Counties in Michigan by poverty rate

Isabella County had the highest poverty rate of 83 counties in 2019, at 22.9%. Livingston County had the lowest, at 4.4%. The median was 13.5% and the figure for Michigan was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.9Isabella County
Median13.583 counties
Michigan12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Isabella CountyIsabella County: 22.9 %22.9Lake CountyLake County: 20.2 %20.2Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 19.9 %19.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.8 %19.8Clare CountyClare County: 19.6 %19.6Luce CountyLuce County: 19.2 %19.2Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 18.6 %18.6Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 18.3 %18.3Ogemaw CountyOgemaw County: 18.2 %18.2Alcona CountyAlcona County: 18 %18Ingham CountyIngham County: 17.3 %17.3Arenac CountyArenac County: 17.2 %17.2Gogebic CountyGogebic County: 17.1 %17.1Genesee CountyGenesee County: 16.6 %16.6Berrien CountyBerrien County: 15.9 %15.9Newaygo CountyNewaygo County: 15.7 %15.7Oscoda CountyOscoda County: 15.4 %15.4Hillsdale CountyHillsdale County: 15.3 %15.3Roscommon CountyRoscommon County: 15.3 %15.3Cheboygan CountyCheboygan County: 14.9 %14.9Cass CountyCass County: 14.8 %14.8Oceana CountyOceana County: 14.8 %14.8Houghton CountyHoughton County: 14.7 %14.7Osceola CountyOsceola County: 14.6 %14.6Montmorency CountyMontmorency County: 14.4 %14.4Gratiot CountyGratiot County: 14.3 %14.3Schoolcraft CountySchoolcraft County: 14.3 %14.3Iosco CountyIosco County: 14.2 %14.2Mackinac CountyMackinac County: 14.1 %14.1Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14 %14Alpena CountyAlpena County: 13.9 %13.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 13.9 %13.9Kalkaska CountyKalkaska County: 13.9 %13.9Mason CountyMason County: 13.9 %13.9Delta CountyDelta County: 13.8 %13.8Baraga CountyBaraga County: 13.7 %13.7Huron CountyHuron County: 13.7 %13.7Iron CountyIron County: 13.7 %13.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 13.7 %13.7Sanilac CountySanilac County: 13.6 %13.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Isabella County22.9-0.5 pts
2Lake County20.2-2.1 pts
3Mecosta County19.9+1.5 pts
4Wayne County19.8-1.9 pts
5Clare County19.6-1 pts
6Luce County19.2-1.5 pts
7Saginaw County18.6+1.6 pts
8Chippewa County18.3+1.2 pts
9Ogemaw County18.2+2.3 pts
10Alcona County18-1.5 pts
11Ingham County17.3-0.8 pts
12Arenac County17.2+1.3 pts
13Gogebic County17.1-0.4 pts
14Genesee County16.6-2.2 pts
15Berrien County15.9+0.6 pts
16Newaygo County15.7+0.1 pts
17Oscoda County15.4-1.7 pts
18Hillsdale County15.3+1.8 pts
18Roscommon County15.3-1.8 pts
20Cheboygan County14.9+1.5 pts
21Cass County14.8+3.6 pts
21Oceana County14.8-0.7 pts
23Houghton County14.7-4.3 pts
24Osceola County14.6-3 pts
25Montmorency County14.4-3.8 pts
26Gratiot County14.3-1.9 pts
26Schoolcraft County14.3+1.1 pts
28Iosco County14.2-0.9 pts
29Mackinac County14.1+0.7 pts
30Crawford County14+0.4 pts
31Alpena County13.9-1.4 pts
31Calhoun County13.9-3.4 pts
31Kalkaska County13.9-0.2 pts
31Mason County13.9+1.8 pts
35Delta County13.8+1.4 pts
36Baraga County13.7-1.7 pts
36Huron County13.7+1.1 pts
36Iron County13.7-0.5 pts
36Jackson County13.70 pts
40Sanilac County13.6-2.3 pts
41Gladwin County13.5-2.1 pts
41Menominee County13.5+1.1 pts
41Muskegon County13.5-2.2 pts
44Bay County13.4-2.2 pts
45Kalamazoo County13.3-1.1 pts
45Ontonagon County13.3-0.8 pts
47Branch County13.2-1.3 pts
48Van Buren County13-2.3 pts
48Washtenaw County13-2 pts
50St. Joseph County12.9-0.7 pts
51Alger County12.60 pts
52Montcalm County12.4-1.9 pts
52Wexford County12.4-0.7 pts
54Manistee County12.3-0.8 pts
55Lenawee County11.8+1.4 pts
55Marquette County11.8-2.3 pts
57Tuscola County11.6-1.1 pts
58Ionia County11.5+1.6 pts
59Kent County11.2-0.1 pts
60Missaukee County10.9-2 pts
60Shiawassee County10.9+0.1 pts
62Allegan County10.8+0.1 pts
62Presque Isle County10.8-3.4 pts
64St. Clair County10.4-3.4 pts
65Keweenaw County10.3-1.7 pts
66Monroe County10.2+0.2 pts
67Lapeer County10.10 pts
68Otsego County10-1.4 pts
69Dickinson County9.9-0.9 pts
70Charlevoix County9.7-0.9 pts
70Midland County9.7-1.6 pts
72Antrim County9.6-1 pts
72Benzie County9.6-0.7 pts
74Emmet County9.2+0.9 pts
75Macomb County8.6-2.4 pts
76Barry County7.8-0.7 pts
76Clinton County7.8+0.3 pts
76Oakland County7.8-0.4 pts
76Ottawa County7.8+1 pts
80Eaton County7.5-1.8 pts
81Grand Traverse County7.2-2.3 pts
82Leelanau County7.1+0.1 pts
83Livingston County4.4-0.6 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.

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 22.9% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Livingston County, with 4.4% 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 Michigan: more rankings