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

Counties in Missouri by poverty rate

Mississippi County had the highest poverty rate of 115 counties in 2019, at 27.7%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 15.7% and the figure for Missouri was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.7Mississippi County
Lowest4.6St. Charles County
Median15.7115 counties
Missouri12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 27.7 %27.7Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 26.9 %26.9Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 26.7 %26.7Ozark CountyOzark County: 22.7 %22.7Shannon CountyShannon County: 22.6 %22.6Butler CountyButler County: 22.5 %22.5New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 22.5 %22.5Washington CountyWashington County: 22.4 %22.4Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 21.7 %21.7Texas CountyTexas County: 21 %21Howell CountyHowell County: 20.8 %20.8Iron CountyIron County: 20.8 %20.8Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 20.8 %20.8Oregon CountyOregon County: 20.6 %20.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.6 %20.6St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 20.4 %20.4Carter CountyCarter County: 19.8 %19.8Ripley CountyRipley County: 19.7 %19.7Polk CountyPolk County: 19.6 %19.6Wright CountyWright County: 19.6 %19.6St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 19.3 %19.3Adair CountyAdair County: 19.2 %19.2Dent CountyDent County: 19 %19Linn CountyLinn County: 18.9 %18.9Jasper CountyJasper County: 18.8 %18.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 18.7 %18.7Grundy CountyGrundy County: 18.7 %18.7Barry CountyBarry County: 18.6 %18.6McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 18.5 %18.5Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 18.4 %18.4Hickory CountyHickory County: 18.2 %18.2Cedar CountyCedar County: 17.9 %17.9Scott CountyScott County: 17.9 %17.9Dallas CountyDallas County: 17.8 %17.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 17.8 %17.8Nodaway CountyNodaway County: 17.8 %17.8Daviess CountyDaviess County: 17.6 %17.6Pike CountyPike County: 17.6 %17.6Henry CountyHenry County: 17.3 %17.3Boone CountyBoone County: 17.2 %17.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Mississippi County27.7+0.9 pts
2Pemiscot County26.9-2.2 pts
3Dunklin County26.7+0.6 pts
4Ozark County22.7+0.7 pts
5Shannon County22.60 pts
6Butler County22.5+2 pts
6New Madrid County22.5+4.2 pts
8Washington County22.4+0.7 pts
9Reynolds County21.7+1.4 pts
10Texas County21-3.6 pts
11Howell County20.8-0.5 pts
11Iron County20.8+0.9 pts
11Schuyler County20.8+3.9 pts
14Oregon County20.6-3.2 pts
14Wayne County20.6-2.7 pts
16St. Louis city20.4-2.4 pts
17Carter County19.8-2.8 pts
18Ripley County19.7-3.8 pts
19Polk County19.6+3.4 pts
19Wright County19.6-4.3 pts
21St. Clair County19.3+1.1 pts
22Adair County19.2-4.7 pts
23Dent County19-1.3 pts
24Linn County18.9+2.2 pts
25Jasper County18.8+2.2 pts
26Douglas County18.7-1 pts
26Grundy County18.7+2.1 pts
28Barry County18.6-0.2 pts
29McDonald County18.5+0.6 pts
30Stoddard County18.4+3.6 pts
31Hickory County18.2+0.4 pts
32Cedar County17.90 pts
32Scott County17.9-1.2 pts
34Dallas County17.8+1.2 pts
34Morgan County17.8+1.5 pts
34Nodaway County17.8-2 pts
37Daviess County17.6+2.7 pts
37Pike County17.6+1.7 pts
39Henry County17.3+0.5 pts
40Boone County17.2+0.4 pts
41Vernon County17.1-0.1 pts
42Phelps County17-1.1 pts
42St. Francois County17-2 pts
44Bates County16.9+2.7 pts
45Benton County16.7-3.5 pts
45Knox County16.7+0.1 pts
45Madison County16.7+0.1 pts
48Lewis County16.6+1.2 pts
49Randolph County16.5-1.1 pts
50Audrain County16.3-0.4 pts
51Webster County16.2+2.1 pts
52Lawrence County16.1+0.6 pts
53Dade County15.9-0.9 pts
54Buchanan County15.8+0.2 pts
54Laclede County15.8+0.4 pts
54Shelby County15.8+1.5 pts
57Putnam County15.7+1.3 pts
57Saline County15.7+0.9 pts
59Crawford County15.6-0.3 pts
59Sullivan County15.6+0.3 pts
61Harrison County15.4-0.1 pts
61Stone County15.4+2 pts
63Miller County15.1-1.8 pts
64Barton County15-2.6 pts
64Livingston County15-0.6 pts
66Worth County14.9+0.8 pts
67Cape Girardeau County14.6+0.8 pts
67DeKalb County14.6-1.4 pts
67Pulaski County14.6-0.6 pts
70Bollinger County14.5-1.1 pts
71Greene County14.4-1.1 pts
71Scotland County14.4+0.3 pts
73Maries County14.3+0.4 pts
74Clark County14.2-0.7 pts
75Marion County13.9+0.4 pts
76Carroll County13.8+1.5 pts
77Jackson County13.7+0.7 pts
78Caldwell County13.6-0.8 pts
79Camden County13.5+0.9 pts
80Monroe County13.4-0.2 pts
81Montgomery County13.3-1 pts
82Newton County13.2-2.8 pts
83Howard County13-0.1 pts
84Atchison County12.9+1.1 pts
84Pettis County12.9-3.7 pts
86Mercer County12.7+0.5 pts
87Taney County12.6-2.8 pts
88Chariton County12.5-0.9 pts
88Macon County12.5-1.4 pts
90Cooper County11.8-2.2 pts
90Holt County11.8-1.5 pts
92Callaway County11.6-0.1 pts
92Gasconade County11.6-0.2 pts
94Gentry County11.5-4 pts
95Johnson County11.4-2.7 pts
96Moniteau County11-0.7 pts
97Lafayette County10.7-0.3 pts
98Cole County10.6+1.7 pts
99Christian County10.4+1.8 pts
100Ralls County10+0.9 pts
100Warren County10-0.5 pts
102Clinton County9.9+0.9 pts
103Ste. Genevieve County9.7-0.1 pts
104Lincoln County9.4-1.2 pts
105Franklin County9.3+0.1 pts
105St. Louis County9.3-1.2 pts
107Ray County9.2-0.7 pts
108Clay County9.1+2.1 pts
108Osage County9.1-0.1 pts
108Perry County9.1-1.8 pts
111Andrew County8.9+0.7 pts
112Jefferson County8.4-0.3 pts
113Cass County7.9-0.2 pts
114Platte County5.3-0.5 pts
115St. Charles County4.6-1.1 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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?

Mississippi County, with 27.7% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 4.6% in 2019.

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