Counties in Ohio by poverty rate

Athens County had the highest poverty rate of 88 counties in 2018, at 30.7%. Delaware County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 12.4% and the figure for Ohio was 13.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.7Athens County
Median12.488 counties
Ohio13.8History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Athens CountyAthens County: 30.7 %30.7Scioto CountyScioto County: 22.6 %22.6Gallia CountyGallia County: 22.1 %22.1Pike CountyPike County: 20.5 %20.5Adams CountyAdams County: 19.7 %19.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 19 %19Vinton CountyVinton County: 19 %19Guernsey CountyGuernsey County: 18.8 %18.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 18.8 %18.8Lucas CountyLucas County: 18.7 %18.7Ross CountyRoss County: 18.4 %18.4Noble CountyNoble County: 18.1 %18.1Cuyahoga CountyCuyahoga County: 17.9 %17.9Meigs CountyMeigs County: 17.8 %17.8Trumbull CountyTrumbull County: 17.6 %17.6Ashtabula CountyAshtabula County: 17.4 %17.4Morgan CountyMorgan County: 17 %17Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 16.9 %16.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.8 %16.8Muskingum CountyMuskingum County: 16.6 %16.6Mahoning CountyMahoning County: 16.5 %16.5Marion CountyMarion County: 16.5 %16.5Perry CountyPerry County: 16.4 %16.4Washington CountyWashington County: 15.9 %15.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 15.5 %15.5Coshocton CountyCoshocton County: 15.4 %15.4Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 15.4 %15.4Highland CountyHighland County: 15.4 %15.4Harrison CountyHarrison County: 15.3 %15.3Columbiana CountyColumbiana County: 15.1 %15.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 15.1 %15.1Clark CountyClark County: 14.9 %14.9Hardin CountyHardin County: 14.7 %14.7Allen CountyAllen County: 14.4 %14.4Richland CountyRichland County: 14.4 %14.4Stark CountyStark County: 14.4 %14.4Lorain CountyLorain County: 14.2 %14.2Hocking CountyHocking County: 14.1 %14.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 14.1 %14.1Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14 %14
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Athens County30.7+1.9 pts
2Scioto County22.6+1.2 pts
3Gallia County22.1+3.1 pts
4Pike County20.5+0.5 pts
5Adams County19.7+1.1 pts
6Jefferson County19+1.4 pts
6Vinton County19-0.8 pts
8Guernsey County18.8+0.6 pts
8Lawrence County18.8-0.7 pts
10Lucas County18.7+0.8 pts
11Ross County18.4+2.1 pts
12Noble County18.1+1.9 pts
13Cuyahoga County17.9-0.2 pts
14Meigs County17.8-2.1 pts
15Trumbull County17.6+2.2 pts
16Ashtabula County17.4-1.9 pts
17Morgan County17-3.5 pts
18Montgomery County16.9+1 pts
19Jackson County16.8-1.1 pts
20Muskingum County16.6+1.8 pts
21Mahoning County16.5-1.9 pts
21Marion County16.50 pts
23Perry County16.4+0.7 pts
24Washington County15.9+1.3 pts
25Franklin County15.5-0.5 pts
26Coshocton County15.4-0.3 pts
26Hamilton County15.4-0.8 pts
26Highland County15.4-1.4 pts
29Harrison County15.3+2.5 pts
30Columbiana County15.10 pts
30Fayette County15.1-0.5 pts
32Clark County14.9-0.5 pts
33Hardin County14.7-1.1 pts
34Allen County14.4-0.8 pts
34Richland County14.4+1 pts
34Stark County14.4+0.1 pts
37Lorain County14.2+0.7 pts
38Hocking County14.1-0.4 pts
38Monroe County14.1-1.1 pts
40Crawford County14-1.5 pts
41Knox County13.8+3.1 pts
42Belmont County13+1.9 pts
43Carroll County12.9-0.1 pts
44Butler County12.4+1.7 pts
45Tuscarawas County12.3-0.5 pts
46Pickaway County12.1+0.1 pts
46Seneca County12.1-1.5 pts
48Summit County12-0.9 pts
49Morrow County11.9+0.7 pts
49Wood County11.9+1.1 pts
51Brown County11.8-5.1 pts
51Clinton County11.8-1.2 pts
53Greene County11.6+1.8 pts
54Logan County11.4+0.3 pts
55Portage County11.3-0.5 pts
56Huron County11.1-3.7 pts
57Henry County10.8+2.6 pts
58Madison County10.7+1.1 pts
59Erie County10.6-1.8 pts
60Ashland County10.4-1 pts
61Paulding County10.3+0.1 pts
62Champaign County10-1 pts
62Sandusky County10-1.1 pts
64Hancock County9.9+0.2 pts
65Preble County9.7-0.2 pts
65Williams County9.7-1 pts
67Darke County9.5+0.3 pts
67Ottawa County9.5+0.6 pts
69Holmes County9.4+0.4 pts
69Wayne County9.4-3.5 pts
71Fairfield County9.3+0.3 pts
72Defiance County9.1-0.4 pts
72Licking County9.1+0.2 pts
74Shelby County9+0.9 pts
75Van Wert County8.4-3 pts
76Clermont County8.2-0.5 pts
77Wyandot County8-0.8 pts
78Fulton County7.9-0.3 pts
78Miami County7.9-1.1 pts
80Mercer County7.6+0.7 pts
81Lake County7.5-1.2 pts
82Auglaize County6.9-1.8 pts
83Medina County6.5+0.5 pts
84Geauga County5.7-0.7 pts
85Putnam County5.5-0.9 pts
86Warren County5.2+0.5 pts
87Union County5-0.2 pts
88Delaware County4.1-0.7 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 Ohio by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Athens County, with 30.7% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Delaware County, with 4.1% 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 Ohio: more rankings