Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Mississippi

Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Claiborne County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2015, at 46.3%. Rankin County had the lowest, at 9.7%. The median was 23.1% and the figure for Mississippi was 22.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest46.3Claiborne County
Lowest9.7Rankin County
Median23.182 counties
Mississippi22.1History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 46.3 %46.3Holmes CountyHolmes County: 43.3 %43.3Leflore CountyLeflore County: 42.3 %42.3Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 41.5 %41.5Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 40.4 %40.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 39.3 %39.3Sunflower CountySunflower County: 39.3 %39.3Quitman CountyQuitman County: 38.2 %38.2Washington CountyWashington County: 36.2 %36.2Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 36.1 %36.1Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 35 %35Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 34.5 %34.5Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 34.3 %34.3Sharkey CountySharkey County: 34.3 %34.3Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 34.2 %34.2Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 32.9 %32.9Kemper CountyKemper County: 31.9 %31.9Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 30.5 %30.5Pike CountyPike County: 30.1 %30.1Adams CountyAdams County: 29.6 %29.6Tunica CountyTunica County: 28.9 %28.9Clay CountyClay County: 27.6 %27.6Walthall CountyWalthall County: 27.6 %27.6Hinds CountyHinds County: 27.1 %27.1Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 27.1 %27.1Chickasaw CountyChickasaw County: 26.6 %26.6Forrest CountyForrest County: 26.6 %26.6Winston CountyWinston County: 26.6 %26.6Copiah CountyCopiah County: 26.1 %26.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 25.8 %25.8Neshoba CountyNeshoba County: 25.5 %25.5Benton CountyBenton County: 25.3 %25.3Panola CountyPanola County: 24.8 %24.8Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 24.5 %24.5Simpson CountySimpson County: 24.5 %24.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 24.5 %24.5Leake CountyLeake County: 24.3 %24.3Marion CountyMarion County: 24.2 %24.2Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 23.5 %23.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 23.3 %23.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Claiborne County46.3
2Holmes County43.3
3Leflore County42.3
4Humphreys County41.5
5Issaquena County40.4
6Jefferson County39.3
6Sunflower County39.3
8Quitman County38.2
9Washington County36.2
10Bolivar County36.1
11Coahoma County35
12Wilkinson County34.5
13Noxubee County34.3
13Sharkey County34.3
15Yazoo County34.2
16Tallahatchie County32.9
17Kemper County31.9
18Jefferson Davis County30.5
19Pike County30.1
20Adams County29.6
21Tunica County28.9
22Clay County27.6
22Walthall County27.6
24Hinds County27.1
24Oktibbeha County27.1
26Chickasaw County26.6
26Forrest County26.6
26Winston County26.6
29Copiah County26.1
30Montgomery County25.8
31Neshoba County25.5
32Benton County25.3
33Panola County24.8
34Choctaw County24.5
34Simpson County24.5
34Wayne County24.5
37Leake County24.3
38Marion County24.2
39Lowndes County23.5
40Marshall County23.3
41Jones County23.2
42Calhoun County23
43Attala County22.9
44Jasper County22.8
45Newton County22.7
46Greene County22.6
47Covington County22.4
47Yalobusha County22.4
49Amite County22.2
50Harrison County22
50Lauderdale County22
52Clarke County21.8
53Scott County21.7
54Warren County21.6
55Grenada County21.3
56Lafayette County21
56Pearl River County21
56Perry County21
59Lawrence County20.9
60Hancock County20.8
61Monroe County20.7
62Franklin County20.6
63Stone County20.5
63Webster County20.5
65Lincoln County20
66Alcorn County19.6
67Prentiss County19.5
67Smith County19.5
69Tate County19.2
70Carroll County19
71Tippah County18.2
72Itawamba County18.1
73Lee County17.4
74George County17.1
74Tishomingo County17.1
76Union County17
77Lamar County16.4
78Jackson County16.1
79Pontotoc County15.6
80Madison County12.7
81DeSoto County10
82Rankin County9.7

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Claiborne County, with 46.3% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Rankin County, with 9.7% in 2015.

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 Mississippi: more rankings