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 2020, at 35.3%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 5%. The median was 14.3% and the figure for Missouri was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.3Pemiscot County
Lowest5St. Charles County
Median14.3115 counties
Missouri12.1History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 35.3 %35.3Dallas CountyDallas County: 24.1 %24.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 23.2 %23.2Oregon CountyOregon County: 22 %22Shannon CountyShannon County: 21.8 %21.8Ripley CountyRipley County: 21.3 %21.3Butler CountyButler County: 21.2 %21.2St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 20.8 %20.8Carter CountyCarter County: 20.3 %20.3Ozark CountyOzark County: 20.3 %20.3Texas CountyTexas County: 20.3 %20.3Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 20.2 %20.2Hickory CountyHickory County: 19.6 %19.6Iron CountyIron County: 19.5 %19.5Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 19.4 %19.4Washington CountyWashington County: 19.4 %19.4Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 19.1 %19.1New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 18.9 %18.9St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 18.7 %18.7Cedar CountyCedar County: 18.5 %18.5Howell CountyHowell County: 18.4 %18.4Wright CountyWright County: 18.3 %18.3Adair CountyAdair County: 17.9 %17.9Audrain CountyAudrain County: 17.8 %17.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 17.8 %17.8Harrison CountyHarrison County: 17.8 %17.8McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 17.6 %17.6Phelps CountyPhelps County: 17.5 %17.5Benton CountyBenton County: 16.8 %16.8Stoddard CountyStoddard County: 16.8 %16.8Barton CountyBarton County: 16.6 %16.6Bollinger CountyBollinger County: 16.3 %16.3Crawford CountyCrawford County: 16.3 %16.3Laclede CountyLaclede County: 16.3 %16.3Madison CountyMadison County: 16.3 %16.3St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 16.2 %16.2Barry CountyBarry County: 16 %16Polk CountyPolk County: 15.6 %15.6Sullivan CountySullivan County: 15.6 %15.6Taney CountyTaney County: 15.6 %15.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Pemiscot County35.3+8.4 pts
2Dallas County24.1+6.3 pts
3Wayne County23.2+2.6 pts
4Oregon County22+1.4 pts
5Shannon County21.8-0.8 pts
6Ripley County21.3+1.6 pts
7Butler County21.2-1.3 pts
8St. Louis city20.8+0.4 pts
9Carter County20.3+0.5 pts
9Ozark County20.3-2.4 pts
9Texas County20.3-0.7 pts
12Dunklin County20.2-6.5 pts
13Hickory County19.6+1.4 pts
14Iron County19.5-1.3 pts
15Reynolds County19.4-2.3 pts
15Washington County19.4-3 pts
17Mississippi County19.1-8.6 pts
18New Madrid County18.9-3.6 pts
19St. Clair County18.7-0.6 pts
20Cedar County18.5+0.6 pts
21Howell County18.4-2.4 pts
22Wright County18.3-1.3 pts
23Adair County17.9-1.3 pts
24Audrain County17.8+1.5 pts
24Douglas County17.8-0.9 pts
24Harrison County17.8+2.4 pts
27McDonald County17.6-0.9 pts
28Phelps County17.5+0.5 pts
29Benton County16.8+0.1 pts
29Stoddard County16.8-1.6 pts
31Barton County16.6+1.6 pts
32Bollinger County16.3+1.8 pts
32Crawford County16.3+0.7 pts
32Laclede County16.3+0.5 pts
32Madison County16.3-0.4 pts
36St. Francois County16.2-0.8 pts
37Barry County16-2.6 pts
38Polk County15.6-4 pts
38Sullivan County15.60 pts
38Taney County15.6+3 pts
41Pettis County15.5+2.6 pts
42Jasper County15.2-3.6 pts
42Lawrence County15.2-0.9 pts
42Nodaway County15.2-2.6 pts
42Putnam County15.2-0.5 pts
42Schuyler County15.2-5.6 pts
47Dent County15.1-3.9 pts
47Grundy County15.1-3.6 pts
49Morgan County15-2.8 pts
49Vernon County15-2.1 pts
49Webster County15-1.2 pts
52Pike County14.9-2.7 pts
53Bates County14.8-2.1 pts
54Linn County14.7-4.2 pts
55Scott County14.6-3.3 pts
55Shelby County14.6-1.2 pts
57Lewis County14.4-2.2 pts
58Greene County14.3-0.1 pts
58Marion County14.3+0.4 pts
58Scotland County14.3-0.1 pts
61Knox County14.2-2.5 pts
61Stone County14.2-1.2 pts
63Dade County14.1-1.8 pts
63Daviess County14.1-3.5 pts
65Camden County14+0.5 pts
66Miller County13.9-1.2 pts
66Newton County13.9+0.7 pts
68Worth County13.8-1.1 pts
69Cooper County13.6+1.8 pts
69Henry County13.6-3.7 pts
69Mercer County13.6+0.9 pts
72Carroll County13.4-0.4 pts
73Buchanan County13.1-2.7 pts
73Saline County13.1-2.6 pts
75Gentry County13+1.5 pts
75Macon County13+0.5 pts
75Monroe County13-0.4 pts
75Montgomery County13-0.3 pts
79Maries County12.9-1.4 pts
80Boone County12.8-4.4 pts
80DeKalb County12.8-1.8 pts
80Livingston County12.8-2.2 pts
83Howard County12.7-0.3 pts
84Pulaski County12.5-2.1 pts
85Caldwell County12.4-1.2 pts
85Jackson County12.4-1.3 pts
87Clark County12.3-1.9 pts
88Holt County12.2+0.4 pts
89Randolph County12.1-4.4 pts
90Atchison County12-0.9 pts
90Chariton County12-0.5 pts
92Cape Girardeau County11.9-2.7 pts
93Perry County11.7+2.6 pts
94Moniteau County11.6+0.6 pts
95Callaway County11.4-0.2 pts
95Ralls County11.4+1.4 pts
97Gasconade County11.2-0.4 pts
98Johnson County10.8-0.6 pts
99Lafayette County10.4-0.3 pts
100Ray County10+0.8 pts
101Clinton County9.5-0.4 pts
102Lincoln County9.40 pts
103Cole County9.3-1.3 pts
104Andrew County9.1+0.2 pts
104Franklin County9.1-0.2 pts
104St. Louis County9.1-0.2 pts
107Ste. Genevieve County9-0.7 pts
107Warren County9-1 pts
109Jefferson County8.9+0.5 pts
110Christian County8.8-1.6 pts
111Osage County8.5-0.6 pts
112Clay County7.7-1.4 pts
113Cass County6.8-1.1 pts
114Platte County5.4+0.1 pts
115St. Charles County5+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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 35.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 5% in 2020.

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