Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Issaquena County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2020, at 43.3%. DeSoto County had the lowest, at 9.5%. The median was 20.7% and the figure for Mississippi was 18.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.3Issaquena County
Lowest9.5DeSoto County
Median20.782 counties
Mississippi18.7History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 43.3 %43.3Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 39.6 %39.6Sunflower CountySunflower County: 34.8 %34.8Holmes CountyHolmes County: 34.5 %34.5Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 34.1 %34.1Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 33.3 %33.3Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 32 %32Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 31 %31Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 30.8 %30.8Sharkey CountySharkey County: 30.3 %30.3Quitman CountyQuitman County: 29.9 %29.9Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 28.4 %28.4Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 28.1 %28.1Washington CountyWashington County: 27.7 %27.7Adams CountyAdams County: 27.2 %27.2Tunica CountyTunica County: 26.7 %26.7Pike CountyPike County: 26.5 %26.5Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 26.2 %26.2Hinds CountyHinds County: 25.9 %25.9Leflore CountyLeflore County: 25.3 %25.3Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 25.2 %25.2Kemper CountyKemper County: 25.2 %25.2Forrest CountyForrest County: 24.9 %24.9Chickasaw CountyChickasaw County: 24.8 %24.8Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 23.5 %23.5Walthall CountyWalthall County: 23.5 %23.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 22.7 %22.7Copiah CountyCopiah County: 22.5 %22.5Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 22.5 %22.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.1 %22.1Winston CountyWinston County: 21.8 %21.8Amite CountyAmite County: 21.7 %21.7Clay CountyClay County: 21.5 %21.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 21.4 %21.4Greene CountyGreene County: 21.4 %21.4Grenada CountyGrenada County: 21.4 %21.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.2 %21.2Simpson CountySimpson County: 21.2 %21.2Yalobusha CountyYalobusha County: 21.2 %21.2Leake CountyLeake County: 21 %21
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Issaquena County43.3+7.5 pts
2Coahoma County39.6+1.4 pts
3Sunflower County34.8+0.8 pts
4Holmes County34.5+0.7 pts
5Claiborne County34.1-3.4 pts
6Humphreys County33.3-3.8 pts
7Tallahatchie County32-5.9 pts
8Yazoo County31-5.4 pts
9Jefferson County30.8+1.9 pts
10Sharkey County30.3-3.1 pts
11Quitman County29.9-5.1 pts
12Wilkinson County28.4-2.8 pts
13Bolivar County28.1-8.5 pts
14Washington County27.7-6 pts
15Adams County27.2-0.7 pts
16Tunica County26.7-1.4 pts
17Pike County26.5+0.3 pts
18Noxubee County26.2-3 pts
19Hinds County25.9+5.8 pts
20Leflore County25.3-10.4 pts
21Jefferson Davis County25.2+0.9 pts
21Kemper County25.2-2.8 pts
23Forrest County24.9+1.6 pts
24Chickasaw County24.8+2.1 pts
25Oktibbeha County23.5-7.6 pts
25Walthall County23.5+1.8 pts
27Marshall County22.7+2.4 pts
28Copiah County22.5+0.4 pts
28Lauderdale County22.5+1 pts
30Wayne County22.1-0.1 pts
31Winston County21.8-3.6 pts
32Amite County21.7+0.8 pts
33Clay County21.5-8.2 pts
34Franklin County21.4+1.8 pts
34Greene County21.4-0.4 pts
34Grenada County21.4+1.1 pts
37Montgomery County21.2-2.5 pts
37Simpson County21.2+3.4 pts
37Yalobusha County21.2-3.2 pts
40Leake County21-2.8 pts
40Panola County21-1.8 pts
42Covington County20.3-1 pts
43Benton County19.8-0.9 pts
44Jasper County19.3-1.2 pts
45Clarke County19.2-4 pts
45Marion County19.2-4.6 pts
45Warren County19.2-0.9 pts
48Lawrence County19.1-0.6 pts
49Neshoba County18.9-2.8 pts
50Attala County18.8-5.3 pts
50Jones County18.8-5 pts
52Choctaw County18.7-2.2 pts
52Lincoln County18.7-0.9 pts
54Scott County18.3-1.4 pts
55Perry County18.1-1.8 pts
56George County17.8+1.2 pts
57Lafayette County17.6+0.1 pts
58Monroe County17.5-0.4 pts
59Stone County17.4-1.1 pts
60Calhoun County17.1-0.1 pts
61Alcorn County17-0.3 pts
62Harrison County16.8-0.7 pts
63Lowndes County16.5-0.7 pts
63Prentiss County16.5+0.8 pts
63Tippah County16.5+0.3 pts
66Newton County16.3-4 pts
67Smith County16.1-2.8 pts
68Pearl River County15.8-2.3 pts
69Webster County15.7-1.3 pts
70Carroll County15.6-1.6 pts
70Hancock County15.6-1.1 pts
72Tishomingo County14.6-2.4 pts
73Tate County14-1.1 pts
74Itawamba County13.9+1.1 pts
75Union County13.5+0.5 pts
76Jackson County13.4-1.7 pts
77Lee County13.3-1.3 pts
78Pontotoc County12.8-3.1 pts
79Lamar County12.6-3.4 pts
79Madison County12.6+2.5 pts
81Rankin County10-1.1 pts
82DeSoto County9.5+0.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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?

Issaquena County, with 43.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

DeSoto County, with 9.5% in 2020.

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