Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Issaquena County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2022, at 42.3%. DeSoto County had the lowest, at 9.8%. The median was 21.4% and the figure for Mississippi was 19.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.3Issaquena County
Lowest9.8DeSoto County
Median21.482 counties
Mississippi19.2History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 42.3 %42.3Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 37.1 %37.1Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 35.9 %35.9Sharkey CountySharkey County: 35.1 %35.1Holmes CountyHolmes County: 34.5 %34.5Leflore CountyLeflore County: 34.4 %34.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 34.1 %34.1Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 33.2 %33.2Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 32.3 %32.3Sunflower CountySunflower County: 32.3 %32.3Quitman CountyQuitman County: 31.4 %31.4Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 31.3 %31.3Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 31.3 %31.3Adams CountyAdams County: 31.1 %31.1Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 31.1 %31.1Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 29.1 %29.1Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 28 %28Tunica CountyTunica County: 27.9 %27.9Kemper CountyKemper County: 27.7 %27.7Washington CountyWashington County: 27.3 %27.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 26.1 %26.1Pike CountyPike County: 25.7 %25.7Copiah CountyCopiah County: 25.6 %25.6Panola CountyPanola County: 24.5 %24.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 24.2 %24.2Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 23.7 %23.7Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 23.6 %23.6Neshoba CountyNeshoba County: 23.3 %23.3Benton CountyBenton County: 23.1 %23.1Attala CountyAttala County: 22.9 %22.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 22.8 %22.8Scott CountyScott County: 22.8 %22.8Greene CountyGreene County: 22.7 %22.7Hinds CountyHinds County: 22.6 %22.6Forrest CountyForrest County: 22.4 %22.4Chickasaw CountyChickasaw County: 22.3 %22.3Clarke CountyClarke County: 22.3 %22.3Clay CountyClay County: 21.9 %21.9Winston CountyWinston County: 21.9 %21.9Leake CountyLeake County: 21.5 %21.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Issaquena County42.3-1.6 pts
2Yazoo County37.1+5.8 pts
3Coahoma County35.9-2 pts
4Sharkey County35.10 pts
5Holmes County34.5-3.3 pts
6Leflore County34.4-1.2 pts
7Jefferson County34.1+2.4 pts
8Claiborne County33.2-0.1 pts
9Humphreys County32.3-1 pts
9Sunflower County32.3-6.4 pts
11Quitman County31.4-2.4 pts
12Jefferson Davis County31.3+6.1 pts
12Wilkinson County31.3-1.1 pts
14Adams County31.1+5.3 pts
14Tallahatchie County31.1-2.6 pts
16Bolivar County29.1-5.1 pts
17Noxubee County28+1.2 pts
18Tunica County27.9+1.3 pts
19Kemper County27.7+1.6 pts
20Washington County27.3-0.8 pts
21Wayne County26.1+3.6 pts
22Pike County25.7-1.9 pts
23Copiah County25.6+4.7 pts
24Panola County24.5+1.9 pts
25Montgomery County24.2+3 pts
26Lauderdale County23.7+0.9 pts
27Oktibbeha County23.6+1.4 pts
28Neshoba County23.3+2.1 pts
29Benton County23.1+3.4 pts
30Attala County22.9+0.6 pts
31Calhoun County22.8+0.4 pts
31Scott County22.8+3.7 pts
33Greene County22.7+1.5 pts
34Hinds County22.6-2.6 pts
35Forrest County22.4+2.3 pts
36Chickasaw County22.3+2.4 pts
36Clarke County22.3+3.8 pts
38Clay County21.9-0.8 pts
38Winston County21.9-0.3 pts
40Leake County21.5+0.4 pts
41Marion County21.4-1.5 pts
42Covington County21.3+1.4 pts
43Lawrence County20.7+1.4 pts
44Lincoln County20.6+2.9 pts
45Amite County20.3-1.7 pts
45Carroll County20.3+4.4 pts
45Jasper County20.3+3.6 pts
48Franklin County20-2.1 pts
48Grenada County20-2.1 pts
50Warren County19.6-1.1 pts
51Newton County19.5-0.7 pts
52Marshall County19.4-0.5 pts
53Choctaw County19.3-1.6 pts
53Harrison County19.3+1.3 pts
53Lowndes County19.3+0.8 pts
56Walthall County19.2-4.5 pts
56Webster County19.2+2.7 pts
58Perry County18.9-1.6 pts
59Tate County18.5+3.6 pts
60Jones County18.3-0.5 pts
61Stone County18.2+1.6 pts
62Yalobusha County18.1-4.2 pts
63Alcorn County18+1 pts
64Lafayette County17.8+1.3 pts
65Pearl River County17.6+1.5 pts
65Pontotoc County17.6+1.3 pts
67Smith County17.3+0.3 pts
68Prentiss County16.8+0.3 pts
69Simpson County16.4-4.9 pts
70Tippah County16-3 pts
71Jackson County15.7+1 pts
72George County15.4-1 pts
73Monroe County15.3-1.6 pts
74Lamar County15.1+3.3 pts
75Hancock County15-2.3 pts
76Tishomingo County14.9-0.8 pts
77Union County13.8-0.3 pts
78Lee County13.5-1.7 pts
79Itawamba County13.3+0.2 pts
80Madison County10.9-0.6 pts
81Rankin County10.3-0.5 pts
82DeSoto County9.8-1 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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 42.3% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

DeSoto County, with 9.8% in 2022.

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