14.7
12Lucas County14.7
12Taylor County14.7
15Webster County14.6
16Floyd County14.5
17Mahaska County14.4
18Union County14.3
19Black Hawk County14.2
20Ringgold County14.1
21Woodbury County14
22Cass County13.9
23Emmet County13.8
24Buena Vista County13.7
25Pottawattamie County13.5
26Clinton County13.4
26Montgomery County13.4
28Monona County13.2
29Pocahontas County13.1
30Fayette County12.9
30Jackson County12.9
32Davis County12.7
33Wright County12.6
34Adams County12.5
34Calhoun County12.5
36Scott County12.4
37Cerro Gordo County12.3
38Fremont County12.1
38Keokuk County12.1
38Monroe County12.1
41Dubuque County12
41Henry County12
43Adair County11.9
43Franklin County11.9
43Polk County11.9
46Clarke County11.8
47Clay County11.6
47Kossuth County11.6
47Palo Alto County11.6
50Muscatine County11.5
51Marshall County11.3
52Clayton County11.2
52Tama County11.2
54Greene County11.1
54Jones County11.1
56Hamilton County11
56Howard County11
56Linn County11
59Poweshiek County10.9
59Sac County10.9
59Washington County10.9
59Worth County10.9
63Allamakee County10.8
63Humboldt County10.8
63Louisa County10.8
63Winnebago County10.8
67Ida County10.6
68Guthrie County10.4
69Audubon County10.3
69Buchanan County10.3
69Cherokee County10.3
69Mills County10.3
73Delaware County10.2
74Harrison County9.9
75Hardin County9.6
75Osceola County9.6
77Winneshiek County9.5
78Jasper County9.3
78Mitchell County9.3
80Butler County9.2
80Hancock County9.2
80Marion County9.2
80O'Brien County9.2
80Shelby County9.2
85Boone County8.8
86Carroll County8.7
87Dickinson County8.6
88Chickasaw County8.5
89Benton County8.3
89Plymouth County8.3
91Madison County8.2
92Bremer County7.8
92Warren County7.8
94Sioux County7.6
95Lyon County7.4
96Cedar County7.3
97Iowa County6.9
98Grundy County6.3
99Dallas County5.3

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Decatur County, with 21.7% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 5.3% in 2015.

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