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

Counties in Missouri by poverty rate

Pemiscot County had the highest poverty rate of 115 counties in 2015, at 28%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 6.3%. The median was 17.5% and the figure for Missouri was 14.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28Pemiscot County
Lowest6.3St. Charles County
Median17.5115 counties
Missouri14.8History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 28 %28Ozark CountyOzark County: 27.7 %27.7Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 27.6 %27.6Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 26.6 %26.6St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 25.5 %25.5Ripley CountyRipley County: 25.4 %25.4Oregon CountyOregon County: 24.7 %24.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 24.3 %24.3Wright CountyWright County: 24.1 %24.1New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 23.9 %23.9Shannon CountyShannon County: 23.9 %23.9Hickory CountyHickory County: 23.8 %23.8Butler CountyButler County: 23.4 %23.4Texas CountyTexas County: 23.3 %23.3Douglas CountyDouglas County: 23.1 %23.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 23.1 %23.1Iron CountyIron County: 22.9 %22.9Nodaway CountyNodaway County: 22.9 %22.9St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 22.6 %22.6Adair CountyAdair County: 21.9 %21.9Dent CountyDent County: 21.5 %21.5Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 21.5 %21.5Carter CountyCarter County: 21.4 %21.4Barry CountyBarry County: 20.7 %20.7Washington CountyWashington County: 20.7 %20.7McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 20.1 %20.1DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 20 %20Randolph CountyRandolph County: 20 %20Cedar CountyCedar County: 19.9 %19.9Howell CountyHowell County: 19.9 %19.9Crawford CountyCrawford County: 19.4 %19.4Madison CountyMadison County: 19.3 %19.3Webster CountyWebster County: 19.2 %19.2Grundy CountyGrundy County: 19.1 %19.1Phelps CountyPhelps County: 19.1 %19.1Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 19 %19Henry CountyHenry County: 18.8 %18.8Livingston CountyLivingston County: 18.8 %18.8Audrain CountyAudrain County: 18.7 %18.7Benton CountyBenton County: 18.7 %18.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Pemiscot County28
2Ozark County27.7
3Dunklin County27.6
4Mississippi County26.6
5St. Louis city25.5
6Ripley County25.4
7Oregon County24.7
8Wayne County24.3
9Wright County24.1
10New Madrid County23.9
10Shannon County23.9
12Hickory County23.8
13Butler County23.4
14Texas County23.3
15Douglas County23.1
15Morgan County23.1
17Iron County22.9
17Nodaway County22.9
19St. Clair County22.6
20Adair County21.9
21Dent County21.5
21Reynolds County21.5
23Carter County21.4
24Barry County20.7
24Washington County20.7
26McDonald County20.1
27DeKalb County20
27Randolph County20
29Cedar County19.9
29Howell County19.9
31Crawford County19.4
32Madison County19.3
33Webster County19.2
34Grundy County19.1
34Phelps County19.1
36Stoddard County19
37Henry County18.8
37Livingston County18.8
39Audrain County18.7
39Benton County18.7
39Knox County18.7
39Miller County18.7
43Vernon County18.5
44Bollinger County18.3
44Lawrence County18.3
44Schuyler County18.3
47Pike County18.2
47St. Francois County18.2
49Dallas County18.1
49Scott County18.1
51Barton County18
51Harrison County18
51Putnam County18
54Boone County17.7
54Greene County17.7
54Marion County17.7
57Jackson County17.6
58Dade County17.5
58Polk County17.5
60Laclede County17.4
60Linn County17.4
60Sullivan County17.4
63Buchanan County17.3
64Montgomery County17
65Shelby County16.8
66Saline County16.5
67Cape Girardeau County16.4
68Johnson County16.3
68Lewis County16.3
70Pulaski County16.2
71Jasper County16
71Taney County16
73Howard County15.9
73Worth County15.9
75Scotland County15.8
76Carroll County15.7
77Maries County15.4
78Daviess County15.3
79Pettis County15.1
80Camden County14.9
80Gentry County14.9
82Stone County14.8
83Clark County14.7
83Moniteau County14.7
85Macon County14.6
86Newton County14.5
87Cooper County14.4
88Mercer County14.2
89Bates County14.1
90Monroe County14
91Callaway County13.9
92Holt County13.7
93Chariton County13.3
94Atchison County13
95Caldwell County12.7
96Warren County12.3
97Lafayette County12.2
98Gasconade County12.1
99Cole County11.9
100Ralls County11.5
101Franklin County11.4
102Lincoln County11.3
103Perry County11.1
103Ray County11.1
105Ste. Genevieve County10.9
106Jefferson County10.5
107Christian County10.4
107Clinton County10.4
109St. Louis County10.3
110Osage County9.6
111Andrew County9.5
112Cass County9.2
113Clay County7.8
114Platte County7.6
115St. Charles County6.3

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.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?

Pemiscot County, with 28% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 6.3% in 2015.

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