Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2018, at 20.9%. Carver County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 10.1% and the figure for Minnesota was 9.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest20.9Mahnomen County
Lowest3.8Carver County
Median10.187 counties
Minnesota9.6History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 20.9 %20.9Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 18.4 %18.4Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 15.1 %15.1Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 14.9 %14.9St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 14.7 %14.7Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 14.6 %14.6Wadena CountyWadena County: 14.4 %14.4Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 13.7 %13.7Martin CountyMartin County: 13.7 %13.7Traverse CountyTraverse County: 13.1 %13.1Winona CountyWinona County: 13 %13Cass CountyCass County: 12.9 %12.9Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 12.8 %12.8Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 12.6 %12.6Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 12.4 %12.4Stearns CountyStearns County: 12.4 %12.4Todd CountyTodd County: 12.4 %12.4Lyon CountyLyon County: 12.1 %12.1Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 12 %12Pine CountyPine County: 12 %12Polk CountyPolk County: 12 %12Clay CountyClay County: 11.8 %11.8Itasca CountyItasca County: 11.8 %11.8Faribault CountyFaribault County: 11.7 %11.7Yellow Medicine CountyYellow Medicine County: 11.7 %11.7Mower CountyMower County: 11.6 %11.6Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 11.5 %11.5Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 11.3 %11.3Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 11.3 %11.3Stevens CountyStevens County: 11.2 %11.2Becker CountyBecker County: 11.1 %11.1Norman CountyNorman County: 10.9 %10.9Nobles CountyNobles County: 10.8 %10.8Red Lake CountyRed Lake County: 10.7 %10.7Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 10.7 %10.7Renville CountyRenville County: 10.5 %10.5Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 10.4 %10.4Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 10.4 %10.4Pipestone CountyPipestone County: 10.4 %10.4Hennepin CountyHennepin County: 10.3 %10.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Mahnomen County20.9-0.1 pts
2Beltrami County18.4-0.4 pts
3Blue Earth County15.1-1.2 pts
4Koochiching County14.9+2.2 pts
5St. Louis County14.7+0.2 pts
6Ramsey County14.6+0.6 pts
7Wadena County14.4-1.3 pts
8Aitkin County13.7+1.6 pts
8Martin County13.7+2.6 pts
10Traverse County13.1+0.1 pts
11Winona County13-0.8 pts
12Cass County12.9-2.2 pts
13Clearwater County12.8-2 pts
14Crow Wing County12.6+2.8 pts
15Mille Lacs County12.4+1.4 pts
15Stearns County12.4+1.4 pts
15Todd County12.4-0.9 pts
18Lyon County12.1-0.1 pts
19Hubbard County12+0.5 pts
19Pine County12-0.2 pts
19Polk County12+0.4 pts
22Clay County11.8-0.2 pts
22Itasca County11.8+0.6 pts
24Faribault County11.7-0.4 pts
24Yellow Medicine County11.7+1.8 pts
26Mower County11.6+1 pts
27Kandiyohi County11.5+0.9 pts
28Big Stone County11.3-1 pts
28Kanabec County11.3+1.9 pts
30Stevens County11.2+0.9 pts
31Becker County11.1-0.6 pts
32Norman County10.9-1.8 pts
33Nobles County10.8-2 pts
34Red Lake County10.7+0.4 pts
34Watonwan County10.7-0.5 pts
36Renville County10.5+0.1 pts
37Cottonwood County10.4-0.9 pts
37Lake of the Woods County10.4+0.7 pts
37Pipestone County10.4+0.7 pts
40Hennepin County10.3-0.2 pts
40Otter Tail County10.30 pts
42Benton County10.2+0.5 pts
42Swift County10.2-1.3 pts
44Carlton County10.1+0.8 pts
44Lincoln County10.1-0.3 pts
44Morrison County10.1-0.4 pts
47Kittson County10+0.6 pts
48Fillmore County9.9-0.4 pts
48Freeborn County9.9-1.9 pts
48Grant County9.9+0.7 pts
51Cook County9.6+0.8 pts
51Rice County9.6-1.5 pts
51Steele County9.6+0.3 pts
54Lac qui Parle County9.5-0.3 pts
55Redwood County9.4-0.6 pts
55Wilkin County9.4+0.1 pts
57Pennington County9.2-1.1 pts
57Waseca County9.2-1.1 pts
59Rock County8.9-0.4 pts
60Chippewa County8.8-1.7 pts
60Douglas County8.8+1.5 pts
60Jackson County8.8+0.2 pts
63Nicollet County8.7-0.1 pts
64Lake County8.6+0.2 pts
65Houston County8.5+0.9 pts
65Roseau County8.5+0.2 pts
67Brown County8.4+0.4 pts
67Pope County8.4+0.4 pts
69Marshall County8.2-1.2 pts
69Murray County8.20 pts
71Le Sueur County7.8+0.1 pts
72Isanti County7.6-0.3 pts
73Meeker County7.5-1.6 pts
74Wabasha County7.4+0.4 pts
75Goodhue County7.1-0.9 pts
75McLeod County7.1-0.6 pts
75Olmsted County7.1-1.2 pts
75Sibley County7.1-0.6 pts
79Sherburne County6.5+2.2 pts
80Chisago County6.4+0.3 pts
81Dakota County6.3+0.5 pts
82Dodge County6.1+0.3 pts
83Anoka County5.6+0.2 pts
84Scott County5.2+1.2 pts
85Wright County4.9-0.5 pts
86Washington County4.20 pts
87Carver County3.8-0.2 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 20.9% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Carver County, with 3.8% in 2018.

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