Counties in New York by poverty rate

Bronx County had the highest poverty rate of 62 counties in 2018, at 27.3%. Nassau County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for New York was 13.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.3Bronx County
Lowest5.8Nassau County
Median12.862 counties
New York13.7History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Bronx CountyBronx County: 27.3 %27.3Kings CountyKings County: 18.9 %18.9Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 18.3 %18.3Broome CountyBroome County: 17.3 %17.3Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 17.1 %17.1Allegany CountyAllegany County: 17 %17Cortland CountyCortland County: 16.9 %16.9Tompkins CountyTompkins County: 16.8 %16.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 16.7 %16.7Sullivan CountySullivan County: 16.2 %16.2Oswego CountyOswego County: 16.1 %16.1Delaware CountyDelaware County: 15.9 %15.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 15.8 %15.8New York CountyNew York County: 15.6 %15.6Chenango CountyChenango County: 15.1 %15.1St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 15.1 %15.1Oneida CountyOneida County: 14.8 %14.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 14.4 %14.4Ulster CountyUlster County: 14.3 %14.3Rockland CountyRockland County: 13.9 %13.9Erie CountyErie County: 13.7 %13.7Onondaga CountyOnondaga County: 13.7 %13.7Chemung CountyChemung County: 13.5 %13.5Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 13.5 %13.5Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 13.5 %13.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.2 %13.2Cayuga CountyCayuga County: 13 %13Fulton CountyFulton County: 13 %13Greene CountyGreene County: 13 %13Niagara CountyNiagara County: 13 %13Steuben CountySteuben County: 12.8 %12.8Yates CountyYates County: 12.7 %12.7Orleans CountyOrleans County: 12.6 %12.6Seneca CountySeneca County: 12.6 %12.6Livingston CountyLivingston County: 12.5 %12.5Otsego CountyOtsego County: 12.5 %12.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 12.3 %12.3Lewis CountyLewis County: 12.2 %12.2Schoharie CountySchoharie County: 11.8 %11.8Columbia CountyColumbia County: 11.7 %11.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Bronx County27.3-0.6 pts
2Kings County18.9-0.9 pts
3Chautauqua County18.3+0.6 pts
4Broome County17.3-0.2 pts
5Cattaraugus County17.1+1.3 pts
6Allegany County17+0.7 pts
7Cortland County16.9+1.2 pts
8Tompkins County16.8-1.8 pts
9Franklin County16.7-2.2 pts
10Sullivan County16.2+1.3 pts
11Oswego County16.1-0.2 pts
12Delaware County15.9-2 pts
13Montgomery County15.8-2 pts
14New York County15.6-0.7 pts
15Chenango County15.1+2.5 pts
15St. Lawrence County15.1-3.8 pts
17Oneida County14.8-1.3 pts
18Monroe County14.4-0.2 pts
19Ulster County14.3+0.6 pts
20Rockland County13.9+0.6 pts
21Erie County13.7-0.8 pts
21Onondaga County13.70 pts
23Chemung County13.5-1.8 pts
23Herkimer County13.5-0.8 pts
23Schuyler County13.5-0.4 pts
26Clinton County13.2-0.5 pts
27Cayuga County13+0.4 pts
27Fulton County13-2.9 pts
27Greene County13+0.3 pts
27Niagara County13+0.6 pts
31Steuben County12.80 pts
32Yates County12.7-1.2 pts
33Orleans County12.6-2.6 pts
33Seneca County12.6+0.6 pts
35Livingston County12.5+0.5 pts
35Otsego County12.5-0.6 pts
37Jefferson County12.3-2.8 pts
38Lewis County12.2-0.3 pts
39Schoharie County11.8-2.1 pts
40Columbia County11.7+1.2 pts
40Essex County11.7+1.1 pts
40Richmond County11.7-0.2 pts
43Queens County11.6-0.6 pts
44Orange County11.5+0.6 pts
45Washington County11.4-0.3 pts
46Albany County11.30 pts
46Schenectady County11.3-1.5 pts
48Rensselaer County11.1-0.4 pts
49Madison County10.80 pts
49Warren County10.8+1.1 pts
51Tioga County10.2+0.3 pts
52Genesee County9.9-0.9 pts
52Wyoming County9.9-1.3 pts
54Wayne County9.6-2.5 pts
55Dutchess County9.2-0.9 pts
56Hamilton County9.1-0.7 pts
57Ontario County8.5-0.8 pts
58Westchester County8.3-0.2 pts
59Suffolk County7.3+0.3 pts
60Saratoga County6.3-0.3 pts
61Putnam County6+0.6 pts
62Nassau County5.8-0.4 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 New York by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Bronx County, with 27.3% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Nassau County, with 5.8% 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 New York: more rankings