Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2019, at 21.3%. Scott County had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 9.8% and the figure for Minnesota was 8.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest21.3Mahnomen County
Lowest4.2Scott County
Median9.887 counties
Minnesota8.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 21.3 %21.3Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 16.3 %16.3Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 15.2 %15.2Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 13 %13St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 12.8 %12.8Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 12.5 %12.5Wadena CountyWadena County: 12.5 %12.5Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 12.4 %12.4Faribault CountyFaribault County: 12.2 %12.2Clay CountyClay County: 11.9 %11.9Stevens CountyStevens County: 11.9 %11.9Traverse CountyTraverse County: 11.9 %11.9Todd CountyTodd County: 11.8 %11.8Pine CountyPine County: 11.6 %11.6Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 11.5 %11.5Mower CountyMower County: 11.5 %11.5Cass CountyCass County: 11.4 %11.4Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 11.4 %11.4Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 11.2 %11.2Itasca CountyItasca County: 11.2 %11.2Stearns CountyStearns County: 11.2 %11.2Pipestone CountyPipestone County: 11.1 %11.1Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 11 %11Nobles CountyNobles County: 11 %11Otter Tail CountyOtter Tail County: 11 %11Winona CountyWinona County: 11 %11Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 10.8 %10.8Polk CountyPolk County: 10.8 %10.8Sibley CountySibley County: 10.7 %10.7Lyon CountyLyon County: 10.6 %10.6Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 10.5 %10.5Martin CountyMartin County: 10.5 %10.5Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 10.4 %10.4Norman CountyNorman County: 10.4 %10.4Becker CountyBecker County: 10.2 %10.2Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 10.1 %10.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 10.1 %10.1Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 10.1 %10.1Renville CountyRenville County: 10 %10Nicollet CountyNicollet County: 9.9 %9.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Mahnomen County21.3+0.4 pts
2Beltrami County16.3-2.1 pts
3Blue Earth County15.2+0.1 pts
4Koochiching County13-1.9 pts
5St. Louis County12.8-1.9 pts
6Aitkin County12.5-1.2 pts
6Wadena County12.5-1.9 pts
8Ramsey County12.4-2.2 pts
9Faribault County12.2+0.5 pts
10Clay County11.9+0.1 pts
10Stevens County11.9+0.7 pts
10Traverse County11.9-1.2 pts
13Todd County11.8-0.6 pts
14Pine County11.6-0.4 pts
15Clearwater County11.5-1.3 pts
15Mower County11.5-0.1 pts
17Cass County11.4-1.5 pts
17Mille Lacs County11.4-1 pts
19Hubbard County11.2-0.8 pts
19Itasca County11.2-0.6 pts
19Stearns County11.2-1.2 pts
22Pipestone County11.1+0.7 pts
23Big Stone County11-0.3 pts
23Nobles County11+0.2 pts
23Otter Tail County11+0.7 pts
23Winona County11-2 pts
27Cottonwood County10.8+0.4 pts
27Polk County10.8-1.2 pts
29Sibley County10.7+3.6 pts
30Lyon County10.6-1.5 pts
31Crow Wing County10.5-2.1 pts
31Martin County10.5-3.2 pts
33Chippewa County10.4+1.6 pts
33Norman County10.4-0.5 pts
35Becker County10.2-0.9 pts
36Kanabec County10.1-1.2 pts
36Lincoln County10.10 pts
36Watonwan County10.1-0.6 pts
39Renville County10-0.5 pts
40Nicollet County9.9+1.2 pts
40Red Lake County9.9-0.8 pts
42Jackson County9.8+1 pts
42Kandiyohi County9.8-1.7 pts
42Pennington County9.8+0.6 pts
45Hennepin County9.7-0.6 pts
45Redwood County9.7+0.3 pts
47Freeborn County9.6-0.3 pts
47Yellow Medicine County9.6-2.1 pts
49Lac qui Parle County9.50 pts
49Swift County9.5-0.7 pts
51Fillmore County9.4-0.5 pts
52Kittson County9.2-0.8 pts
52Lake of the Woods County9.2-1.2 pts
54Carlton County9.1-1 pts
54Wilkin County9.1-0.3 pts
56Lake County9+0.4 pts
57Cook County8.9-0.7 pts
57Morrison County8.9-1.2 pts
57Pope County8.9+0.5 pts
57Waseca County8.9-0.3 pts
61Grant County8.8-1.1 pts
62Rock County8.7-0.2 pts
63Benton County8.6-1.6 pts
64Murray County8.5+0.3 pts
65Wabasha County8.4+1 pts
66Rice County8.2-1.4 pts
67Meeker County7.9+0.4 pts
68Houston County7.8-0.7 pts
69Marshall County7.5-0.7 pts
70Brown County7.4-1 pts
71Goodhue County7.10 pts
71Le Sueur County7.1-0.7 pts
73Isanti County6.9-0.7 pts
74Olmsted County6.7-0.4 pts
75Dakota County6.30 pts
75Douglas County6.3-2.5 pts
75McLeod County6.3-0.8 pts
75Steele County6.3-3.3 pts
79Anoka County6.2+0.6 pts
79Chisago County6.2-0.2 pts
81Roseau County6-2.5 pts
82Dodge County5.6-0.5 pts
83Sherburne County5.5-1 pts
84Wright County5.2+0.3 pts
85Washington County4.6+0.4 pts
86Carver County4.3+0.5 pts
87Scott County4.2-1 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 21.3% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Scott County, with 4.2% in 2019.

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