Counties in Mississippi by poverty rate

Issaquena County had the highest poverty rate of 82 counties in 2023, at 49.6%. DeSoto County had the lowest, at 9.2%. The median was 20.3% and the figure for Mississippi was 18.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest49.6Issaquena County
Lowest9.2DeSoto County
Median20.382 counties
Mississippi18.3History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Issaquena CountyIssaquena County: 49.6 %49.6Bolivar CountyBolivar County: 38.7 %38.7Holmes CountyHolmes County: 35.6 %35.6Washington CountyWashington County: 35.5 %35.5Sharkey CountySharkey County: 34.5 %34.5Humphreys CountyHumphreys County: 32.8 %32.8Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 32.7 %32.7Sunflower CountySunflower County: 32.5 %32.5Wilkinson CountyWilkinson County: 32.2 %32.2Quitman CountyQuitman County: 32.1 %32.1Tallahatchie CountyTallahatchie County: 31.2 %31.2Yazoo CountyYazoo County: 30.9 %30.9Coahoma CountyCoahoma County: 30.8 %30.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 30.2 %30.2Noxubee CountyNoxubee County: 28.9 %28.9Leflore CountyLeflore County: 28.8 %28.8Tunica CountyTunica County: 27.6 %27.6Winston CountyWinston County: 27.4 %27.4Panola CountyPanola County: 26.2 %26.2Kemper CountyKemper County: 25.9 %25.9Oktibbeha CountyOktibbeha County: 25.5 %25.5Adams CountyAdams County: 25.2 %25.2Jefferson Davis CountyJefferson Davis County: 25 %25Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 23.6 %23.6Pike CountyPike County: 23.6 %23.6Amite CountyAmite County: 22.8 %22.8Greene CountyGreene County: 22.1 %22.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.6 %21.6Marion CountyMarion County: 21.5 %21.5Copiah CountyCopiah County: 21.4 %21.4Marshall CountyMarshall County: 21.1 %21.1Scott CountyScott County: 21.1 %21.1Hinds CountyHinds County: 21 %21Wayne CountyWayne County: 21 %21Grenada CountyGrenada County: 20.9 %20.9Warren CountyWarren County: 20.8 %20.8Clay CountyClay County: 20.7 %20.7Yalobusha CountyYalobusha County: 20.7 %20.7Leake CountyLeake County: 20.6 %20.6Walthall CountyWalthall County: 20.6 %20.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Issaquena County49.6+7.3 pts
2Bolivar County38.7+9.6 pts
3Holmes County35.6+1.1 pts
4Washington County35.5+8.2 pts
5Sharkey County34.5-0.6 pts
6Humphreys County32.8+0.5 pts
7Claiborne County32.7-0.5 pts
8Sunflower County32.5+0.2 pts
9Wilkinson County32.2+0.9 pts
10Quitman County32.1+0.7 pts
11Tallahatchie County31.2+0.1 pts
12Yazoo County30.9-6.2 pts
13Coahoma County30.8-5.1 pts
14Jefferson County30.2-3.9 pts
15Noxubee County28.9+0.9 pts
16Leflore County28.8-5.6 pts
17Tunica County27.6-0.3 pts
18Winston County27.4+5.5 pts
19Panola County26.2+1.7 pts
20Kemper County25.9-1.8 pts
21Oktibbeha County25.5+1.9 pts
22Adams County25.2-5.9 pts
23Jefferson Davis County25-6.3 pts
24Lauderdale County23.6-0.1 pts
24Pike County23.6-2.1 pts
26Amite County22.8+2.5 pts
27Greene County22.1-0.6 pts
28Montgomery County21.6-2.6 pts
29Marion County21.5+0.1 pts
30Copiah County21.4-4.2 pts
31Marshall County21.1+1.7 pts
31Scott County21.1-1.7 pts
33Hinds County21-1.6 pts
33Wayne County21-5.1 pts
35Grenada County20.9+0.9 pts
36Warren County20.8+1.2 pts
37Clay County20.7-1.2 pts
37Yalobusha County20.7+2.6 pts
39Leake County20.6-0.9 pts
39Walthall County20.6+1.4 pts
41Neshoba County20.5-2.8 pts
42Jasper County20.1-0.2 pts
42Simpson County20.1+3.7 pts
44Benton County20-3.1 pts
45Lowndes County19.9+0.6 pts
46Chickasaw County19.6-2.7 pts
46Perry County19.6+0.7 pts
48Attala County19.4-3.5 pts
49Covington County19.3-2 pts
50Forrest County19-3.4 pts
50Jones County19+0.7 pts
50Lawrence County19-1.7 pts
53Lincoln County18.9-1.7 pts
53Pearl River County18.9+1.3 pts
55Alcorn County18.7+0.7 pts
55Franklin County18.7-1.3 pts
57Clarke County18.3-4 pts
57Newton County18.3-1.2 pts
59Prentiss County17.7+0.9 pts
60Calhoun County17.5-5.3 pts
61Monroe County17.3+2 pts
61Tippah County17.3+1.3 pts
63Carroll County17.2-3.1 pts
64Choctaw County17.1-2.2 pts
65Smith County16.8-0.5 pts
66Webster County16.4-2.8 pts
67Harrison County16-3.3 pts
68Hancock County15.6+0.6 pts
68Stone County15.6-2.6 pts
70Tishomingo County15.4+0.5 pts
71Tate County15.1-3.4 pts
72Union County14.9+1.1 pts
73George County14.4-1 pts
74Lafayette County14.1-3.7 pts
75Itawamba County14+0.7 pts
76Lee County13.50 pts
77Jackson County13.4-2.3 pts
78Pontotoc County13.3-4.3 pts
79Lamar County13.1-2 pts
80Madison County10-0.9 pts
81Rankin County9.8-0.5 pts
82DeSoto County9.2-0.6 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 49.6% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

DeSoto County, with 9.2% in 2023.

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