Counties in Iowa by poverty rate

Appanoose County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2019, at 19.3%. Dallas County had the lowest, at 4.3%. The median was 10.7% and the figure for Iowa was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest19.3Appanoose County
Lowest4.3Dallas County
Median10.799 counties
Iowa11History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 19.3 %19.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.1 %19.1Decatur CountyDecatur County: 18.3 %18.3Johnson CountyJohnson County: 16 %16Story CountyStory County: 15.8 %15.8Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 15.1 %15.1Lee CountyLee County: 15 %15Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 14.9 %14.9Lucas CountyLucas County: 14.9 %14.9Page CountyPage County: 14.9 %14.9Cass CountyCass County: 14.3 %14.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.2 %14.2Wapello CountyWapello County: 14.2 %14.2Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 13.7 %13.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 13.2 %13.2Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 13.2 %13.2Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.1 %13.1Tama CountyTama County: 13.1 %13.1Allamakee CountyAllamakee County: 13 %13Marshall CountyMarshall County: 13 %13Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 12.8 %12.8Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 12.8 %12.8Adams CountyAdams County: 12.5 %12.5Crawford CountyCrawford County: 12.5 %12.5Taylor CountyTaylor County: 12.5 %12.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 12.3 %12.3Monona CountyMonona County: 12.3 %12.3Union CountyUnion County: 12.1 %12.1Webster CountyWebster County: 12.1 %12.1Scott CountyScott County: 11.8 %11.8Clarke CountyClarke County: 11.7 %11.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 11.7 %11.7Henry CountyHenry County: 11.7 %11.7Fremont CountyFremont County: 11.6 %11.6Poweshiek CountyPoweshiek County: 11.6 %11.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 11.5 %11.5Davis CountyDavis County: 11.5 %11.5Emmet CountyEmmet County: 11.4 %11.4Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 11.4 %11.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 11.2 %11.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Appanoose County19.3+4.1 pts
2Wayne County19.1+6.1 pts
3Decatur County18.3-2 pts
4Johnson County16+0.2 pts
5Story County15.8-3.1 pts
6Ringgold County15.1+0.8 pts
7Lee County15+0.4 pts
8Des Moines County14.9+2.2 pts
8Lucas County14.9-0.2 pts
8Page County14.9+1.4 pts
11Cass County14.3+1.7 pts
12Jefferson County14.2-2.1 pts
12Wapello County14.2-0.5 pts
14Black Hawk County13.7-2.6 pts
15Fayette County13.2+1.5 pts
15Montgomery County13.2-0.7 pts
17Clinton County13.1+0.6 pts
17Tama County13.1+1.7 pts
19Allamakee County13+1.3 pts
19Marshall County13+1.7 pts
21Van Buren County12.8-0.3 pts
21Woodbury County12.8-1 pts
23Adams County12.5-0.2 pts
23Crawford County12.5+0.2 pts
23Taylor County12.5-0.3 pts
26Jackson County12.3+1.2 pts
26Monona County12.3-1.6 pts
28Union County12.1-1.3 pts
28Webster County12.1-1.6 pts
30Scott County11.8-0.6 pts
31Clarke County11.7+0.5 pts
31Floyd County11.7+0.3 pts
31Henry County11.7+0.7 pts
34Fremont County11.6+1.6 pts
34Poweshiek County11.6+1 pts
36Calhoun County11.5+0.2 pts
36Davis County11.5-1.2 pts
38Emmet County11.4+0.2 pts
38Keokuk County11.4-1.1 pts
40Franklin County11.2+1.3 pts
40Greene County11.2-0.9 pts
42Linn County11.1+1.7 pts
42Palo Alto County11.1+1.4 pts
44Clayton County11+1.6 pts
44Pottawattamie County11-0.8 pts
44Wright County11+0.4 pts
47Audubon County10.9-0.1 pts
48Humboldt County10.8+1.1 pts
48Mahaska County10.8-1.6 pts
50Adair County10.7+1 pts
50Dubuque County10.7-0.6 pts
50Monroe County10.7-0.9 pts
53Hardin County10.6+0.7 pts
54Butler County10.5+1.5 pts
54Ida County10.5+0.2 pts
56Clay County10.3+0.6 pts
56Kossuth County10.3+0.2 pts
58Buena Vista County10.20 pts
58Cherokee County10.2+0.8 pts
58Winnebago County10.2+1.1 pts
61Muscatine County10.1-1.7 pts
61O'Brien County10.1+1 pts
61Pocahontas County10.1-1 pts
61Polk County10.1+0.2 pts
65Worth County9.80 pts
66Howard County9.6-0.6 pts
67Buchanan County9.5-1.1 pts
67Jones County9.5-1.9 pts
67Sac County9.5-1.7 pts
70Mitchell County9.3+0.1 pts
70Osceola County9.3-0.1 pts
72Louisa County9.2-1.5 pts
73Hamilton County9.1+0.7 pts
73Washington County9.1+0.3 pts
75Hancock County9+0.5 pts
76Guthrie County8.8-2.6 pts
76Mills County8.8+0.2 pts
78Boone County8.7-0.1 pts
78Harrison County8.7-1 pts
78Shelby County8.7+0.8 pts
81Delaware County8.6-0.4 pts
81Winneshiek County8.6-1.2 pts
83Cerro Gordo County8.5-1.9 pts
83Chickasaw County8.5-0.1 pts
85Jasper County8.4-1.8 pts
86Carroll County8.2+0.2 pts
86Marion County8.2-1 pts
88Benton County7.8-0.1 pts
88Cedar County7.8+0.2 pts
90Lyon County7.4+0.5 pts
91Warren County7.3+0.2 pts
92Plymouth County7.2-0.9 pts
93Dickinson County7-0.8 pts
93Sioux County7+0.7 pts
95Madison County6.9-0.1 pts
96Bremer County6.7+0.1 pts
96Iowa County6.7-0.7 pts
98Grundy County5.5-1.3 pts
99Dallas County4.3-0.9 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Appanoose County, with 19.3% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 4.3% in 2019.

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