Counties in Iowa by poverty rate

Decatur County had the highest poverty rate of 99 counties in 2023, at 18.3%. Warren County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 10.5% and the figure for Iowa was 11.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest18.3Decatur County
Lowest5.8Warren County
Median10.599 counties
Iowa11.1History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Decatur CountyDecatur County: 18.3 %18.3Appanoose CountyAppanoose County: 16.1 %16.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 15.5 %15.5Story CountyStory County: 14.9 %14.9Cass CountyCass County: 14.8 %14.8Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 14.8 %14.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 14.7 %14.7Lee CountyLee County: 14.4 %14.4Des Moines CountyDes Moines County: 14.3 %14.3Black Hawk CountyBlack Hawk County: 14.2 %14.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.1 %14.1Ringgold CountyRinggold County: 14.1 %14.1Webster CountyWebster County: 14 %14Fayette CountyFayette County: 13.9 %13.9Page CountyPage County: 13.8 %13.8Wapello CountyWapello County: 13.8 %13.8Lucas CountyLucas County: 13.7 %13.7Union CountyUnion County: 13.7 %13.7Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.3 %13.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 13 %13Taylor CountyTaylor County: 13 %13Woodbury CountyWoodbury County: 12.9 %12.9Henry CountyHenry County: 12.7 %12.7Monona CountyMonona County: 12.6 %12.6Tama CountyTama County: 12.3 %12.3Buena Vista CountyBuena Vista County: 12.2 %12.2Marshall CountyMarshall County: 12 %12Mahaska CountyMahaska County: 11.7 %11.7Muscatine CountyMuscatine County: 11.7 %11.7Adams CountyAdams County: 11.6 %11.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 11.6 %11.6Davis CountyDavis County: 11.6 %11.6Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County: 11.6 %11.6Floyd CountyFloyd County: 11.5 %11.5Polk CountyPolk County: 11.5 %11.5Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 11.4 %11.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 11.3 %11.3Crawford CountyCrawford County: 11.2 %11.2Allamakee CountyAllamakee County: 11.1 %11.1Keokuk CountyKeokuk County: 11.1 %11.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Decatur County18.3+0.4 pts
2Appanoose County16.1+1.8 pts
3Johnson County15.5+0.2 pts
4Story County14.9-1.7 pts
5Cass County14.8+1.1 pts
5Van Buren County14.8+1.9 pts
7Wayne County14.7+0.2 pts
8Lee County14.4+0.9 pts
9Des Moines County14.3-0.5 pts
10Black Hawk County14.2-2.4 pts
11Jefferson County14.1+0.5 pts
11Ringgold County14.1+0.9 pts
13Webster County14+1.5 pts
14Fayette County13.9+0.9 pts
15Page County13.8+1.3 pts
15Wapello County13.8-2.3 pts
17Lucas County13.7-2.4 pts
17Union County13.7+0.7 pts
19Clinton County13.30 pts
20Montgomery County13+1.8 pts
20Taylor County13+0.6 pts
22Woodbury County12.9-0.1 pts
23Henry County12.7+0.7 pts
24Monona County12.6+1.3 pts
25Tama County12.3-1.2 pts
26Buena Vista County12.2+2 pts
27Marshall County12+0.9 pts
28Mahaska County11.7+1.4 pts
28Muscatine County11.7-0.6 pts
30Adams County11.6+1.5 pts
30Calhoun County11.6+3 pts
30Davis County11.60 pts
30Pottawattamie County11.6-0.1 pts
34Floyd County11.5-0.2 pts
34Polk County11.5+1.3 pts
36Winnebago County11.4+1.3 pts
37Franklin County11.3-0.5 pts
38Crawford County11.2-0.6 pts
39Allamakee County11.1-0.5 pts
39Keokuk County11.1-0.7 pts
39Pocahontas County11.1+0.1 pts
42Scott County11-0.8 pts
42Wright County11-0.2 pts
44Cerro Gordo County10.7-1 pts
44Greene County10.7+0.3 pts
44Palo Alto County10.7-0.5 pts
47Clarke County10.5-1.1 pts
47Clay County10.5+1.2 pts
47Clayton County10.5-1 pts
47Osceola County10.5-0.4 pts
51Hardin County10.4-0.3 pts
52Jones County10.3-0.3 pts
52Poweshiek County10.3+1.4 pts
54Audubon County10.2-1.4 pts
54Kossuth County10.2+1.5 pts
54Monroe County10.2+0.4 pts
57Sac County10+0.5 pts
58Cherokee County9.9-0.8 pts
58Guthrie County9.9-0.2 pts
58Hancock County9.9+2.2 pts
58Howard County9.9+0.8 pts
58Linn County9.9+0.8 pts
63Adair County9.8+0.7 pts
63Emmet County9.8-1.7 pts
63Fremont County9.8-0.7 pts
63Harrison County9.8+0.6 pts
63Louisa County9.8-1.1 pts
68Dubuque County9.6-1 pts
68Humboldt County9.6+1.8 pts
68Jasper County9.6+0.8 pts
71Washington County9.5-0.4 pts
72Ida County9.4-0.3 pts
73Carroll County9.3+0.8 pts
73Jackson County9.3-1 pts
75Mitchell County9.2-2.3 pts
75Worth County9.2-0.5 pts
77O'Brien County9.1+0.4 pts
78Buchanan County8.8-0.8 pts
78Chickasaw County8.8+0.5 pts
78Shelby County8.80 pts
81Delaware County8.7+0.2 pts
81Plymouth County8.7+2.1 pts
83Hamilton County8.5-0.7 pts
83Mills County8.5-0.4 pts
85Boone County8.2-0.4 pts
86Benton County8+0.5 pts
86Marion County8-0.1 pts
88Butler County7.9-1.7 pts
88Cedar County7.9+0.1 pts
88Dickinson County7.9+0.9 pts
88Winneshiek County7.9-1.8 pts
92Bremer County7.8+1.1 pts
92Lyon County7.8+1.1 pts
94Iowa County7.6+0.2 pts
95Madison County7+0.3 pts
96Sioux County6.9-1.1 pts
97Grundy County6.7-0.4 pts
98Dallas County6+1.1 pts
99Warren County5.8-0.5 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Decatur County, with 18.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Warren County, with 5.8% in 2023.

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