Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Coahoma County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2019, at 38.2%. DeSoto County had the lowest, at 9.4%. The median was 21.1% and the figure for Mississippi was 19.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest38.2Coahoma County
Lowest9.4DeSoto County
Median21.182 counties
Mississippi19.5History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 38.2 %38.2Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 37.9 %37.9Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 37.5 %37.5Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 37.1 %37.1Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 36.6 %36.6Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 36.4 %36.4Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 35.8 %35.8Leflore CountyLeflore County: 35.7 %35.7Quitman CountyQuitman County: 35 %35Sunflower CountySunflower County: 34 %34Holmes CountyHolmes County: 33.8 %33.8Washington CountyWashington County: 33.7 %33.7Sharkey CountySharkey County: 33.4 %33.4Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 31.2 %31.2Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 31.1 %31.1Clay CountyClay County: 29.7 %29.7Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 29.2 %29.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 28.9 %28.9Tunica CountyTunica County: 28.1 %28.1Kemper CountyKemper County: 28 %28Adams CountyAdams County: 27.9 %27.9Pike CountyPike County: 26.2 %26.2Winston CountyWinston County: 25.4 %25.4Yalobusha CountyYalobusha County: 24.4 %24.4Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 24.3 %24.3Attala CountyAttala County: 24.1 %24.1Jones CountyJones County: 23.8 %23.8Leake CountyLeake County: 23.8 %23.8Marion CountyMarion County: 23.8 %23.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 23.7 %23.7Forrest CountyForrest County: 23.3 %23.3Clarke CountyClarke County: 23.2 %23.2Panola CountyPanola County: 22.8 %22.8Chickasaw CountyChickasaw County: 22.7 %22.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.2 %22.2Copiah CountyCopiah County: 22.1 %22.1Greene CountyGreene County: 21.8 %21.8Neshoba CountyNeshoba County: 21.7 %21.7Walthall CountyWalthall County: 21.7 %21.7Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 21.5 %21.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Coahoma County38.2+2.3 pts
2Tallahatchie County37.9+4.5 pts
3Claiborne County37.5+1.2 pts
4Humphreys County37.1+0.1 pts
5Bolivar County36.6+7.2 pts
6Yazoo County36.4-0.7 pts
7Issaquena County35.8-4.7 pts
8Leflore County35.7+0.6 pts
9Quitman County35-2.6 pts
10Sunflower County34+1.4 pts
11Holmes County33.8+0.6 pts
12Washington County33.7+1.1 pts
13Sharkey County33.4-0.2 pts
14Wilkinson County31.2+0.9 pts
15Oktibbeha County31.1+3.8 pts
16Clay County29.7+7.8 pts
17Noxubee County29.2+0.2 pts
18Jefferson County28.9-6.6 pts
19Tunica County28.1+1.6 pts
20Kemper County28+0.5 pts
21Adams County27.9-1.5 pts
22Pike County26.2-4.4 pts
23Winston County25.4+4.4 pts
24Yalobusha County24.4+6.3 pts
25Jefferson Davis County24.3-1.7 pts
26Attala County24.1+0.4 pts
27Jones County23.8+3.9 pts
27Leake County23.8-1.6 pts
27Marion County23.8-3.4 pts
30Montgomery County23.7+0.8 pts
31Forrest County23.3-0.7 pts
32Clarke County23.2+1.6 pts
33Panola County22.8+1 pts
34Chickasaw County22.7+2.4 pts
35Wayne County22.2+0.8 pts
36Copiah County22.1-4.4 pts
37Greene County21.8-0.8 pts
38Neshoba County21.7-5.2 pts
38Walthall County21.7-1.7 pts
40Lauderdale County21.5-4 pts
41Covington County21.3-5.2 pts
42Amite County20.9-1.3 pts
42Choctaw County20.9+0.5 pts
44Benton County20.7-1.4 pts
45Jasper County20.5+1.5 pts
46Grenada County20.3-2 pts
46Marshall County20.3-0.6 pts
46Newton County20.3-0.9 pts
49Hinds County20.1+0.7 pts
49Warren County20.1+0.9 pts
51Perry County19.9-2.1 pts
52Lawrence County19.7+1 pts
52Scott County19.7-5.8 pts
54Franklin County19.6-0.5 pts
54Lincoln County19.6+0.5 pts
56Smith County18.9+2.1 pts
57Stone County18.5-1.6 pts
58Pearl River County18.10 pts
59Monroe County17.9+1.5 pts
60Simpson County17.8-2 pts
61Harrison County17.5-2.5 pts
61Lafayette County17.5-0.5 pts
63Alcorn County17.3-0.9 pts
64Calhoun County17.2-4.1 pts
64Carroll County17.2-0.7 pts
64Lowndes County17.2-5.9 pts
67Tishomingo County17+1.8 pts
67Webster County17-1.1 pts
69Hancock County16.7-0.8 pts
70George County16.6+0.5 pts
71Tippah County16.2-0.7 pts
72Lamar County16+2 pts
73Pontotoc County15.9-0.6 pts
74Prentiss County15.7-4.1 pts
75Jackson County15.1-2.8 pts
75Tate County15.1-2.5 pts
77Lee County14.6+1.5 pts
78Union County13-0.4 pts
79Itawamba County12.8-0.9 pts
80Rankin County11.1+1.5 pts
81Madison County10.1+0.7 pts
82DeSoto County9.4+0.4 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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?

Coahoma County, with 38.2% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

DeSoto County, with 9.4% in 2019.

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