Counties in Minnesota by poverty rate

Mahnomen County had the highest poverty rate of 87 counties in 2021, at 18.7%. Scott County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 10.2% and the figure for Minnesota was 9.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest18.7Mahnomen County
Lowest4.6Scott County
Median10.287 counties
Minnesota9.3History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 18.7 %18.7Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 15.3 %15.3Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 14 %14St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 13.8 %13.8Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 13.6 %13.6Stearns CountyStearns County: 13.5 %13.5Blue Earth CountyBlue Earth County: 13.2 %13.2Todd CountyTodd County: 13.1 %13.1Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 13 %13Clay CountyClay County: 12.9 %12.9Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 12.8 %12.8Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 12.7 %12.7Wadena CountyWadena County: 12.7 %12.7Traverse CountyTraverse County: 12.6 %12.6Kandiyohi CountyKandiyohi County: 12.4 %12.4Fillmore CountyFillmore County: 12.3 %12.3Polk CountyPolk County: 12.3 %12.3Winona CountyWinona County: 12.3 %12.3Itasca CountyItasca County: 12.2 %12.2Cottonwood CountyCottonwood County: 12 %12Norman CountyNorman County: 11.9 %11.9Stevens CountyStevens County: 11.9 %11.9Cass CountyCass County: 11.7 %11.7Mower CountyMower County: 11.6 %11.6Watonwan CountyWatonwan County: 11.6 %11.6Faribault CountyFaribault County: 11.4 %11.4Nobles CountyNobles County: 11.4 %11.4Becker CountyBecker County: 11.3 %11.3Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 10.9 %10.9Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 10.9 %10.9Pine CountyPine County: 10.9 %10.9Martin CountyMartin County: 10.8 %10.8Swift CountySwift County: 10.8 %10.8Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 10.7 %10.7Yellow Medicine CountyYellow Medicine County: 10.7 %10.7Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 10.6 %10.6Pipestone CountyPipestone County: 10.6 %10.6Renville CountyRenville County: 10.6 %10.6Carlton CountyCarlton County: 10.4 %10.4Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 10.4 %10.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Mahnomen County18.7+3.4 pts
2Beltrami County15.3+3.2 pts
3Clearwater County14+1.2 pts
4St. Louis County13.8+3.7 pts
5Koochiching County13.6+2 pts
6Stearns County13.5+2.9 pts
7Blue Earth County13.2+2.2 pts
8Todd County13.1+0.9 pts
9Ramsey County13+0.4 pts
10Clay County12.9+4.1 pts
11Big Stone County12.8+1.9 pts
12Kanabec County12.7+3.6 pts
12Wadena County12.7+1.5 pts
14Traverse County12.6+1 pts
15Kandiyohi County12.4+4.2 pts
16Fillmore County12.3+4.1 pts
16Polk County12.3+1.7 pts
16Winona County12.3+1.3 pts
19Itasca County12.2+1.7 pts
20Cottonwood County12+0.8 pts
21Norman County11.9+1.4 pts
21Stevens County11.9+2.8 pts
23Cass County11.7-0.9 pts
24Mower County11.6+2.9 pts
24Watonwan County11.6+1.9 pts
26Faribault County11.4+1.1 pts
26Nobles County11.4+2 pts
28Becker County11.3-0.1 pts
29Aitkin County10.9-0.2 pts
29Mille Lacs County10.9+1.7 pts
29Pine County10.9+0.7 pts
32Martin County10.8+0.9 pts
32Swift County10.8+1.3 pts
34Crow Wing County10.7+2.2 pts
34Yellow Medicine County10.7+2.1 pts
36Chippewa County10.6+1.3 pts
36Pipestone County10.6+1.4 pts
36Renville County10.6+2 pts
39Carlton County10.4+1.7 pts
39Lake of the Woods County10.4+1.6 pts
39Lyon County10.4+1.6 pts
42Jackson County10.3+2.7 pts
43Freeborn County10.2+0.2 pts
43Hubbard County10.2+1.1 pts
45Morrison County10.1+0.3 pts
46Grant County10+0.7 pts
46Hennepin County10+0.7 pts
46Pennington County10+1.8 pts
46Wilkin County10+1.7 pts
50Roseau County9.9+2.6 pts
51Kittson County9.8-0.5 pts
51Lac qui Parle County9.8+1.2 pts
51Nicollet County9.8+2.6 pts
54Cook County9.7+1 pts
54Rock County9.7+1.5 pts
56Otter Tail County9.5+1.7 pts
57Redwood County9.4+0.8 pts
57Rice County9.4+1 pts
59Marshall County9.3+1.4 pts
60Brown County9.2+2.4 pts
60Douglas County9.2+1.8 pts
62Red Lake County9.1+0.8 pts
62Steele County9.1+1.8 pts
64Sibley County9+1.1 pts
65Lake County8.8+0.8 pts
65Lincoln County8.8+0.1 pts
65Waseca County8.8+1.2 pts
68Benton County8.7+1.8 pts
68Murray County8.7+1.1 pts
70Meeker County8.6+2.4 pts
70Pope County8.6+0.7 pts
72Isanti County8.5+1.8 pts
73Goodhue County8+0.8 pts
74Olmsted County7.7+1.3 pts
75McLeod County7.5+1.7 pts
76Houston County7.4+1 pts
76Wabasha County7.4+1.3 pts
78Anoka County6.8-0.3 pts
79Le Sueur County6.70 pts
80Chisago County6.5+0.2 pts
81Dodge County6+0.1 pts
81Sherburne County6+1.6 pts
83Washington County5.2+0.8 pts
84Dakota County5+0.2 pts
85Wright County4.9+0.3 pts
86Carver County4.6+1.1 pts
86Scott County4.6+0.3 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Mahnomen County, with 18.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Scott County, with 4.6% in 2021.

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