Counties in Missouri by poverty rate

Pemiscot County had the highest poverty rate of 115 counties in 2023, at 27.4%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 5.5%. The median was 14.5% and the figure for Missouri was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.4Pemiscot County
Median14.5115 counties
Missouri12History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Pemiscot CountyPemiscot County: 27.4 %27.4Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 23 %23Shannon CountyShannon County: 22.9 %22.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.4 %22.4Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 20.5 %20.5Ripley CountyRipley County: 20.5 %20.5Texas CountyTexas County: 20.3 %20.3Ozark CountyOzark County: 20.2 %20.2St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 20.1 %20.1New Madrid CountyNew Madrid County: 19.9 %19.9Reynolds CountyReynolds County: 19.8 %19.8Washington CountyWashington County: 19.7 %19.7Carter CountyCarter County: 19.4 %19.4Iron CountyIron County: 19 %19Oregon CountyOregon County: 18.9 %18.9Butler CountyButler County: 18.6 %18.6Adair CountyAdair County: 18.2 %18.2McDonald CountyMcDonald County: 18.2 %18.2St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 18.2 %18.2Benton CountyBenton County: 18.1 %18.1Saline CountySaline County: 17.6 %17.6Dent CountyDent County: 17.5 %17.5Hickory CountyHickory County: 17.5 %17.5Wright CountyWright County: 17.5 %17.5Laclede CountyLaclede County: 17 %17Vernon CountyVernon County: 16.9 %16.9Howell CountyHowell County: 16.7 %16.7Knox CountyKnox County: 16.6 %16.6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 16.3 %16.3Henry CountyHenry County: 16.3 %16.3Harrison CountyHarrison County: 16.2 %16.2Grundy CountyGrundy County: 16 %16Madison CountyMadison County: 16 %16Dallas CountyDallas County: 15.9 %15.9Phelps CountyPhelps County: 15.8 %15.8Barry CountyBarry County: 15.5 %15.5Barton CountyBarton County: 15.5 %15.5Jasper CountyJasper County: 15.5 %15.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 15.3 %15.3Linn CountyLinn County: 15.3 %15.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Pemiscot County27.4-2.6 pts
2Dunklin County23-2.9 pts
3Shannon County22.9+1.5 pts
4Wayne County22.4-3 pts
5Mississippi County20.5-4.3 pts
5Ripley County20.5-1.7 pts
7Texas County20.3+1 pts
8Ozark County20.2-0.9 pts
9St. Louis city20.1-1.2 pts
10New Madrid County19.9+2.6 pts
11Reynolds County19.8-2 pts
12Washington County19.7+0.1 pts
13Carter County19.4-0.1 pts
14Iron County19-0.2 pts
15Oregon County18.9-1.9 pts
16Butler County18.6-1 pts
17Adair County18.2-10 pts
17McDonald County18.2+2.4 pts
17St. Clair County18.2-1.6 pts
20Benton County18.1+3.4 pts
21Saline County17.6+2.3 pts
22Dent County17.5-0.4 pts
22Hickory County17.5-3.3 pts
22Wright County17.5-5.4 pts
25Laclede County17+2 pts
26Vernon County16.9-0.7 pts
27Howell County16.7-2.5 pts
28Knox County16.6+1 pts
29Douglas County16.3-2.2 pts
29Henry County16.3+2.3 pts
31Harrison County16.2-0.2 pts
32Grundy County16-2 pts
32Madison County16-2.1 pts
34Dallas County15.90 pts
35Phelps County15.8+0.1 pts
36Barry County15.5-1.1 pts
36Barton County15.5+0.3 pts
36Jasper County15.5-2.6 pts
39Lewis County15.3+1.7 pts
39Linn County15.3+1.8 pts
39Putnam County15.3-1.1 pts
39Shelby County15.3+0.1 pts
39St. Francois County15.3-3.6 pts
44Audrain County15.1-2.6 pts
44Buchanan County15.1-2.5 pts
44Nodaway County15.1-2.3 pts
44Scott County15.1-1.7 pts
48Cedar County15-1.4 pts
49Lawrence County14.9+1.6 pts
49Morgan County14.9-4.4 pts
51Crawford County14.7-0.6 pts
51Montgomery County14.7-0.2 pts
53Bollinger County14.6+2.7 pts
53Pike County14.6-0.4 pts
53Polk County14.6-3.1 pts
56Clark County14.5+1.5 pts
56Gentry County14.5-0.3 pts
56Schuyler County14.5-0.7 pts
59Boone County14.4-2.3 pts
59Miller County14.4+1.8 pts
61Dade County14.2-4.2 pts
62Greene County14.1-0.9 pts
63Pettis County14+0.9 pts
64Bates County13.9-2.6 pts
64Livingston County13.9-0.6 pts
66Randolph County13.8-3 pts
67Stoddard County13.7-1.4 pts
68Johnson County13.60 pts
68Taney County13.6+0.1 pts
70Worth County13.4-3 pts
71Scotland County13.1+1.5 pts
72Callaway County13+2.4 pts
72Newton County13-1.8 pts
74Carroll County12.9-1.4 pts
74Sullivan County12.9-2.7 pts
74Webster County12.9-2.8 pts
77Daviess County12.8-2.5 pts
77Mercer County12.8-2.3 pts
79Cape Girardeau County12.6-1.4 pts
80Macon County12.5-1.5 pts
81Marion County12.40 pts
82Monroe County12.3-1.4 pts
82Stone County12.3-0.6 pts
84Holt County12.2+0.3 pts
85Howard County12-3.6 pts
85Jackson County12-3 pts
87Maries County11.8-3.7 pts
88DeKalb County11.6-1.1 pts
89Caldwell County11.5-1 pts
90Pulaski County11.4-0.9 pts
91Atchison County11.3-1.1 pts
92Lafayette County11.2+0.2 pts
93Camden County10.9-1.6 pts
94Gasconade County10.5-3.5 pts
94Osage County10.5+2.2 pts
96Chariton County10.4-2.7 pts
97Cooper County10.2-0.9 pts
97Moniteau County10.2-1.2 pts
99Perry County10-1.5 pts
99Ralls County10+0.6 pts
101Ray County9.9-2.7 pts
102Franklin County9.8+1 pts
103Clinton County9.7-3 pts
103St. Louis County9.7-0.8 pts
105Ste. Genevieve County9.6-0.5 pts
106Cole County9.4-0.4 pts
107Jefferson County9.2+0.2 pts
108Warren County8.6+0.3 pts
109Andrew County8.4+0.4 pts
109Lincoln County8.4-1.5 pts
111Clay County7.8+0.1 pts
112Christian County7.4-1 pts
113Cass County7-1.2 pts
114Platte County6.1-2.2 pts
115St. Charles County5.5+0.3 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Missouri by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Missouri","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate&level=province&within=Missouri&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Pemiscot County, with 27.4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Charles County, with 5.5% in 2023.

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