Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Minnesota

Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2015, at 21.5%. Carver County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 10.8% and the figure for Minnesota was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest21.5Mahnomen County
Lowest4.5Carver County
Median10.887 counties
Minnesota10.2History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 21.5 %21.5Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 17.2 %17.2Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 16.2 %16.2Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 15.1 %15.1Cass CountyCass County: 15 %15Wadena CountyWadena County: 15 %15Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 14.6 %14.6Traverse CountyTraverse County: 14.4 %14.4Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 14.3 %14.3Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 14.2 %14.2Pine CountyPine County: 13.9 %13.9Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 13.7 %13.7Martin CountyMartin County: 13.6 %13.6Stearns CountyStearns County: 13.5 %13.5Freeborn CountyFreeborn County: 13.4 %13.4St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 13.4 %13.4Nobles CountyNobles County: 12.9 %12.9Todd CountyTodd County: 12.8 %12.8Itasca CountyItasca County: 12.7 %12.7Winona CountyWinona County: 12.7 %12.7Yellow Medicine CountyYellow Medicine County: 12.5 %12.5Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 12.4 %12.4Lyon CountyLyon County: 12.2 %12.2Clay CountyClay County: 12.1 %12.1Swift CountySwift County: 11.9 %11.9Polk CountyPolk County: 11.8 %11.8Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 11.7 %11.7Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 11.7 %11.7Norman CountyNorman County: 11.7 %11.7Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 11.5 %11.5Benton CountyBenton County: 11.4 %11.4Becker CountyBecker County: 11.3 %11.3Faribault CountyFaribault County: 11.3 %11.3Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 11.3 %11.3Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 11.1 %11.1Cook CountyCook County: 11.1 %11.1Pipestone CountyPipestone County: 11 %11Redwood CountyRedwood County: 11 %11Hennepin CountyHennepin County: 10.9 %10.9Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 10.9 %10.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Mahnomen County21.5
2Blue Earth County17.2
3Beltrami County16.2
4Ramsey County15.1
5Cass County15
5Wadena County15
7Clearwater County14.6
8Traverse County14.4
9Koochiching County14.3
10Aitkin County14.2
11Pine County13.9
12Cottonwood County13.7
13Martin County13.6
14Stearns County13.5
15Freeborn County13.4
15St. Louis County13.4
17Nobles County12.9
18Todd County12.8
19Itasca County12.7
19Winona County12.7
21Yellow Medicine County12.5
22Mille Lacs County12.4
23Lyon County12.2
24Clay County12.1
25Swift County11.9
26Polk County11.8
27Kanabec County11.7
27Lake of the Woods County11.7
27Norman County11.7
30Big Stone County11.5
31Benton County11.4
32Becker County11.3
32Faribault County11.3
32Watonwan County11.3
35Chippewa County11.1
35Cook County11.1
37Pipestone County11
37Redwood County11
39Hennepin County10.9
39Kandiyohi County10.9
39Morrison County10.9
39Stevens County10.9
43Carlton County10.8
43Fillmore County10.8
43Mower County10.8
46Nicollet County10.7
47Grant County10.6
47Hubbard County10.6
49Crow Wing County10.4
49Pennington County10.4
51Kittson County10.2
52Waseca County9.9
53Lake County9.8
53Wilkin County9.8
55Otter Tail County9.7
55Red Lake County9.7
55Rock County9.7
58Renville County9.5
59Roseau County9.4
59Steele County9.4
61Lincoln County9.3
62Jackson County9.2
62Rice County9.2
64Murray County9
65Goodhue County8.9
65Olmsted County8.9
65Sibley County8.9
68Douglas County8.8
69McLeod County8.6
70Le Sueur County8.5
71Lac qui Parle County8.4
71Pope County8.4
73Brown County8.3
73Marshall County8.3
75Houston County8.2
76Meeker County7.9
77Isanti County7.7
78Sherburne County7.5
79Anoka County7.1
79Dakota County7.1
81Dodge County6.9
81Wabasha County6.9
83Chisago County6.3
84Scott County5.1
84Washington County5.1
84Wright County5.1
87Carver County4.5

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 21.5% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Carver County, with 4.5% in 2015.

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 Minnesota: more rankings