Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2020, at 15.3%. Carver County had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 8.7% and the figure for Minnesota was 8.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest15.3Mahnomen County
Lowest3.5Carver County
Median8.787 counties
Minnesota8.3History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 15.3 %15.3Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 12.8 %12.8Cass CountyCass County: 12.6 %12.6Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 12.6 %12.6Todd CountyTodd County: 12.2 %12.2Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 12.1 %12.1Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 11.6 %11.6Traverse CountyTraverse County: 11.6 %11.6Becker CountyBecker County: 11.4 %11.4Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 11.2 %11.2Wadena CountyWadena County: 11.2 %11.2Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 11.1 %11.1Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 11 %11Winona CountyWinona County: 11 %11Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 10.9 %10.9Polk CountyPolk County: 10.6 %10.6Stearns CountyStearns County: 10.6 %10.6Itasca CountyItasca County: 10.5 %10.5Norman CountyNorman County: 10.5 %10.5Faribault CountyFaribault County: 10.3 %10.3Kittson CountyKittson County: 10.3 %10.3Pine CountyPine County: 10.2 %10.2St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 10.1 %10.1Freeborn CountyFreeborn County: 10 %10Martin CountyMartin County: 9.9 %9.9Morrison CountyMorrison County: 9.8 %9.8Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 9.7 %9.7Swift CountySwift County: 9.5 %9.5Nobles CountyNobles County: 9.4 %9.4Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 9.3 %9.3Grant CountyGrant County: 9.3 %9.3Hennepin CountyHennepin County: 9.3 %9.3Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 9.2 %9.2Pipestone CountyPipestone County: 9.2 %9.2Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 9.1 %9.1Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 9.1 %9.1Stevens CountyStevens County: 9.1 %9.1Clay CountyClay County: 8.8 %8.8Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 8.8 %8.8Lyon CountyLyon County: 8.8 %8.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Mahnomen County15.3-6 pts
2Clearwater County12.8+1.3 pts
3Cass County12.6+1.2 pts
3Ramsey County12.6+0.2 pts
5Todd County12.2+0.4 pts
6Beltrami County12.1-4.2 pts
7Koochiching County11.6-1.4 pts
7Traverse County11.6-0.3 pts
9Becker County11.4+1.2 pts
10Cottonwood County11.2+0.4 pts
10Wadena County11.2-1.3 pts
12Aitkin County11.1-1.4 pts
13Blue Earth County11-4.2 pts
13Winona County110 pts
15Big Stone County10.9-0.1 pts
16Polk County10.6-0.2 pts
16Stearns County10.6-0.6 pts
18Itasca County10.5-0.7 pts
18Norman County10.5+0.1 pts
20Faribault County10.3-1.9 pts
20Kittson County10.3+1.1 pts
22Pine County10.2-1.4 pts
23St. Louis County10.1-2.7 pts
24Freeborn County10+0.4 pts
25Martin County9.9-0.6 pts
26Morrison County9.8+0.9 pts
27Watonwan County9.7-0.4 pts
28Swift County9.50 pts
29Nobles County9.4-1.6 pts
30Chippewa County9.3-1.1 pts
30Grant County9.3+0.5 pts
30Hennepin County9.3-0.4 pts
33Mille Lacs County9.2-2.2 pts
33Pipestone County9.2-1.9 pts
35Hubbard County9.1-2.1 pts
35Kanabec County9.1-1 pts
35Stevens County9.1-2.8 pts
38Clay County8.8-3.1 pts
38Lake of the Woods County8.8-0.4 pts
38Lyon County8.8-1.8 pts
41Carlton County8.7-0.4 pts
41Cook County8.7-0.2 pts
41Lincoln County8.7-1.4 pts
41Mower County8.7-2.8 pts
45Lac qui Parle County8.6-0.9 pts
45Redwood County8.6-1.1 pts
45Renville County8.6-1.4 pts
45Yellow Medicine County8.6-1 pts
49Crow Wing County8.5-2 pts
50Rice County8.4+0.2 pts
51Red Lake County8.3-1.6 pts
51Wilkin County8.3-0.8 pts
53Fillmore County8.2-1.2 pts
53Kandiyohi County8.2-1.6 pts
53Pennington County8.2-1.6 pts
53Rock County8.2-0.5 pts
57Lake County8-1 pts
58Marshall County7.9+0.4 pts
58Pope County7.9-1 pts
58Sibley County7.9-2.8 pts
61Otter Tail County7.8-3.2 pts
62Jackson County7.6-2.2 pts
62Murray County7.6-0.9 pts
62Waseca County7.6-1.3 pts
65Douglas County7.4+1.1 pts
66Roseau County7.3+1.3 pts
66Steele County7.3+1 pts
68Goodhue County7.2+0.1 pts
68Nicollet County7.2-2.7 pts
70Anoka County7.1+0.9 pts
71Benton County6.9-1.7 pts
72Brown County6.8-0.6 pts
73Isanti County6.7-0.2 pts
73Le Sueur County6.7-0.4 pts
75Houston County6.4-1.4 pts
75Olmsted County6.4-0.3 pts
77Chisago County6.3+0.1 pts
78Meeker County6.2-1.7 pts
79Wabasha County6.1-2.3 pts
80Dodge County5.9+0.3 pts
81McLeod County5.8-0.5 pts
82Dakota County4.8-1.5 pts
83Wright County4.6-0.6 pts
84Sherburne County4.4-1.1 pts
84Washington County4.4-0.2 pts
86Scott County4.3+0.1 pts
87Carver County3.5-0.8 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 15.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Carver County, with 3.5% in 2020.

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