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

Counties in North Dakota by poverty rate

Sioux County had the highest poverty rate of 53 counties in 2016, at 35.3%. Mercer County had the lowest, at 6.6%. The median was 10.2% and the figure for North Dakota was 10.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.3Sioux County
Lowest6.6Mercer County
Median10.253 counties
North Dakota10.5History

All counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Sioux CountySioux County: 35.3 %35.3Benson CountyBenson County: 29.4 %29.4Rolette CountyRolette County: 26.7 %26.7Sheridan CountySheridan County: 16.9 %16.9Grant CountyGrant County: 15.6 %15.6Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 14.1 %14.1Emmons CountyEmmons County: 13.9 %13.9Grand Forks CountyGrand Forks County: 13.9 %13.9Pierce CountyPierce County: 13 %13Logan CountyLogan County: 12.7 %12.7Kidder CountyKidder County: 12.6 %12.6McIntosh CountyMcIntosh County: 12.1 %12.1LaMoure CountyLaMoure County: 11.6 %11.6Nelson CountyNelson County: 11.6 %11.6Slope CountySlope County: 11.3 %11.3Stutsman CountyStutsman County: 11.2 %11.2Bottineau CountyBottineau County: 11.1 %11.1Walsh CountyWalsh County: 11 %11Barnes CountyBarnes County: 10.9 %10.9Dickey CountyDickey County: 10.9 %10.9McHenry CountyMcHenry County: 10.9 %10.9Cass CountyCass County: 10.7 %10.7Towner CountyTowner County: 10.7 %10.7Hettinger CountyHettinger County: 10.5 %10.5Wells CountyWells County: 10.5 %10.5Oliver CountyOliver County: 10.3 %10.3Richland CountyRichland County: 10.2 %10.2Eddy CountyEddy County: 10.1 %10.1Divide CountyDivide County: 10 %10Dunn CountyDunn County: 9.8 %9.8Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 9.8 %9.8Cavalier CountyCavalier County: 9.7 %9.7Adams CountyAdams County: 9.6 %9.6Griggs CountyGriggs County: 9.6 %9.6Mountrail CountyMountrail County: 9.5 %9.5McLean CountyMcLean County: 9.2 %9.2Pembina CountyPembina County: 9.1 %9.1Burke CountyBurke County: 9 %9Billings CountyBillings County: 8.9 %8.9Foster CountyFoster County: 8.9 %8.9Morton CountyMorton County: 8.9 %8.9Ward CountyWard County: 8.8 %8.8Traill CountyTraill County: 8.4 %8.4Steele CountySteele County: 8.3 %8.3Bowman CountyBowman County: 8.2 %8.2Renville CountyRenville County: 8.2 %8.2Ransom CountyRansom County: 8.1 %8.1Stark CountyStark County: 8 %8McKenzie CountyMcKenzie County: 7.9 %7.9Sargent CountySargent County: 7.7 %7.7Burleigh CountyBurleigh County: 7.2 %7.2Williams CountyWilliams County: 6.8 %6.8Mercer CountyMercer County: 6.6 %6.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Sioux County35.3-5.1 pts
2Benson County29.4+1.5 pts
3Rolette County26.7+1.2 pts
4Sheridan County16.9-0.7 pts
5Grant County15.60 pts
6Ramsey County14.1+2.1 pts
7Emmons County13.90 pts
7Grand Forks County13.9-0.4 pts
9Pierce County13-3.1 pts
10Logan County12.7+0.9 pts
11Kidder County12.6-1.3 pts
12McIntosh County12.1-0.4 pts
13LaMoure County11.6+0.7 pts
13Nelson County11.60 pts
15Slope County11.3+2.3 pts
16Stutsman County11.2-0.2 pts
17Bottineau County11.1+0.5 pts
18Walsh County11+0.2 pts
19Barnes County10.9-1.5 pts
19Dickey County10.9+0.6 pts
19McHenry County10.9-0.2 pts
22Cass County10.70 pts
22Towner County10.7+0.3 pts
24Hettinger County10.5-0.1 pts
24Wells County10.5+0.1 pts
26Oliver County10.3+0.1 pts
27Richland County10.20 pts
28Eddy County10.1-1.2 pts
29Divide County10+1.4 pts
30Dunn County9.8-0.1 pts
30Golden Valley County9.8-0.4 pts
32Cavalier County9.7+0.3 pts
33Adams County9.6-0.5 pts
33Griggs County9.6-0.4 pts
35Mountrail County9.5-1.7 pts
36McLean County9.2-0.8 pts
37Pembina County9.1+0.3 pts
38Burke County9+0.6 pts
39Billings County8.9+1.8 pts
39Foster County8.9+0.5 pts
39Morton County8.9+1.1 pts
42Ward County8.8+0.4 pts
43Traill County8.4-1.1 pts
44Steele County8.3+0.5 pts
45Bowman County8.2+0.6 pts
45Renville County8.2+0.6 pts
47Ransom County8.1-1 pts
48Stark County8+0.5 pts
49McKenzie County7.9-0.5 pts
50Sargent County7.7-0.1 pts
51Burleigh County7.2-1.8 pts
52Williams County6.8-1 pts
53Mercer County6.6-0.6 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Sioux County, with 35.3% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Mercer County, with 6.6% in 2016.

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 North Dakota: more rankings