Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Holmes County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2016, at 42.5%. Rankin County had the lowest, at 9.5%. The median was 23.1% and the figure for Mississippi was 21%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.5Holmes County
Lowest9.5Rankin County
Median23.182 counties
Mississippi21History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Holmes CountyHolmes County: 42.5 %42.5Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 41.2 %41.2Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 40.5 %40.5Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 38.9 %38.9Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 38.2 %38.2Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 37.2 %37.2Leflore CountyLeflore County: 35.6 %35.6Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 35.3 %35.3Sunflower CountySunflower County: 35.1 %35.1Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 35.1 %35.1Sharkey CountySharkey County: 35 %35Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 34.8 %34.8Quitman CountyQuitman County: 34.3 %34.3Washington CountyWashington County: 34.2 %34.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 33.7 %33.7Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 31.6 %31.6Adams CountyAdams County: 31.4 %31.4Tunica CountyTunica County: 31.3 %31.3Pike CountyPike County: 30.1 %30.1Kemper CountyKemper County: 28.3 %28.3Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 28.3 %28.3Copiah CountyCopiah County: 27.1 %27.1Marion CountyMarion County: 27 %27Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 26.9 %26.9Forrest CountyForrest County: 25.4 %25.4Benton CountyBenton County: 25.3 %25.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 25.3 %25.3Leake CountyLeake County: 24.9 %24.9Tippah CountyTippah County: 24.8 %24.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 24.2 %24.2Prentiss CountyPrentiss County: 24.2 %24.2Greene CountyGreene County: 24.1 %24.1Walthall CountyWalthall County: 24.1 %24.1Warren CountyWarren County: 24.1 %24.1Amite CountyAmite County: 24 %24Clay CountyClay County: 23.9 %23.9Attala CountyAttala County: 23.8 %23.8Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 23.7 %23.7Covington CountyCovington County: 23.5 %23.5Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 23.1 %23.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Holmes County42.5-0.8 pts
2Coahoma County41.2+6.2 pts
3Issaquena County40.5+0.1 pts
4Humphreys County38.9-2.6 pts
5Claiborne County38.2-8.1 pts
6Tallahatchie County37.2+4.3 pts
7Leflore County35.6-6.7 pts
8Bolivar County35.3-0.8 pts
9Sunflower County35.1-4.2 pts
9Wilkinson County35.1+0.6 pts
11Sharkey County35+0.7 pts
12Yazoo County34.8+0.6 pts
13Quitman County34.3-3.9 pts
14Washington County34.2-2 pts
15Jefferson County33.7-5.6 pts
16Noxubee County31.6-2.7 pts
17Adams County31.4+1.8 pts
18Tunica County31.3+2.4 pts
19Pike County30.10 pts
20Kemper County28.3-3.6 pts
20Oktibbeha County28.3+1.2 pts
22Copiah County27.1+1 pts
23Marion County27+2.8 pts
24Jefferson Davis County26.9-3.6 pts
25Forrest County25.4-1.2 pts
26Benton County25.30 pts
26Wayne County25.3+0.8 pts
28Leake County24.9+0.6 pts
29Tippah County24.8+6.6 pts
30Montgomery County24.2-1.6 pts
30Prentiss County24.2+4.7 pts
32Greene County24.1+1.5 pts
32Walthall County24.1-3.5 pts
32Warren County24.1+2.5 pts
35Amite County24+1.8 pts
36Clay County23.9-3.7 pts
37Attala County23.8+0.9 pts
38Lauderdale County23.7+1.7 pts
39Covington County23.5+1.1 pts
40Choctaw County23.1-1.4 pts
40Simpson County23.1-1.4 pts
42Marshall County23-0.3 pts
42Winston County23-3.6 pts
44Yalobusha County22.9+0.5 pts
45Jasper County22.7-0.1 pts
45Panola County22.7-2.1 pts
47Scott County22.6+0.9 pts
48Grenada County22.5+1.2 pts
48Neshoba County22.5-3 pts
50Chickasaw County22.2-4.4 pts
51Calhoun County21.9-1.1 pts
52Newton County21.7-1 pts
53Perry County21.4+0.4 pts
54Lowndes County21.2-2.3 pts
55Clarke County20.9-0.9 pts
56Hinds County20.8-6.3 pts
57Lafayette County20.7-0.3 pts
57Webster County20.7+0.2 pts
59Harrison County20.5-1.5 pts
59Jones County20.5-2.7 pts
61Stone County20.3-0.2 pts
62Franklin County20.2-0.4 pts
63Lincoln County200 pts
64Lawrence County19.7-1.2 pts
65Monroe County19.4-1.3 pts
66Smith County18.9-0.6 pts
67Pearl River County18.6-2.4 pts
68Pontotoc County18.4+2.8 pts
69Itawamba County18.10 pts
70Jackson County17.6+1.5 pts
70Tishomingo County17.6+0.5 pts
72Carroll County17.4-1.6 pts
73Hancock County17.2-3.6 pts
73Tate County17.2-2 pts
75Lee County17-0.4 pts
76Alcorn County16.9-2.7 pts
77George County16.1-1 pts
78Union County13.1-3.9 pts
79Lamar County12.6-3.8 pts
80Madison County12-0.7 pts
81DeSoto County10.2+0.2 pts
82Rankin County9.5-0.2 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.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?

Holmes County, with 42.5% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Rankin County, with 9.5% in 2016.

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