Counties in Iowa by poverty rate

Decatur County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2022, at 17.9%. Dallas County had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 10.6% and the figure for Iowa was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest17.9Decatur County
Lowest4.9Dallas County
Median10.699 counties
Iowa11History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Decatur CountyDecatur County: 17.9 %17.9Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 16.6 %16.6Story CountyStory County: 16.6 %16.6Lucas CountyLucas County: 16.1 %16.1Wapello CountyWapello County: 16.1 %16.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 15.3 %15.3Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 14.8 %14.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 14.5 %14.5Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 14.3 %14.3Cass CountyCass County: 13.7 %13.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 13.6 %13.6Lee CountyLee County: 13.5 %13.5Tama CountyTama County: 13.5 %13.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.3 %13.3Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 13.2 %13.2Fayette CountyFayette County: 13 %13Union CountyUnion County: 13 %13Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 13 %13Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 12.9 %12.9Page CountyPage County: 12.5 %12.5Webster CountyWebster County: 12.5 %12.5Taylor CountyTaylor County: 12.4 %12.4Muscatine CountyMuscatine County: 12.3 %12.3Henry CountyHenry County: 12 %12Crawford CountyCrawford County: 11.8 %11.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 11.8 %11.8Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 11.8 %11.8Scott CountyScott County: 11.8 %11.8Cerro Gordo CountyCerro Gordo County: 11.7 %11.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 11.7 %11.7Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 11.7 %11.7Allamakee CountyAllamakee County: 11.6 %11.6Audubon CountyAudubon County: 11.6 %11.6Clarke CountyClarke County: 11.6 %11.6Davis CountyDavis County: 11.6 %11.6Clayton CountyClayton County: 11.5 %11.5Emmet CountyEmmet County: 11.5 %11.5Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 11.5 %11.5Monona CountyMonona County: 11.3 %11.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 11.2 %11.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Decatur County17.9+1.4 pts
2Black Hawk County16.6+3.1 pts
2Story County16.6-1.3 pts
4Lucas County16.1+3.2 pts
4Wapello County16.1+0.6 pts
6Johnson County15.3+0.6 pts
7Des Moines County14.8+1.6 pts
8Wayne County14.5+1.1 pts
9Appanoose County14.3-2.7 pts
10Cass County13.7-0.7 pts
11Jefferson County13.6+0.1 pts
12Lee County13.5-0.6 pts
12Tama County13.5+0.6 pts
14Clinton County13.3+1.8 pts
15Ringgold County13.2-0.1 pts
16Fayette County13+1.2 pts
16Union County13+0.2 pts
16Woodbury County13-2.5 pts
19Van Buren County12.9+0.2 pts
20Page County12.5-3.7 pts
20Webster County12.5-2.3 pts
22Taylor County12.4-0.4 pts
23Muscatine County12.3+1.2 pts
24Henry County12-0.2 pts
25Crawford County11.8+0.4 pts
25Franklin County11.8+1.7 pts
25Keokuk County11.8+0.6 pts
25Scott County11.8-1.1 pts
29Cerro Gordo County11.70 pts
29Floyd County11.7+0.4 pts
29Pottawattamie County11.7-0.6 pts
32Allamakee County11.6+1.7 pts
32Audubon County11.6+1.4 pts
32Clarke County11.6+2 pts
32Davis County11.6+1.5 pts
36Clayton County11.5+1.5 pts
36Emmet County11.50 pts
36Mitchell County11.5+2.7 pts
39Monona County11.3-0.8 pts
40Montgomery County11.2-0.5 pts
40Palo Alto County11.2-0.6 pts
40Wright County11.2+0.7 pts
43Marshall County11.1-0.5 pts
44Pocahontas County11+0.9 pts
45Louisa County10.9-0.2 pts
45Osceola County10.9+1.9 pts
47Cherokee County10.7+0.5 pts
47Hardin County10.7+1 pts
49Dubuque County10.6+2.5 pts
49Jones County10.6+0.1 pts
51Fremont County10.50 pts
52Greene County10.4-0.9 pts
53Jackson County10.3-1.5 pts
53Mahaska County10.3-2.2 pts
55Buena Vista County10.2-0.6 pts
55Polk County10.2+0.1 pts
57Adams County10.1-0.5 pts
57Guthrie County10.1+0.3 pts
57Winnebago County10.1-0.4 pts
60Washington County9.9+1.2 pts
61Monroe County9.8-0.7 pts
62Ida County9.7-1 pts
62Winneshiek County9.7+1 pts
62Worth County9.7-0.1 pts
65Buchanan County9.6-0.2 pts
65Butler County9.6+0.8 pts
67Sac County9.5-0.5 pts
68Clay County9.3-0.1 pts
69Hamilton County9.2+0.9 pts
69Harrison County9.2-1.2 pts
71Adair County9.1-1.1 pts
71Howard County9.1-0.8 pts
71Linn County9.1-0.6 pts
74Mills County8.9+0.4 pts
74Poweshiek County8.9-3.7 pts
76Jasper County8.8-0.5 pts
76Shelby County8.8+0.8 pts
78Kossuth County8.7-1.8 pts
78O'Brien County8.7-1.5 pts
80Boone County8.6+0.8 pts
80Calhoun County8.6-3.5 pts
82Carroll County8.5-0.8 pts
82Delaware County8.5-0.6 pts
84Chickasaw County8.3-0.2 pts
85Marion County8.1-0.5 pts
86Sioux County8+1.4 pts
87Cedar County7.8+0.5 pts
87Humboldt County7.8-2.2 pts
89Hancock County7.7-1 pts
90Benton County7.5-0.9 pts
91Iowa County7.4-0.3 pts
92Grundy County7.1+0.8 pts
93Dickinson County7-0.5 pts
94Bremer County6.7-0.4 pts
94Lyon County6.7-0.2 pts
94Madison County6.7-0.7 pts
97Plymouth County6.6-0.6 pts
98Warren County6.3+0.9 pts
99Dallas County4.9-0.4 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Decatur County, with 17.9% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 4.9% in 2022.

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