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

Counties in Missouri by poverty rate

Shannon County had the highest poverty rate of 115 counties in 2017, at 35.9%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 5.3%. The median was 15.6% and the figure for Missouri was 13.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.9Shannon County
Lowest5.3St. Charles County
Median15.6115 counties
Missouri13.4History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Shannon CountyShannon County: 35.9 %35.9Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 28.5 %28.5Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 26.4 %26.4Adair CountyAdair County: 25.6 %25.6New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 25.4 %25.4Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 24.6 %24.6Oregon CountyOregon County: 24.3 %24.3Wright CountyWright County: 24.3 %24.3Ripley CountyRipley County: 23.9 %23.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.9 %22.9Washington CountyWashington County: 22.8 %22.8Butler CountyButler County: 22.7 %22.7Iron CountyIron County: 22.6 %22.6Howell CountyHowell County: 22.3 %22.3Ozark CountyOzark County: 21.5 %21.5St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 21.4 %21.4Texas CountyTexas County: 21.2 %21.2Carter CountyCarter County: 20.9 %20.9Douglas CountyDouglas County: 20.4 %20.4Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 20.4 %20.4St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 20.4 %20.4Dent CountyDent County: 20.2 %20.2Scott CountyScott County: 20.2 %20.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 19.7 %19.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 19.4 %19.4Hickory CountyHickory County: 19.3 %19.3McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 19.1 %19.1Knox CountyKnox County: 18.6 %18.6Madison CountyMadison County: 18.6 %18.6Dallas CountyDallas County: 18.5 %18.5Phelps CountyPhelps County: 18.4 %18.4Grundy CountyGrundy County: 17.9 %17.9St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 17.7 %17.7Audrain CountyAudrain County: 17.2 %17.2Benton CountyBenton County: 17.2 %17.2Cedar CountyCedar County: 17.2 %17.2Marion CountyMarion County: 17.2 %17.2Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 17.1 %17.1Nodaway CountyNodaway County: 17 %17Randolph CountyRandolph County: 16.9 %16.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Shannon County35.9+9.5 pts
2Mississippi County28.5+0.1 pts
3Pemiscot County26.4-4.5 pts
4Adair County25.6+1.8 pts
5New Madrid County25.4+0.4 pts
6Dunklin County24.6-2.6 pts
7Oregon County24.3-0.6 pts
7Wright County24.3+0.1 pts
9Ripley County23.9-3.8 pts
10Wayne County22.9-3.1 pts
11Washington County22.8+0.8 pts
12Butler County22.7+0.7 pts
13Iron County22.6+0.2 pts
14Howell County22.3+1.8 pts
15Ozark County21.5-3.8 pts
16St. Louis city21.4-2.9 pts
17Texas County21.2-8.7 pts
18Carter County20.9-0.3 pts
19Douglas County20.4+0.6 pts
19Reynolds County20.4-1.7 pts
19St. Clair County20.4-0.3 pts
22Dent County20.2+0.4 pts
22Scott County20.2+1.8 pts
24Morgan County19.7+0.1 pts
25Crawford County19.4+0.8 pts
26Hickory County19.30 pts
27McDonald County19.1-2.3 pts
28Knox County18.6-0.3 pts
28Madison County18.6+0.6 pts
30Dallas County18.5-0.1 pts
31Phelps County18.4-1.2 pts
32Grundy County17.9+0.8 pts
33St. Francois County17.7+1.4 pts
34Audrain County17.2+0.2 pts
34Benton County17.2-0.7 pts
34Cedar County17.2-2.6 pts
34Marion County17.2+2.7 pts
38Stoddard County17.1-2 pts
39Nodaway County170 pts
40Randolph County16.9+0.8 pts
41Jasper County16.8-0.7 pts
42Harrison County16.7-1.4 pts
43Dade County16.6-0.9 pts
44Putnam County16.5-1 pts
45Pike County16.4-1.6 pts
46Livingston County16.3-1.3 pts
47Greene County16.2-0.3 pts
48Barry County16.1-5.3 pts
48Henry County16.1-4.6 pts
48Sullivan County16.1-0.9 pts
51Clark County16+0.5 pts
51Lawrence County16+1.1 pts
51Lewis County16-0.9 pts
51Pettis County16+0.8 pts
55Schuyler County15.9-3.9 pts
56Shelby County15.7-0.9 pts
57Buchanan County15.6-2.2 pts
57Laclede County15.6-0.1 pts
57Saline County15.6-0.3 pts
57Scotland County15.6-0.5 pts
57Vernon County15.6-1.9 pts
62DeKalb County15.5-0.2 pts
62Stone County15.5+2.6 pts
62Webster County15.5-1.2 pts
65Montgomery County15.2-0.4 pts
66Boone County15.1-1.5 pts
66Polk County15.1-1.7 pts
68Miller County15-1.3 pts
69Bollinger County14.8-2.6 pts
69Worth County14.8+0.6 pts
71Barton County14.7-1.4 pts
72Cape Girardeau County14.6-0.6 pts
73Mercer County14.5+0.9 pts
74Bates County14.4+0.6 pts
75Gentry County14-0.6 pts
76Caldwell County13.9+1.2 pts
76Carroll County13.9-2.7 pts
76Holt County13.9-0.2 pts
76Maries County13.9-1.3 pts
80Daviess County13.8-3.1 pts
80Jackson County13.8-1.7 pts
80Taney County13.8-3.2 pts
83Camden County13.6-3.2 pts
84Linn County13.5-2.6 pts
84Monroe County13.5-1.9 pts
86Howard County13.3-2.6 pts
87Newton County13.2-1.1 pts
88Pulaski County13-1.2 pts
89Johnson County12.8-1.6 pts
90Chariton County12.7-0.6 pts
91Macon County12.6-3.7 pts
92Lafayette County12.5-0.2 pts
93Callaway County12.3+0.7 pts
94Moniteau County12+0.4 pts
95Atchison County11.9-0.9 pts
95Gasconade County11.9-0.2 pts
97Cole County11.7+0.8 pts
98Cooper County11.5-3.2 pts
99Clinton County11.1+0.7 pts
100Ste. Genevieve County10.8-0.9 pts
101Jefferson County10.7+0.6 pts
102Franklin County10.4-0.3 pts
103Ray County10.3-0.7 pts
104Warren County10.1-1.7 pts
105St. Louis County10+0.8 pts
106Christian County9.9-0.8 pts
107Lincoln County9.8-1.4 pts
108Perry County9.7-0.6 pts
109Ralls County9.6-1.3 pts
110Cass County9.2+0.5 pts
110Osage County9.2+0.6 pts
112Andrew County8-1.7 pts
113Clay County7.4-1 pts
114Platte County6.2+0.1 pts
115St. Charles County5.3+0.1 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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?

Shannon County, with 35.9% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 5.3% in 2017.

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