Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2017, at 21%. Scott County had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 10.3% and the figure for Minnesota was 9.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median10.387 counties
Minnesota9.5History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 21 %21Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 18.8 %18.8Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 16.3 %16.3Wadena CountyWadena County: 15.7 %15.7Cass CountyCass County: 15.1 %15.1Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 14.8 %14.8St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 14.5 %14.5Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 14 %14Winona CountyWinona County: 13.8 %13.8Todd CountyTodd County: 13.3 %13.3Traverse CountyTraverse County: 13 %13Nobles CountyNobles County: 12.8 %12.8Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 12.7 %12.7Norman CountyNorman County: 12.7 %12.7Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 12.3 %12.3Lyon CountyLyon County: 12.2 %12.2Pine CountyPine County: 12.2 %12.2Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 12.1 %12.1Faribault CountyFaribault County: 12.1 %12.1Clay CountyClay County: 12 %12Freeborn CountyFreeborn County: 11.8 %11.8Becker CountyBecker County: 11.7 %11.7Polk CountyPolk County: 11.6 %11.6Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 11.5 %11.5Swift CountySwift County: 11.5 %11.5Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 11.3 %11.3Itasca CountyItasca County: 11.2 %11.2Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 11.2 %11.2Martin CountyMartin County: 11.1 %11.1Rice CountyRice County: 11.1 %11.1Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 11 %11Stearns CountyStearns County: 11 %11Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 10.6 %10.6Mower CountyMower County: 10.6 %10.6Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 10.5 %10.5Hennepin CountyHennepin County: 10.5 %10.5Morrison CountyMorrison County: 10.5 %10.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 10.4 %10.4Renville CountyRenville County: 10.4 %10.4Fillmore CountyFillmore County: 10.3 %10.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Mahnomen County21+3.5 pts
2Beltrami County18.8+0.5 pts
3Blue Earth County16.3+1.3 pts
4Wadena County15.7+1.1 pts
5Cass County15.1-0.4 pts
6Clearwater County14.8-1.7 pts
7St. Louis County14.5-0.2 pts
8Ramsey County14+0.1 pts
9Winona County13.8+2.3 pts
10Todd County13.3+0.8 pts
11Traverse County13+0.3 pts
12Nobles County12.8+1.2 pts
13Koochiching County12.7-1.6 pts
13Norman County12.7+0.6 pts
15Big Stone County12.3+0.4 pts
16Lyon County12.2-0.6 pts
16Pine County12.20 pts
18Aitkin County12.1-1 pts
18Faribault County12.1+0.4 pts
20Clay County120 pts
21Freeborn County11.8+0.8 pts
22Becker County11.7-1 pts
23Polk County11.6-2.9 pts
24Hubbard County11.5-1.6 pts
24Swift County11.5+1.3 pts
26Cottonwood County11.3-0.7 pts
27Itasca County11.2-2.1 pts
27Watonwan County11.2-0.1 pts
29Martin County11.1-1 pts
29Rice County11.1+1.4 pts
31Mille Lacs County11-1.1 pts
31Stearns County11-0.7 pts
33Kandiyohi County10.6-0.9 pts
33Mower County10.6-2.6 pts
35Chippewa County10.5+1.6 pts
35Hennepin County10.5-0.4 pts
35Morrison County10.5-1.4 pts
38Lincoln County10.4-2.3 pts
38Renville County10.4+0.5 pts
40Fillmore County10.3-2 pts
40Otter Tail County10.3-0.2 pts
40Pennington County10.3+0.5 pts
40Red Lake County10.3+0.5 pts
40Stevens County10.3-0.8 pts
40Waseca County10.3+1 pts
46Redwood County10+0.9 pts
47Yellow Medicine County9.90 pts
48Crow Wing County9.8-1.2 pts
48Lac qui Parle County9.8+0.1 pts
50Benton County9.7+1.2 pts
50Lake of the Woods County9.7-1.2 pts
50Pipestone County9.7-1.2 pts
53Kanabec County9.4-3.8 pts
53Kittson County9.4-1.6 pts
53Marshall County9.4-0.4 pts
56Carlton County9.3-0.9 pts
56Rock County9.3-0.1 pts
56Steele County9.3+0.2 pts
56Wilkin County9.3+0.4 pts
60Grant County9.2-2.8 pts
61Meeker County9.1+2 pts
62Cook County8.8-1.3 pts
62Nicollet County8.8+0.8 pts
64Jackson County8.6-0.1 pts
65Lake County8.4-0.7 pts
66Olmsted County8.3-0.3 pts
66Roseau County8.3+0.5 pts
68Murray County8.2-1.1 pts
69Brown County8-0.2 pts
69Goodhue County8+0.3 pts
69Pope County8-1.1 pts
72Isanti County7.9+0.2 pts
73Le Sueur County7.7-0.7 pts
73McLeod County7.7+0.3 pts
73Sibley County7.7-1.4 pts
76Houston County7.6-0.9 pts
77Douglas County7.3-1.3 pts
78Wabasha County7-0.6 pts
79Chisago County6.1-0.6 pts
80Dakota County5.8+0.2 pts
80Dodge County5.8-1.9 pts
82Anoka County5.4-1.4 pts
82Wright County5.4+0.1 pts
84Sherburne County4.3-2 pts
85Washington County4.2-0.3 pts
86Carver County4-0.3 pts
86Scott County4-1.5 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 21% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Scott County, with 4% in 2017.

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