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 2016, at 30.9%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 5.2%. The median was 16.6% and the figure for Missouri was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.9Pemiscot County
Lowest5.2St. Charles County
Median16.6115 counties
Missouri14History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 30.9 %30.9Texas CountyTexas County: 29.9 %29.9Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 28.4 %28.4Ripley CountyRipley County: 27.7 %27.7Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 27.2 %27.2Shannon CountyShannon County: 26.4 %26.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 26 %26Ozark CountyOzark County: 25.3 %25.3New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 25 %25Oregon CountyOregon County: 24.9 %24.9St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 24.3 %24.3Wright CountyWright County: 24.2 %24.2Adair CountyAdair County: 23.8 %23.8Iron CountyIron County: 22.4 %22.4Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 22.1 %22.1Butler CountyButler County: 22 %22Washington CountyWashington County: 22 %22Barry CountyBarry County: 21.4 %21.4McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 21.4 %21.4Carter CountyCarter County: 21.2 %21.2Henry CountyHenry County: 20.7 %20.7St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 20.7 %20.7Howell CountyHowell County: 20.5 %20.5Cedar CountyCedar County: 19.8 %19.8Dent CountyDent County: 19.8 %19.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 19.8 %19.8Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 19.8 %19.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 19.6 %19.6Phelps CountyPhelps County: 19.6 %19.6Hickory CountyHickory County: 19.3 %19.3Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 19.1 %19.1Knox CountyKnox County: 18.9 %18.9Crawford CountyCrawford County: 18.6 %18.6Dallas CountyDallas County: 18.6 %18.6Scott CountyScott County: 18.4 %18.4Harrison CountyHarrison County: 18.1 %18.1Madison CountyMadison County: 18 %18Pike CountyPike County: 18 %18Benton CountyBenton County: 17.9 %17.9Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 17.8 %17.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Pemiscot County30.9+2.9 pts
2Texas County29.9+6.6 pts
3Mississippi County28.4+1.8 pts
4Ripley County27.7+2.3 pts
5Dunklin County27.2-0.4 pts
6Shannon County26.4+2.5 pts
7Wayne County26+1.7 pts
8Ozark County25.3-2.4 pts
9New Madrid County25+1.1 pts
10Oregon County24.9+0.2 pts
11St. Louis city24.3-1.2 pts
12Wright County24.2+0.1 pts
13Adair County23.8+1.9 pts
14Iron County22.4-0.5 pts
15Reynolds County22.1+0.6 pts
16Butler County22-1.4 pts
16Washington County22+1.3 pts
18Barry County21.4+0.7 pts
18McDonald County21.4+1.3 pts
20Carter County21.2-0.2 pts
21Henry County20.7+1.9 pts
21St. Clair County20.7-1.9 pts
23Howell County20.5+0.6 pts
24Cedar County19.8-0.1 pts
24Dent County19.8-1.7 pts
24Douglas County19.8-3.3 pts
24Schuyler County19.8+1.5 pts
28Morgan County19.6-3.5 pts
28Phelps County19.6+0.5 pts
30Hickory County19.3-4.5 pts
31Stoddard County19.1+0.1 pts
32Knox County18.9+0.2 pts
33Crawford County18.6-0.8 pts
33Dallas County18.6+0.5 pts
35Scott County18.4+0.3 pts
36Harrison County18.1+0.1 pts
37Madison County18-1.3 pts
37Pike County18-0.2 pts
39Benton County17.9-0.8 pts
40Buchanan County17.8+0.5 pts
41Livingston County17.6-1.2 pts
42Dade County17.50 pts
42Jasper County17.5+1.5 pts
42Putnam County17.5-0.5 pts
42Vernon County17.5-1 pts
46Bollinger County17.4-0.9 pts
47Grundy County17.1-2 pts
48Audrain County17-1.7 pts
48Nodaway County17-5.9 pts
48Sullivan County17-0.4 pts
48Taney County17+1 pts
52Daviess County16.9+1.6 pts
52Lewis County16.9+0.6 pts
54Camden County16.8+1.9 pts
54Polk County16.8-0.7 pts
56Webster County16.7-2.5 pts
57Boone County16.6-1.1 pts
57Carroll County16.6+0.9 pts
57Shelby County16.6-0.2 pts
60Greene County16.5-1.2 pts
61Macon County16.3+1.7 pts
61Miller County16.3-2.4 pts
61St. Francois County16.3-1.9 pts
64Barton County16.1-1.9 pts
64Linn County16.1-1.3 pts
64Randolph County16.1-3.9 pts
64Scotland County16.1+0.3 pts
68Howard County15.90 pts
68Saline County15.9-0.6 pts
70DeKalb County15.7-4.3 pts
70Laclede County15.7-1.7 pts
72Montgomery County15.6-1.4 pts
73Clark County15.5+0.8 pts
73Jackson County15.5-2.1 pts
75Monroe County15.4+1.4 pts
76Cape Girardeau County15.2-1.2 pts
76Maries County15.2-0.2 pts
76Pettis County15.2+0.1 pts
79Lawrence County14.9-3.4 pts
80Cooper County14.7+0.3 pts
81Gentry County14.6-0.3 pts
82Marion County14.5-3.2 pts
83Johnson County14.4-1.9 pts
84Newton County14.3-0.2 pts
85Pulaski County14.2-2 pts
85Worth County14.2-1.7 pts
87Holt County14.1+0.4 pts
88Bates County13.8-0.3 pts
89Mercer County13.6-0.6 pts
90Chariton County13.30 pts
91Stone County12.9-1.9 pts
92Atchison County12.8-0.2 pts
93Caldwell County12.70 pts
93Lafayette County12.7+0.5 pts
95Gasconade County12.10 pts
96Warren County11.8-0.5 pts
97Ste. Genevieve County11.7+0.8 pts
98Callaway County11.6-2.3 pts
98Moniteau County11.6-3.1 pts
100Lincoln County11.2-0.1 pts
101Ray County11-0.1 pts
102Cole County10.9-1 pts
102Ralls County10.9-0.6 pts
104Christian County10.7+0.3 pts
104Franklin County10.7-0.7 pts
106Clinton County10.40 pts
107Perry County10.3-0.8 pts
108Jefferson County10.1-0.4 pts
109Andrew County9.7+0.2 pts
110St. Louis County9.2-1.1 pts
111Cass County8.7-0.5 pts
112Osage County8.6-1 pts
113Clay County8.4+0.6 pts
114Platte County6.1-1.5 pts
115St. Charles County5.2-1.1 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.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 30.9% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 5.2% in 2016.

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