Counties in New York by poverty rate

Bronx County had the highest poverty rate of 62 counties in 2019, at 26.2%. Putnam County had the lowest, at 5.2%. The median was 13% and the figure for New York was 13.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.2Bronx County
Lowest5.2Putnam County
Median1362 counties
New York13.1History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Bronx CountyBronx County: 26.2 %26.2St. Lawrence CountySt. Lawrence County: 18.9 %18.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 18.1 %18.1Allegany CountyAllegany County: 17.9 %17.9Broome CountyBroome County: 17.8 %17.8Kings CountyKings County: 17.7 %17.7Cortland CountyCortland County: 17.3 %17.3Tompkins CountyTompkins County: 16.9 %16.9Fulton CountyFulton County: 16.4 %16.4Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County: 16.3 %16.3Otsego CountyOtsego County: 16.2 %16.2Sullivan CountySullivan County: 16.1 %16.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 15.9 %15.9Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 15.7 %15.7Oswego CountyOswego County: 15.6 %15.6Steuben CountySteuben County: 15 %15Clinton CountyClinton County: 14.8 %14.8Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County: 14.7 %14.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.6 %14.6Oneida CountyOneida County: 14.6 %14.6Chemung CountyChemung County: 14.1 %14.1New York CountyNew York County: 14.1 %14.1Yates CountyYates County: 13.9 %13.9Cayuga CountyCayuga County: 13.8 %13.8Livingston CountyLivingston County: 13.8 %13.8Onondaga CountyOnondaga County: 13.8 %13.8Chenango CountyChenango County: 13.7 %13.7Herkimer CountyHerkimer County: 13.7 %13.7Seneca CountySeneca County: 13.7 %13.7Erie CountyErie County: 13.3 %13.3Orleans CountyOrleans County: 13.2 %13.2Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.7 %12.7Delaware CountyDelaware County: 12.6 %12.6Greene CountyGreene County: 12.6 %12.6Rockland CountyRockland County: 12.5 %12.5Essex CountyEssex County: 12.4 %12.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 12.4 %12.4Niagara CountyNiagara County: 12.4 %12.4Orange CountyOrange County: 12.3 %12.3Schenectady CountySchenectady County: 12.1 %12.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Bronx County26.2-1.1 pts
2St. Lawrence County18.9+3.8 pts
3Franklin County18.1+1.4 pts
4Allegany County17.9+0.9 pts
5Broome County17.8+0.5 pts
6Kings County17.7-1.2 pts
7Cortland County17.3+0.4 pts
8Tompkins County16.9+0.1 pts
9Fulton County16.4+3.4 pts
10Chautauqua County16.3-2 pts
11Otsego County16.2+3.7 pts
12Sullivan County16.1-0.1 pts
13Montgomery County15.9+0.1 pts
14Schuyler County15.7+2.2 pts
15Oswego County15.6-0.5 pts
16Steuben County15+2.2 pts
17Clinton County14.8+1.6 pts
18Cattaraugus County14.7-2.4 pts
19Jefferson County14.6+2.3 pts
19Oneida County14.6-0.2 pts
21Chemung County14.1+0.6 pts
21New York County14.1-1.5 pts
23Yates County13.9+1.2 pts
24Cayuga County13.8+0.8 pts
24Livingston County13.8+1.3 pts
24Onondaga County13.8+0.1 pts
27Chenango County13.7-1.4 pts
27Herkimer County13.7+0.2 pts
27Seneca County13.7+1.1 pts
30Erie County13.3-0.4 pts
31Orleans County13.2+0.6 pts
32Monroe County12.7-1.7 pts
33Delaware County12.6-3.3 pts
33Greene County12.6-0.4 pts
35Rockland County12.5-1.4 pts
36Essex County12.4+0.7 pts
36Lewis County12.4+0.2 pts
36Niagara County12.4-0.6 pts
39Orange County12.3+0.8 pts
40Schenectady County12.1+0.8 pts
40Schoharie County12.1+0.3 pts
42Ulster County12-2.3 pts
43Washington County11.9+0.5 pts
44Albany County11.7+0.4 pts
45Rensselaer County11.5+0.4 pts
46Wayne County11.4+1.8 pts
47Queens County11-0.6 pts
48Genesee County10.5+0.6 pts
49Columbia County10.1-1.6 pts
49Warren County10.1-0.7 pts
51Wyoming County9.90 pts
52Hamilton County9.8+0.7 pts
52Madison County9.8-1 pts
54Tioga County9.4-0.8 pts
55Richmond County9.1-2.6 pts
56Dutchess County8.6-0.6 pts
57Westchester County8.4+0.1 pts
58Ontario County8.1-0.4 pts
59Suffolk County6.8-0.5 pts
60Saratoga County6-0.3 pts
61Nassau County5.6-0.2 pts
62Putnam County5.2-0.8 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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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Bronx County, with 26.2% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Putnam County, with 5.2% 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 New York: more rankings