Counties in Iowa by poverty rate

Story County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2021, at 17.9%. Dallas County had the lowest, at 5.3%. The median was 10.5% and the figure for Iowa was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest17.9Story County
Lowest5.3Dallas County
Median10.599 counties
Iowa11History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Story CountyStory County: 17.9 %17.9Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 17 %17Decatur CountyDecatur County: 16.5 %16.5Page CountyPage County: 16.2 %16.2Wapello CountyWapello County: 15.5 %15.5Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 15.5 %15.5Webster CountyWebster County: 14.8 %14.8Johnson CountyJohnson County: 14.7 %14.7Cass CountyCass County: 14.4 %14.4Lee CountyLee County: 14.1 %14.1Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 13.5 %13.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 13.5 %13.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 13.4 %13.4Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 13.3 %13.3Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 13.2 %13.2Lucas CountyLucas County: 12.9 %12.9Scott CountyScott County: 12.9 %12.9Tama CountyTama County: 12.9 %12.9Taylor CountyTaylor County: 12.8 %12.8Union CountyUnion County: 12.8 %12.8Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 12.7 %12.7Poweshiek CountyPoweshiek County: 12.6 %12.6Mahaska CountyMahaska County: 12.5 %12.5Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 12.3 %12.3Henry CountyHenry County: 12.2 %12.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 12.1 %12.1Monona CountyMonona County: 12.1 %12.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 11.8 %11.8Jackson CountyJackson County: 11.8 %11.8Palo Alto CountyPalo Alto County: 11.8 %11.8Cerro Gordo CountyCerro Gordo County: 11.7 %11.7Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 11.7 %11.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 11.6 %11.6Clinton CountyClinton County: 11.5 %11.5Emmet CountyEmmet County: 11.5 %11.5Crawford CountyCrawford County: 11.4 %11.4Floyd CountyFloyd County: 11.3 %11.3Greene CountyGreene County: 11.3 %11.3Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 11.2 %11.2Louisa CountyLouisa County: 11.1 %11.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Story County17.9+5.5 pts
2Appanoose County17+2.4 pts
3Decatur County16.5-0.4 pts
4Page County16.2+3 pts
5Wapello County15.50 pts
5Woodbury County15.5+4.2 pts
7Webster County14.8+2.4 pts
8Johnson County14.7+0.6 pts
9Cass County14.4+3.6 pts
10Lee County14.1+2.6 pts
11Black Hawk County13.5+1.3 pts
11Jefferson County13.5-1.3 pts
13Wayne County13.4+0.4 pts
14Ringgold County13.30 pts
15Des Moines County13.2+0.2 pts
16Lucas County12.9-0.6 pts
16Scott County12.9+0.8 pts
16Tama County12.9+2.1 pts
19Taylor County12.8+2.3 pts
19Union County12.8+0.7 pts
21Van Buren County12.7-1.7 pts
22Poweshiek County12.6+1 pts
23Mahaska County12.5+2.3 pts
24Pottawattamie County12.3+3.1 pts
25Henry County12.2+1.4 pts
26Calhoun County12.1+2.1 pts
26Monona County12.1+1.1 pts
28Fayette County11.80 pts
28Jackson County11.8+0.4 pts
28Palo Alto County11.8+2.3 pts
31Cerro Gordo County11.7+1.1 pts
31Montgomery County11.7+0.1 pts
33Marshall County11.6+1.5 pts
34Clinton County11.5-1 pts
34Emmet County11.5+1.3 pts
36Crawford County11.4-1.1 pts
37Floyd County11.3+2 pts
37Greene County11.3+0.6 pts
39Keokuk County11.2-2.5 pts
40Louisa County11.1+2 pts
40Muscatine County11.1+0.9 pts
42Buena Vista County10.8+1.7 pts
43Ida County10.7+0.4 pts
44Adams County10.6-0.2 pts
45Fremont County10.5+1.4 pts
45Jones County10.5+0.6 pts
45Kossuth County10.5+0.5 pts
45Monroe County10.5-0.9 pts
45Winnebago County10.5+1.2 pts
45Wright County10.5-0.2 pts
51Harrison County10.4+2.1 pts
52Adair County10.2-0.6 pts
52Audubon County10.2+0.6 pts
52Cherokee County10.2+1.2 pts
52O'Brien County10.2+1.8 pts
56Davis County10.1-1.6 pts
56Franklin County10.1-0.4 pts
56Pocahontas County10.1-0.1 pts
56Polk County10.1-1.4 pts
60Clayton County10-0.4 pts
60Humboldt County10+1.2 pts
60Sac County10-0.5 pts
63Allamakee County9.9-1 pts
63Howard County9.9-0.6 pts
65Buchanan County9.8+1.5 pts
65Guthrie County9.8+1.3 pts
65Worth County9.8+1.3 pts
68Hardin County9.7+0.1 pts
68Linn County9.7+1.6 pts
70Clarke County9.6-1.5 pts
71Clay County9.4+1.3 pts
72Carroll County9.3+2.3 pts
72Jasper County9.3+0.8 pts
74Delaware County9.1+0.7 pts
75Osceola County9+1.1 pts
76Butler County8.8+0.4 pts
76Mitchell County8.8-0.1 pts
78Hancock County8.7+0.6 pts
78Washington County8.7+1.6 pts
78Winneshiek County8.7-0.5 pts
81Marion County8.6+0.6 pts
82Chickasaw County8.5+0.2 pts
82Mills County8.5+0.2 pts
84Benton County8.4+0.9 pts
85Hamilton County8.3+0.2 pts
86Dubuque County8.1-0.8 pts
87Shelby County8-0.3 pts
88Boone County7.8+0.9 pts
89Iowa County7.7+1.3 pts
90Dickinson County7.5+0.8 pts
91Madison County7.4-0.1 pts
92Cedar County7.30 pts
93Plymouth County7.2+1.2 pts
94Bremer County7.1+1.5 pts
95Lyon County6.9+0.6 pts
96Sioux County6.6+0.1 pts
97Grundy County6.3+0.8 pts
98Warren County5.4+0.5 pts
99Dallas County5.3+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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Story County, with 17.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 5.3% in 2021.

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