Counties in Michigan by poverty rate

Isabella County had the highest poverty rate of 83 counties in 2016, at 23.4%. Livingston County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 15.2% and the figure for Michigan was 14.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest23.4Isabella County
Median15.283 counties
Michigan14.9History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Isabella CountyIsabella County: 23.4 %23.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.9 %22.9Lake CountyLake County: 21.9 %21.9Clare CountyClare County: 21.7 %21.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 21.4 %21.4Luce CountyLuce County: 20.9 %20.9Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 20.7 %20.7Gogebic CountyGogebic County: 20.4 %20.4Genesee CountyGenesee County: 20.3 %20.3Houghton CountyHoughton County: 20.2 %20.2Ingham CountyIngham County: 20.1 %20.1Osceola CountyOsceola County: 19.1 %19.1Gratiot CountyGratiot County: 18.8 %18.8Muskegon CountyMuskegon County: 18.8 %18.8Oscoda CountyOscoda County: 18.6 %18.6Iosco CountyIosco County: 18.2 %18.2Cheboygan CountyCheboygan County: 18 %18Gladwin CountyGladwin County: 18 %18Oceana CountyOceana County: 18 %18Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 17.8 %17.8Wexford CountyWexford County: 17.8 %17.8Roscommon CountyRoscommon County: 17.7 %17.7Ogemaw CountyOgemaw County: 17.3 %17.3Newaygo CountyNewaygo County: 17.2 %17.2Montmorency CountyMontmorency County: 17 %17Branch CountyBranch County: 16.8 %16.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 16.8 %16.8Berrien CountyBerrien County: 16.7 %16.7Kalamazoo CountyKalamazoo County: 16.6 %16.6Arenac CountyArenac County: 16.5 %16.5Baraga CountyBaraga County: 16.5 %16.5Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 16.5 %16.5Alcona CountyAlcona County: 16.2 %16.2Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 16 %16Ontonagon CountyOntonagon County: 15.8 %15.8Montcalm CountyMontcalm County: 15.6 %15.6Alpena CountyAlpena County: 15.5 %15.5Sanilac CountySanilac County: 15.5 %15.5Iron CountyIron County: 15.4 %15.4Kalkaska CountyKalkaska County: 15.3 %15.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Isabella County23.4-2.7 pts
2Wayne County22.9-1.9 pts
3Lake County21.9-2.9 pts
4Clare County21.7-3 pts
5Crawford County21.4+4.2 pts
6Luce County20.9+1.3 pts
7Mecosta County20.7-0.6 pts
8Gogebic County20.4+1.8 pts
9Genesee County20.3-0.2 pts
10Houghton County20.2+2.8 pts
11Ingham County20.1-0.9 pts
12Osceola County19.1+0.4 pts
13Gratiot County18.8+2.3 pts
13Muskegon County18.8+2.7 pts
15Oscoda County18.6-1.9 pts
16Iosco County18.2+2.1 pts
17Cheboygan County18+0.4 pts
17Gladwin County18-1.8 pts
17Oceana County18+0.8 pts
20Saginaw County17.8-0.8 pts
20Wexford County17.8+3 pts
22Roscommon County17.7-1.5 pts
23Ogemaw County17.3-2.1 pts
24Newaygo County17.2+0.9 pts
25Montmorency County17-1.2 pts
26Branch County16.8+1.9 pts
26Calhoun County16.8+0.7 pts
28Berrien County16.7-0.4 pts
29Kalamazoo County16.6+0.6 pts
30Arenac County16.5-3.6 pts
30Baraga County16.5-0.8 pts
30Van Buren County16.5+0.8 pts
33Alcona County16.2+0.4 pts
34Chippewa County16-3.7 pts
35Ontonagon County15.8+1.2 pts
36Montcalm County15.6-2.3 pts
37Alpena County15.5-0.7 pts
37Sanilac County15.5-1.2 pts
39Iron County15.4+0.8 pts
40Kalkaska County15.3-1.2 pts
40Mason County15.3-1.5 pts
42Bay County15.2+0.7 pts
43Marquette County15.1+0.1 pts
44St. Joseph County14.9+0.2 pts
45Schoolcraft County14.8-1.1 pts
46Missaukee County14.7-2.8 pts
46Presque Isle County14.7+1.1 pts
48Washtenaw County14.6+0.4 pts
49Hillsdale County14.5-2.1 pts
49Ionia County14.5+0.3 pts
51Delta County14.3-0.5 pts
52Huron County14.2+2.5 pts
52Manistee County14.2-0.8 pts
54Otsego County14+1.9 pts
55Alger County13.9-0.7 pts
56St. Clair County13.8+1 pts
57Mackinac County13.7-2.4 pts
58Jackson County13.6-2.6 pts
58Tuscola County13.6-1.9 pts
60Menominee County13-3.9 pts
61Cass County12.9-1.9 pts
62Dickinson County12.8+0.5 pts
63Lenawee County12.5-1.8 pts
64Keweenaw County12.3-1.1 pts
65Kent County12.1-2.4 pts
66Shiawassee County12-0.4 pts
67Emmet County11.8+0.8 pts
68Antrim County11.7-2.5 pts
69Charlevoix County11.5-0.1 pts
70Eaton County11.2+0.3 pts
71Macomb County11-0.7 pts
72Benzie County10.8+0.3 pts
72Lapeer County10.8+0.8 pts
74Grand Traverse County10+1.5 pts
74Monroe County10-0.6 pts
76Midland County9.5-2 pts
77Allegan County9-2.2 pts
77Ottawa County9+0.4 pts
79Oakland County8.7-0.6 pts
80Barry County8.4-0.9 pts
80Clinton County8.4-1.6 pts
82Leelanau County8.1+0.2 pts
83Livingston County5.8-0.7 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Isabella County, with 23.4% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Livingston County, with 5.8% in 2016.

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 Michigan: more rankings