Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Missouri

Counties in Missouri by poverty rate, 2024

Dunklin County had the highest poverty rate of 115 counties in 2024, at 25.4%. Platte County had the lowest, at 5.5%. The median was 14.1% and the figure for Missouri was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.4Dunklin County
Lowest5.5Platte County
Median14.1115 counties
Missouri12.2History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 25.4 %25.4Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 23.7 %23.7Adair CountyAdair County: 21.9 %21.9Ripley CountyRipley County: 21.9 %21.9St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 21.8 %21.8Shannon CountyShannon County: 21.3 %21.3Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 21 %21Butler CountyButler County: 20.3 %20.3Oregon CountyOregon County: 20.1 %20.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.6 %19.6Ozark CountyOzark County: 19.4 %19.4Texas CountyTexas County: 19.3 %19.3New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 19.1 %19.1Wright CountyWright County: 19 %19Benton CountyBenton County: 18.8 %18.8Howell CountyHowell County: 18.6 %18.6Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 18.6 %18.6Iron CountyIron County: 18.2 %18.2McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 18 %18Washington CountyWashington County: 18 %18Douglas CountyDouglas County: 17.8 %17.8Carter CountyCarter County: 17.1 %17.1Phelps CountyPhelps County: 17.1 %17.1Dallas CountyDallas County: 17 %17Grundy CountyGrundy County: 16.8 %16.8Cedar CountyCedar County: 16.5 %16.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 16.4 %16.4Hickory CountyHickory County: 16 %16St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 16 %16Harrison CountyHarrison County: 15.9 %15.9Pike CountyPike County: 15.9 %15.9Barry CountyBarry County: 15.7 %15.7Pettis CountyPettis County: 15.7 %15.7Shelby CountyShelby County: 15.6 %15.6Saline CountySaline County: 15.5 %15.5Audrain CountyAudrain County: 15.4 %15.4Polk CountyPolk County: 15.2 %15.2Crawford CountyCrawford County: 15.1 %15.1Madison CountyMadison County: 15.1 %15.1Nodaway CountyNodaway County: 15 %15
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Dunklin County25.4+2.4 pts
2Pemiscot County23.7-3.7 pts
3Adair County21.9+3.7 pts
3Ripley County21.9+1.4 pts
5St. Louis city21.8+1.7 pts
6Shannon County21.3-1.6 pts
7Mississippi County21+0.5 pts
8Butler County20.3+1.7 pts
9Oregon County20.1+1.2 pts
10Wayne County19.6-2.8 pts
11Ozark County19.4-0.8 pts
12Texas County19.3-1 pts
13New Madrid County19.1-0.8 pts
14Wright County19+1.5 pts
15Benton County18.8+0.7 pts
16Howell County18.6+1.9 pts
16Reynolds County18.6-1.2 pts
18Iron County18.2-0.8 pts
19McDonald County18-0.2 pts
19Washington County18-1.7 pts
21Douglas County17.8+1.5 pts
22Carter County17.1-2.3 pts
22Phelps County17.1+1.3 pts
24Dallas County17+1.1 pts
25Grundy County16.8+0.8 pts
26Cedar County16.5+1.5 pts
27Morgan County16.4+1.5 pts
28Hickory County16-1.5 pts
28St. Clair County16-2.2 pts
30Harrison County15.9-0.3 pts
30Pike County15.9+1.3 pts
32Barry County15.7+0.2 pts
32Pettis County15.7+1.7 pts
34Shelby County15.6+0.3 pts
35Saline County15.5-2.1 pts
36Audrain County15.4+0.3 pts
37Polk County15.2+0.6 pts
38Crawford County15.1+0.4 pts
38Madison County15.1-0.9 pts
40Nodaway County15-0.1 pts
40Webster County15+2.1 pts
42Laclede County14.9-2.1 pts
42Vernon County14.9-2 pts
44Stoddard County14.8+1.1 pts
44Worth County14.8+1.4 pts
46Knox County14.7-1.9 pts
46Pulaski County14.7+3.3 pts
46Schuyler County14.7+0.2 pts
49St. Francois County14.6-0.7 pts
50Bollinger County14.5-0.1 pts
51Dent County14.4-3.1 pts
51Henry County14.4-1.9 pts
53Boone County14.3-0.1 pts
53Carroll County14.3+1.4 pts
53Jackson County14.3+2.3 pts
53Livingston County14.3+0.4 pts
57Marion County14.1+1.7 pts
57Stone County14.1+1.8 pts
59Gentry County13.8-0.7 pts
59Putnam County13.8-1.5 pts
61Barton County13.7-1.8 pts
61Clark County13.7-0.8 pts
61Daviess County13.7+0.9 pts
61Mercer County13.7+0.9 pts
65Scotland County13.6+0.5 pts
65Taney County13.60 pts
67Buchanan County13.5-1.6 pts
67Dade County13.5-0.7 pts
67Jasper County13.5-2 pts
67Scott County13.5-1.6 pts
71Lewis County13.4-1.9 pts
72Miller County13.1-1.3 pts
73Randolph County12.8-1 pts
74Holt County12.7+0.5 pts
74Sullivan County12.7-0.2 pts
76Lawrence County12.6-2.3 pts
77Cape Girardeau County12.4-0.2 pts
77Monroe County12.4+0.1 pts
77Newton County12.4-0.6 pts
80Montgomery County12.2-2.5 pts
81Atchison County12.1+0.8 pts
81Gasconade County12.1+1.6 pts
81Linn County12.1-3.2 pts
84Macon County12-0.5 pts
85Callaway County11.8-1.2 pts
85Johnson County11.8-1.8 pts
87Chariton County11.7+1.3 pts
88Camden County11.6+0.7 pts
88Cooper County11.6+1.4 pts
90DeKalb County11.5-0.1 pts
90Maries County11.5-0.3 pts
90Perry County11.5+1.5 pts
93Howard County11.2-0.8 pts
93Moniteau County11.2+1 pts
95Bates County11.1-2.8 pts
96Caldwell County10.9-0.6 pts
97Greene County10.5-3.6 pts
98St. Louis County9.8+0.1 pts
98Ste. Genevieve County9.8+0.2 pts
100Lafayette County9.7-1.5 pts
101Cole County9.6+0.2 pts
102Clinton County9.5-0.2 pts
103Jefferson County9.3+0.1 pts
104Franklin County9-0.8 pts
104Ray County9-0.9 pts
106Clay County8.9+1.1 pts
107Ralls County8.5-1.5 pts
108Christian County8+0.6 pts
108Warren County8-0.6 pts
110Lincoln County7.9-0.5 pts
111Andrew County7.8-0.6 pts
112Osage County7.7-2.8 pts
113Cass County70 pts
114St. Charles County6.3+0.8 pts
115Platte County5.5-0.6 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/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Missouri by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Dunklin County, with 25.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Platte County, with 5.5% in 2024.

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 Missouri: more rankings