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 2017, at 35.9%. Mercer County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 10% and the figure for North Dakota was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.9Sioux County
Lowest6.2Mercer County
Median1053 counties
North Dakota10.2History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Sioux CountySioux County: 35.9 %35.9Benson CountyBenson County: 28.4 %28.4Rolette CountyRolette County: 27.1 %27.1Sheridan CountySheridan County: 16.3 %16.3Grant CountyGrant County: 15.3 %15.3Grand Forks CountyGrand Forks County: 14.8 %14.8Emmons CountyEmmons County: 13.9 %13.9Kidder CountyKidder County: 13.1 %13.1Logan CountyLogan County: 13.1 %13.1Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 12.3 %12.3Slope CountySlope County: 12.1 %12.1McIntosh CountyMcIntosh County: 12 %12Hettinger CountyHettinger County: 11.8 %11.8Pierce CountyPierce County: 11.8 %11.8McHenry CountyMcHenry County: 11.1 %11.1Nelson CountyNelson County: 10.9 %10.9Wells CountyWells County: 10.8 %10.8Barnes CountyBarnes County: 10.7 %10.7Eddy CountyEddy County: 10.6 %10.6Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 10.6 %10.6Dickey CountyDickey County: 10.5 %10.5Dunn CountyDunn County: 10.5 %10.5LaMoure CountyLaMoure County: 10.3 %10.3Walsh CountyWalsh County: 10.3 %10.3Towner CountyTowner County: 10.1 %10.1Ward CountyWard County: 10.1 %10.1Bottineau CountyBottineau County: 10 %10Divide CountyDivide County: 10 %10Richland CountyRichland County: 10 %10Mountrail CountyMountrail County: 9.7 %9.7Stutsman CountyStutsman County: 9.7 %9.7Cavalier CountyCavalier County: 9.6 %9.6Adams CountyAdams County: 9.5 %9.5Oliver CountyOliver County: 9.4 %9.4Billings CountyBillings County: 9.2 %9.2Burke CountyBurke County: 9.1 %9.1McLean CountyMcLean County: 9.1 %9.1Stark CountyStark County: 9 %9Griggs CountyGriggs County: 8.7 %8.7Cass CountyCass County: 8.6 %8.6McKenzie CountyMcKenzie County: 8.5 %8.5Bowman CountyBowman County: 8.4 %8.4Morton CountyMorton County: 8.3 %8.3Pembina CountyPembina County: 8.3 %8.3Foster CountyFoster County: 8 %8Renville CountyRenville County: 7.9 %7.9Steele CountySteele County: 7.8 %7.8Sargent CountySargent County: 7.7 %7.7Traill CountyTraill County: 7.7 %7.7Ransom CountyRansom County: 7.6 %7.6Burleigh CountyBurleigh County: 7.3 %7.3Williams CountyWilliams County: 6.6 %6.6Mercer CountyMercer County: 6.2 %6.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Sioux County35.9+0.6 pts
2Benson County28.4-1 pts
3Rolette County27.1+0.4 pts
4Sheridan County16.3-0.6 pts
5Grant County15.3-0.3 pts
6Grand Forks County14.8+0.9 pts
7Emmons County13.90 pts
8Kidder County13.1+0.5 pts
8Logan County13.1+0.4 pts
10Ramsey County12.3-1.8 pts
11Slope County12.1+0.8 pts
12McIntosh County12-0.1 pts
13Hettinger County11.8+1.3 pts
13Pierce County11.8-1.2 pts
15McHenry County11.1+0.2 pts
16Nelson County10.9-0.7 pts
17Wells County10.8+0.3 pts
18Barnes County10.7-0.2 pts
19Eddy County10.6+0.5 pts
19Golden Valley County10.6+0.8 pts
21Dickey County10.5-0.4 pts
21Dunn County10.5+0.7 pts
23LaMoure County10.3-1.3 pts
23Walsh County10.3-0.7 pts
25Towner County10.1-0.6 pts
25Ward County10.1+1.3 pts
27Bottineau County10-1.1 pts
27Divide County100 pts
27Richland County10-0.2 pts
30Mountrail County9.7+0.2 pts
30Stutsman County9.7-1.5 pts
32Cavalier County9.6-0.1 pts
33Adams County9.5-0.1 pts
34Oliver County9.4-0.9 pts
35Billings County9.2+0.3 pts
36Burke County9.1+0.1 pts
36McLean County9.1-0.1 pts
38Stark County9+1 pts
39Griggs County8.7-0.9 pts
40Cass County8.6-2.1 pts
41McKenzie County8.5+0.6 pts
42Bowman County8.4+0.2 pts
43Morton County8.3-0.6 pts
43Pembina County8.3-0.8 pts
45Foster County8-0.9 pts
46Renville County7.9-0.3 pts
47Steele County7.8-0.5 pts
48Sargent County7.70 pts
48Traill County7.7-0.7 pts
50Ransom County7.6-0.5 pts
51Burleigh County7.3+0.1 pts
52Williams County6.6-0.2 pts
53Mercer County6.2-0.4 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Sioux County, with 35.9% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Mercer County, with 6.2% in 2017.

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