Counties in Michigan by poverty rate

Lake County had the highest poverty rate of 83 counties in 2023, at 21.2%. Livingston County had the lowest, at 5.6%. The median was 14% and the figure for Michigan was 13.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest21.2Lake County
Median1483 counties
Michigan13.5History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 21.2 %21.2Clare CountyClare County: 21.1 %21.1Isabella CountyIsabella County: 21 %21Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.6 %20.6Luce CountyLuce County: 20.2 %20.2Iosco CountyIosco County: 18.8 %18.8Oscoda CountyOscoda County: 18.7 %18.7Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 18.4 %18.4Genesee CountyGenesee County: 17.9 %17.9Iron CountyIron County: 17.9 %17.9Montmorency CountyMontmorency County: 17.7 %17.7Gogebic CountyGogebic County: 17.3 %17.3Houghton CountyHoughton County: 17.1 %17.1Osceola CountyOsceola County: 16.8 %16.8Gratiot CountyGratiot County: 16.3 %16.3Ingham CountyIngham County: 16.2 %16.2Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 16.2 %16.2Alpena CountyAlpena County: 15.9 %15.9Alcona CountyAlcona County: 15.8 %15.8Ogemaw CountyOgemaw County: 15.7 %15.7Roscommon CountyRoscommon County: 15.7 %15.7Baraga CountyBaraga County: 15.6 %15.6Arenac CountyArenac County: 15 %15Branch CountyBranch County: 14.9 %14.9Hillsdale CountyHillsdale County: 14.8 %14.8Menominee CountyMenominee County: 14.8 %14.8Oceana CountyOceana County: 14.8 %14.8Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 14.7 %14.7Mason CountyMason County: 14.6 %14.6Washtenaw CountyWashtenaw County: 14.6 %14.6Schoolcraft CountySchoolcraft County: 14.5 %14.5Huron CountyHuron County: 14.3 %14.3Marquette CountyMarquette County: 14.3 %14.3Tuscola CountyTuscola County: 14.3 %14.3Gladwin CountyGladwin County: 14.2 %14.2Delta CountyDelta County: 14.1 %14.1Manistee CountyManistee County: 14.1 %14.1Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 14 %14Cheboygan CountyCheboygan County: 14 %14Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14 %14
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Lake County21.2-1.7 pts
2Clare County21.1+3.9 pts
3Isabella County21+1.6 pts
4Wayne County20.6-0.6 pts
5Luce County20.2+4.1 pts
6Iosco County18.8+0.6 pts
7Oscoda County18.7+0.7 pts
8Mecosta County18.4-2 pts
9Genesee County17.9+1.5 pts
9Iron County17.9+5.1 pts
11Montmorency County17.7+1.4 pts
12Gogebic County17.3+0.5 pts
13Houghton County17.1+2.7 pts
14Osceola County16.8+1.1 pts
15Gratiot County16.3+4 pts
16Ingham County16.2-0.1 pts
16Saginaw County16.2-1.9 pts
18Alpena County15.9+0.3 pts
19Alcona County15.8+2.9 pts
20Ogemaw County15.7-0.7 pts
20Roscommon County15.7-0.6 pts
22Baraga County15.6+1.4 pts
23Arenac County15+1.4 pts
24Branch County14.9-1.4 pts
25Hillsdale County14.8+0.9 pts
25Menominee County14.8+2.6 pts
25Oceana County14.8-1.4 pts
28Van Buren County14.7+0.3 pts
29Mason County14.6+4.4 pts
29Washtenaw County14.6+1 pts
31Schoolcraft County14.5+1.7 pts
32Huron County14.3+2.3 pts
32Marquette County14.3+2.9 pts
32Tuscola County14.3+2 pts
35Gladwin County14.2+0.3 pts
36Delta County14.1+1.6 pts
36Manistee County14.1+1.1 pts
38Calhoun County14+0.2 pts
38Cheboygan County14+2 pts
38Crawford County14-0.1 pts
38Kalkaska County14+1.7 pts
38Muskegon County14-0.5 pts
38Newaygo County14+0.7 pts
44Montcalm County13.8-1 pts
45Jackson County13.7+0.7 pts
46Berrien County13.6-1.4 pts
46Chippewa County13.6+0.2 pts
46Mackinac County13.6-0.7 pts
49Wexford County13.4+0.6 pts
50Ionia County13.3+1.2 pts
50Sanilac County13.3-1 pts
52Presque Isle County13.1+0.8 pts
53Kalamazoo County13+0.8 pts
53Ontonagon County13-1.3 pts
55Alger County12.9+1.6 pts
56Bay County12.8-1.5 pts
57Cass County12.3+0.2 pts
58Shiawassee County12.2+0.1 pts
59Midland County12.1+3.2 pts
60Keweenaw County12+1.6 pts
61Dickinson County11.8-1.2 pts
62St. Clair County11.7-1.1 pts
62St. Joseph County11.7-1.5 pts
64Missaukee County11.5-1.8 pts
65Monroe County11.3+1.7 pts
66Lenawee County10.6-1 pts
66Macomb County10.6+0.8 pts
68Kent County10.5-0.2 pts
69Otsego County10.4-0.4 pts
70Antrim County10.1+0.8 pts
70Eaton County10.1+1.1 pts
72Allegan County9.9+0.1 pts
73Benzie County9.7-0.2 pts
74Emmet County9.4+0.6 pts
74Lapeer County9.4-0.5 pts
76Charlevoix County9.1+0.4 pts
77Ottawa County9+0.8 pts
78Barry County8.3-0.2 pts
78Oakland County8.3+0.1 pts
80Grand Traverse County7.4-2.1 pts
81Leelanau County7.2-0.2 pts
82Clinton County7-2.1 pts
83Livingston County5.6+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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Michigan by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Michigan","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate&level=province&within=Michigan&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lake County, with 21.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Livingston County, with 5.6% 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 Michigan: more rankings