Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Beltrami County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2016, at 18.3%. Carver County had the lowest, at 4.3%. The median was 10.5% and the figure for Minnesota was 9.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest18.3Beltrami County
Lowest4.3Carver County
Median10.587 counties
Minnesota9.9History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 18.3 %18.3Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 17.5 %17.5Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 16.5 %16.5Cass CountyCass County: 15.5 %15.5Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 15 %15St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 14.7 %14.7Wadena CountyWadena County: 14.6 %14.6Polk CountyPolk County: 14.5 %14.5Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 14.3 %14.3Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 13.9 %13.9Itasca CountyItasca County: 13.3 %13.3Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 13.2 %13.2Mower CountyMower County: 13.2 %13.2Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 13.1 %13.1Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 13.1 %13.1Lyon CountyLyon County: 12.8 %12.8Becker CountyBecker County: 12.7 %12.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 12.7 %12.7Traverse CountyTraverse County: 12.7 %12.7Todd CountyTodd County: 12.5 %12.5Fillmore CountyFillmore County: 12.3 %12.3Pine CountyPine County: 12.2 %12.2Martin CountyMartin County: 12.1 %12.1Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 12.1 %12.1Norman CountyNorman County: 12.1 %12.1Clay CountyClay County: 12 %12Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 12 %12Grant CountyGrant County: 12 %12Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 11.9 %11.9Morrison CountyMorrison County: 11.9 %11.9Faribault CountyFaribault County: 11.7 %11.7Stearns CountyStearns County: 11.7 %11.7Nobles CountyNobles County: 11.6 %11.6Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 11.5 %11.5Winona CountyWinona County: 11.5 %11.5Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 11.3 %11.3Stevens CountyStevens County: 11.1 %11.1Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 11 %11Freeborn CountyFreeborn County: 11 %11Kittson CountyKittson County: 11 %11
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Beltrami County18.3+2.1 pts
2Mahnomen County17.5-4 pts
3Clearwater County16.5+1.9 pts
4Cass County15.5+0.5 pts
5Blue Earth County15-2.2 pts
6St. Louis County14.7+1.3 pts
7Wadena County14.6-0.4 pts
8Polk County14.5+2.7 pts
9Koochiching County14.30 pts
10Ramsey County13.9-1.2 pts
11Itasca County13.3+0.6 pts
12Kanabec County13.2+1.5 pts
12Mower County13.2+2.4 pts
14Aitkin County13.1-1.1 pts
14Hubbard County13.1+2.5 pts
16Lyon County12.8+0.6 pts
17Becker County12.7+1.4 pts
17Lincoln County12.7+3.4 pts
17Traverse County12.7-1.7 pts
20Todd County12.5-0.3 pts
21Fillmore County12.3+1.5 pts
22Pine County12.2-1.7 pts
23Martin County12.1-1.5 pts
23Mille Lacs County12.1-0.3 pts
23Norman County12.1+0.4 pts
26Clay County12-0.1 pts
26Cottonwood County12-1.7 pts
26Grant County12+1.4 pts
29Big Stone County11.9+0.4 pts
29Morrison County11.9+1 pts
31Faribault County11.7+0.4 pts
31Stearns County11.7-1.8 pts
33Nobles County11.6-1.3 pts
34Kandiyohi County11.5+0.6 pts
34Winona County11.5-1.2 pts
36Watonwan County11.30 pts
37Stevens County11.1+0.2 pts
38Crow Wing County11+0.6 pts
38Freeborn County11-2.4 pts
38Kittson County11+0.8 pts
41Hennepin County10.90 pts
41Lake of the Woods County10.9-0.8 pts
41Pipestone County10.9-0.1 pts
44Otter Tail County10.5+0.8 pts
45Carlton County10.2-0.6 pts
45Swift County10.2-1.7 pts
47Cook County10.1-1 pts
48Renville County9.9+0.4 pts
48Yellow Medicine County9.9-2.6 pts
50Marshall County9.8+1.5 pts
50Pennington County9.8-0.6 pts
50Red Lake County9.8+0.1 pts
53Lac qui Parle County9.7+1.3 pts
53Rice County9.7+0.5 pts
55Rock County9.4-0.3 pts
56Murray County9.3+0.3 pts
56Waseca County9.3-0.6 pts
58Lake County9.1-0.7 pts
58Pope County9.1+0.7 pts
58Redwood County9.1-1.9 pts
58Sibley County9.1+0.2 pts
58Steele County9.1-0.3 pts
63Chippewa County8.9-2.2 pts
63Wilkin County8.9-0.9 pts
65Jackson County8.7-0.5 pts
66Douglas County8.6-0.2 pts
66Olmsted County8.6-0.3 pts
68Benton County8.5-2.9 pts
68Houston County8.5+0.3 pts
70Le Sueur County8.4-0.1 pts
71Brown County8.2-0.1 pts
72Nicollet County8-2.7 pts
73Roseau County7.8-1.6 pts
74Dodge County7.7+0.8 pts
74Goodhue County7.7-1.2 pts
74Isanti County7.70 pts
77Wabasha County7.6+0.7 pts
78McLeod County7.4-1.2 pts
79Meeker County7.1-0.8 pts
80Anoka County6.8-0.3 pts
81Chisago County6.7+0.4 pts
82Sherburne County6.3-1.2 pts
83Dakota County5.6-1.5 pts
84Scott County5.5+0.4 pts
85Wright County5.3+0.2 pts
86Washington County4.5-0.6 pts
87Carver County4.3-0.2 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.

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

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Beltrami County, with 18.3% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Carver County, with 4.3% 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 Minnesota: more rankings