Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Issaquena County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2021, at 43.9%. Rankin County had the lowest, at 10.8%. The median was 21% and the figure for Mississippi was 19.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.9Issaquena County
Lowest10.8Rankin County
Median2182 counties
Mississippi19.2History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 43.9 %43.9Sunflower CountySunflower County: 38.7 %38.7Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 37.9 %37.9Holmes CountyHolmes County: 37.8 %37.8Leflore CountyLeflore County: 35.6 %35.6Sharkey CountySharkey County: 35.1 %35.1Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 34.2 %34.2Quitman CountyQuitman County: 33.8 %33.8Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 33.7 %33.7Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 33.3 %33.3Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 33.3 %33.3Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 32.4 %32.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 31.7 %31.7Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 31.3 %31.3Washington CountyWashington County: 28.1 %28.1Pike CountyPike County: 27.6 %27.6Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 26.8 %26.8Tunica CountyTunica County: 26.6 %26.6Kemper CountyKemper County: 26.1 %26.1Adams CountyAdams County: 25.8 %25.8Hinds CountyHinds County: 25.2 %25.2Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 25.2 %25.2Walthall CountyWalthall County: 23.7 %23.7Marion CountyMarion County: 22.9 %22.9Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 22.8 %22.8Clay CountyClay County: 22.7 %22.7Panola CountyPanola County: 22.6 %22.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.5 %22.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 22.4 %22.4Attala CountyAttala County: 22.3 %22.3Yalobusha CountyYalobusha County: 22.3 %22.3Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 22.2 %22.2Winston CountyWinston County: 22.2 %22.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 22.1 %22.1Grenada CountyGrenada County: 22.1 %22.1Amite CountyAmite County: 22 %22Simpson CountySimpson County: 21.3 %21.3Greene CountyGreene County: 21.2 %21.2Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.2 %21.2Neshoba CountyNeshoba County: 21.2 %21.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Issaquena County43.9+0.6 pts
2Sunflower County38.7+3.9 pts
3Coahoma County37.9-1.7 pts
4Holmes County37.8+3.3 pts
5Leflore County35.6+10.3 pts
6Sharkey County35.1+4.8 pts
7Bolivar County34.2+6.1 pts
8Quitman County33.8+3.9 pts
9Tallahatchie County33.7+1.7 pts
10Claiborne County33.3-0.8 pts
10Humphreys County33.30 pts
12Wilkinson County32.4+4 pts
13Jefferson County31.7+0.9 pts
14Yazoo County31.3+0.3 pts
15Washington County28.1+0.4 pts
16Pike County27.6+1.1 pts
17Noxubee County26.8+0.6 pts
18Tunica County26.6-0.1 pts
19Kemper County26.1+0.9 pts
20Adams County25.8-1.4 pts
21Hinds County25.2-0.7 pts
21Jefferson Davis County25.20 pts
23Walthall County23.7+0.2 pts
24Marion County22.9+3.7 pts
25Lauderdale County22.8+0.3 pts
26Clay County22.7+1.2 pts
27Panola County22.6+1.6 pts
28Wayne County22.5+0.4 pts
29Calhoun County22.4+5.3 pts
30Attala County22.3+3.5 pts
30Yalobusha County22.3+1.1 pts
32Oktibbeha County22.2-1.3 pts
32Winston County22.2+0.4 pts
34Franklin County22.1+0.7 pts
34Grenada County22.1+0.7 pts
36Amite County22+0.3 pts
37Simpson County21.3+0.1 pts
38Greene County21.2-0.2 pts
38Montgomery County21.20 pts
38Neshoba County21.2+2.3 pts
41Leake County21.1+0.1 pts
42Choctaw County20.9+2.2 pts
42Copiah County20.9-1.6 pts
44Warren County20.7+1.5 pts
45Perry County20.5+2.4 pts
46Newton County20.2+3.9 pts
47Forrest County20.1-4.8 pts
48Chickasaw County19.9-4.9 pts
48Covington County19.9-0.4 pts
48Marshall County19.9-2.8 pts
51Benton County19.7-0.1 pts
52Lawrence County19.3+0.2 pts
53Scott County19.1+0.8 pts
54Tippah County19+2.5 pts
55Jones County18.80 pts
56Clarke County18.5-0.7 pts
56Lowndes County18.5+2 pts
58Harrison County18+1.2 pts
59Lincoln County17.7-1 pts
60Hancock County17.3+1.7 pts
61Alcorn County170 pts
61Smith County17+0.9 pts
63Monroe County16.9-0.6 pts
64Jasper County16.7-2.6 pts
65Stone County16.6-0.8 pts
66Lafayette County16.5-1.1 pts
66Prentiss County16.50 pts
66Webster County16.5+0.8 pts
69George County16.4-1.4 pts
70Pontotoc County16.3+3.5 pts
71Pearl River County16.1+0.3 pts
72Carroll County15.9+0.3 pts
73Tishomingo County15.7+1.1 pts
74Lee County15.2+1.9 pts
75Tate County14.9+0.9 pts
76Jackson County14.7+1.3 pts
77Union County14.1+0.6 pts
78Itawamba County13.1-0.8 pts
79Lamar County11.8-0.8 pts
80Madison County11.5-1.1 pts
81DeSoto County10.8+1.3 pts
81Rankin County10.8+0.8 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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 43.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Rankin County, with 10.8% in 2021.

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