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 2018, at 29.1%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 5.7%. The median was 15.5% and the figure for Missouri was 13.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29.1Pemiscot County
Lowest5.7St. Charles County
Median15.5115 counties
Missouri13.2History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 29.1 %29.1Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 26.8 %26.8Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 26.1 %26.1Texas CountyTexas County: 24.6 %24.6Adair CountyAdair County: 23.9 %23.9Wright CountyWright County: 23.9 %23.9Oregon CountyOregon County: 23.8 %23.8Ripley CountyRipley County: 23.5 %23.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 23.3 %23.3St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 22.8 %22.8Carter CountyCarter County: 22.6 %22.6Shannon CountyShannon County: 22.6 %22.6Ozark CountyOzark County: 22 %22Washington CountyWashington County: 21.7 %21.7Howell CountyHowell County: 21.3 %21.3Butler CountyButler County: 20.5 %20.5Dent CountyDent County: 20.3 %20.3Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 20.3 %20.3Benton CountyBenton County: 20.2 %20.2Iron CountyIron County: 19.9 %19.9Nodaway CountyNodaway County: 19.8 %19.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 19.7 %19.7Scott CountyScott County: 19.1 %19.1St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 19 %19Barry CountyBarry County: 18.8 %18.8New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 18.3 %18.3St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 18.2 %18.2Phelps CountyPhelps County: 18.1 %18.1Cedar CountyCedar County: 17.9 %17.9McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 17.9 %17.9Hickory CountyHickory County: 17.8 %17.8Barton CountyBarton County: 17.6 %17.6Randolph CountyRandolph County: 17.6 %17.6Vernon CountyVernon County: 17.2 %17.2Miller CountyMiller County: 16.9 %16.9Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 16.9 %16.9Boone CountyBoone County: 16.8 %16.8Dade CountyDade County: 16.8 %16.8Henry CountyHenry County: 16.8 %16.8Audrain CountyAudrain County: 16.7 %16.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Pemiscot County29.1+2.7 pts
2Mississippi County26.8-1.7 pts
3Dunklin County26.1+1.5 pts
4Texas County24.6+3.4 pts
5Adair County23.9-1.7 pts
5Wright County23.9-0.4 pts
7Oregon County23.8-0.5 pts
8Ripley County23.5-0.4 pts
9Wayne County23.3+0.4 pts
10St. Louis city22.8+1.4 pts
11Carter County22.6+1.7 pts
11Shannon County22.6-13.3 pts
13Ozark County22+0.5 pts
14Washington County21.7-1.1 pts
15Howell County21.3-1 pts
16Butler County20.5-2.2 pts
17Dent County20.3+0.1 pts
17Reynolds County20.3-0.1 pts
19Benton County20.2+3 pts
20Iron County19.9-2.7 pts
21Nodaway County19.8+2.8 pts
22Douglas County19.7-0.7 pts
23Scott County19.1-1.1 pts
24St. Francois County19+1.3 pts
25Barry County18.8+2.7 pts
26New Madrid County18.3-7.1 pts
27St. Clair County18.2-2.2 pts
28Phelps County18.1-0.3 pts
29Cedar County17.9+0.7 pts
29McDonald County17.9-1.2 pts
31Hickory County17.8-1.5 pts
32Barton County17.6+2.9 pts
32Randolph County17.6+0.7 pts
34Vernon County17.2+1.6 pts
35Miller County16.9+1.9 pts
35Schuyler County16.9+1 pts
37Boone County16.8+1.7 pts
37Dade County16.8+0.2 pts
37Henry County16.8+0.7 pts
40Audrain County16.7-0.5 pts
40Linn County16.7+3.2 pts
42Dallas County16.6-1.9 pts
42Grundy County16.6-1.3 pts
42Jasper County16.6-0.2 pts
42Knox County16.6-2 pts
42Madison County16.6-2 pts
42Pettis County16.6+0.6 pts
48Morgan County16.3-3.4 pts
49Polk County16.2+1.1 pts
50DeKalb County16+0.5 pts
50Newton County16+2.8 pts
52Crawford County15.9-3.5 pts
52Pike County15.9-0.5 pts
54Bollinger County15.6+0.8 pts
54Buchanan County15.60 pts
54Livingston County15.6-0.7 pts
57Gentry County15.5+1.5 pts
57Greene County15.5-0.7 pts
57Harrison County15.5-1.2 pts
57Lawrence County15.5-0.5 pts
61Laclede County15.4-0.2 pts
61Lewis County15.4-0.6 pts
61Taney County15.4+1.6 pts
64Sullivan County15.3-0.8 pts
65Pulaski County15.2+2.2 pts
66Clark County14.9-1.1 pts
66Daviess County14.9+1.1 pts
68Saline County14.8-0.8 pts
68Stoddard County14.8-2.3 pts
70Caldwell County14.4+0.5 pts
70Putnam County14.4-2.1 pts
72Montgomery County14.3-0.9 pts
72Shelby County14.3-1.4 pts
74Bates County14.2-0.2 pts
75Johnson County14.1+1.3 pts
75Scotland County14.1-1.5 pts
75Webster County14.1-1.4 pts
75Worth County14.1-0.7 pts
79Cooper County14+2.5 pts
80Macon County13.9+1.3 pts
80Maries County13.90 pts
82Cape Girardeau County13.8-0.8 pts
83Monroe County13.6+0.1 pts
84Marion County13.5-3.7 pts
85Chariton County13.4+0.7 pts
85Stone County13.4-2.1 pts
87Holt County13.3-0.6 pts
88Howard County13.1-0.2 pts
89Jackson County13-0.8 pts
90Camden County12.6-1 pts
91Carroll County12.3-1.6 pts
92Mercer County12.2-2.3 pts
93Atchison County11.8-0.1 pts
93Gasconade County11.8-0.1 pts
95Callaway County11.7-0.6 pts
95Moniteau County11.7-0.3 pts
97Lafayette County11-1.5 pts
98Perry County10.9+1.2 pts
99Lincoln County10.6+0.8 pts
100St. Louis County10.5+0.5 pts
100Warren County10.5+0.4 pts
102Ray County9.9-0.4 pts
103Ste. Genevieve County9.8-1 pts
104Franklin County9.2-1.2 pts
104Osage County9.20 pts
106Ralls County9.1-0.5 pts
107Clinton County9-2.1 pts
108Cole County8.9-2.8 pts
109Jefferson County8.7-2 pts
110Christian County8.6-1.3 pts
111Andrew County8.2+0.2 pts
112Cass County8.1-1.1 pts
113Clay County7-0.4 pts
114Platte County5.8-0.4 pts
115St. Charles County5.7+0.4 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 29.1% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 5.7% in 2018.

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