Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Claiborne County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2017, at 42.6%. DeSoto County had the lowest, at 8.7%. The median was 22% and the figure for Mississippi was 19.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.6Claiborne County
Lowest8.7DeSoto County
Median2282 counties
Mississippi19.9History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 42.6 %42.6Leflore CountyLeflore County: 42.2 %42.2Quitman CountyQuitman County: 40.9 %40.9Holmes CountyHolmes County: 40.8 %40.8Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 38.4 %38.4Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 38.1 %38.1Sunflower CountySunflower County: 36.2 %36.2Sharkey CountySharkey County: 35.5 %35.5Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 35.2 %35.2Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 34.8 %34.8Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 34.5 %34.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 34.1 %34.1Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 33.9 %33.9Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 33.1 %33.1Washington CountyWashington County: 32.7 %32.7Adams CountyAdams County: 32.5 %32.5Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 32.4 %32.4Kemper CountyKemper County: 29.8 %29.8Tunica CountyTunica County: 29.1 %29.1Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 28.7 %28.7Pike CountyPike County: 28 %28Walthall CountyWalthall County: 26.1 %26.1Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 25.5 %25.5Clay CountyClay County: 25.4 %25.4Marion CountyMarion County: 24.7 %24.7Attala CountyAttala County: 24.1 %24.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 23.8 %23.8Amite CountyAmite County: 23.3 %23.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 23.2 %23.2Covington CountyCovington County: 23 %23Simpson CountySimpson County: 23 %23Wayne CountyWayne County: 23 %23Webster CountyWebster County: 23 %23Marshall CountyMarshall County: 22.8 %22.8Forrest CountyForrest County: 22.7 %22.7Panola CountyPanola County: 22.7 %22.7Copiah CountyCopiah County: 22.5 %22.5Winston CountyWinston County: 22.5 %22.5Neshoba CountyNeshoba County: 22.4 %22.4Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 22.2 %22.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Claiborne County42.6+4.4 pts
2Leflore County42.2+6.6 pts
3Quitman County40.9+6.6 pts
4Holmes County40.8-1.7 pts
5Humphreys County38.4-0.5 pts
6Issaquena County38.1-2.4 pts
7Sunflower County36.2+1.1 pts
8Sharkey County35.5+0.5 pts
9Tallahatchie County35.2-2 pts
10Coahoma County34.8-6.4 pts
11Noxubee County34.5+2.9 pts
12Jefferson County34.1+0.4 pts
13Yazoo County33.9-0.9 pts
14Wilkinson County33.1-2 pts
15Washington County32.7-1.5 pts
16Adams County32.5+1.1 pts
17Bolivar County32.4-2.9 pts
18Kemper County29.8+1.5 pts
19Tunica County29.1-2.2 pts
20Jefferson Davis County28.7+1.8 pts
21Pike County28-2.1 pts
22Walthall County26.1+2 pts
23Oktibbeha County25.5-2.8 pts
24Clay County25.4+1.5 pts
25Marion County24.7-2.3 pts
26Attala County24.1+0.3 pts
27Jasper County23.8+1.1 pts
28Amite County23.3-0.7 pts
29Montgomery County23.2-1 pts
30Covington County23-0.5 pts
30Simpson County23-0.1 pts
30Wayne County23-2.3 pts
30Webster County23+2.3 pts
34Marshall County22.8-0.2 pts
35Forrest County22.7-2.7 pts
35Panola County22.70 pts
37Copiah County22.5-4.6 pts
37Winston County22.5-0.5 pts
39Neshoba County22.4-0.1 pts
40Lowndes County22.2+1 pts
41Choctaw County22.1-1 pts
42Scott County21.9-0.7 pts
43Benton County21.8-3.5 pts
43Calhoun County21.8-0.1 pts
45Greene County21.7-2.4 pts
45Leake County21.7-3.2 pts
47Warren County21.4-2.7 pts
48Jones County21.3+0.8 pts
48Yalobusha County21.3-1.6 pts
50Lafayette County21.1+0.4 pts
51Clarke County20.8-0.1 pts
52Franklin County20.6+0.4 pts
53Lauderdale County20.5-3.2 pts
53Perry County20.5-0.9 pts
55Grenada County20.4-2.1 pts
55Newton County20.4-1.3 pts
57Hinds County20.2-0.6 pts
58Harrison County19.7-0.8 pts
58Lawrence County19.70 pts
60Alcorn County19.1+2.2 pts
61Chickasaw County18.2-4 pts
61Lincoln County18.2-1.8 pts
61Monroe County18.2-1.2 pts
64Tippah County17.9-6.9 pts
64Tishomingo County17.9+0.3 pts
66Prentiss County17.7-6.5 pts
67Carroll County17.6+0.2 pts
68Pearl River County17.2-1.4 pts
69Hancock County17-0.2 pts
70Tate County16.5-0.7 pts
71Smith County16.3-2.6 pts
71Stone County16.3-4 pts
73George County16-0.1 pts
74Lamar County15.5+2.9 pts
75Pontotoc County14.6-3.8 pts
76Itawamba County14.5-3.6 pts
76Jackson County14.5-3.1 pts
76Union County14.5+1.4 pts
79Lee County14-3 pts
80Madison County10.7-1.3 pts
81Rankin County9.3-0.2 pts
82DeSoto County8.7-1.5 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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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 42.6% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

DeSoto County, with 8.7% in 2017.

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