Counties in Ohio by poverty rate

Scioto County had the highest poverty rate of 88 counties in 2020, at 22.8%. Delaware County had the lowest, at 3.7%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for Ohio was 12.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.8Scioto County
Median11.888 counties
Ohio12.6History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Scioto CountyScioto County: 22.8 %22.8Athens CountyAthens County: 22 %22Adams CountyAdams County: 20.6 %20.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 19.8 %19.8Meigs CountyMeigs County: 18.8 %18.8Lucas CountyLucas County: 17.5 %17.5Pike CountyPike County: 17.4 %17.4Ashtabula CountyAshtabula County: 16.5 %16.5Gallia CountyGallia County: 16.1 %16.1Vinton CountyVinton County: 16.1 %16.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 15.9 %15.9Mahoning CountyMahoning County: 15.8 %15.8Trumbull CountyTrumbull County: 15.8 %15.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 15.4 %15.4Cuyahoga CountyCuyahoga County: 15.3 %15.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 15.3 %15.3Hardin CountyHardin County: 15.1 %15.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 15 %15Muskingum CountyMuskingum County: 15 %15Noble CountyNoble County: 15 %15Ross CountyRoss County: 15 %15Coshocton CountyCoshocton County: 14.9 %14.9Highland CountyHighland County: 14.9 %14.9Hocking CountyHocking County: 14.7 %14.7Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 14.7 %14.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 14.6 %14.6Clark CountyClark County: 14.3 %14.3Marion CountyMarion County: 14.3 %14.3Columbiana CountyColumbiana County: 13.9 %13.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 13.8 %13.8Harrison CountyHarrison County: 13.7 %13.7Brown CountyBrown County: 13.6 %13.6Guernsey CountyGuernsey County: 13.5 %13.5Washington CountyWashington County: 13.4 %13.4Stark CountyStark County: 13.2 %13.2Perry CountyPerry County: 13.1 %13.1Allen CountyAllen County: 12.9 %12.9Belmont CountyBelmont County: 12.7 %12.7Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 12.7 %12.7Richland CountyRichland County: 12.7 %12.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Scioto County22.8+0.9 pts
2Athens County22-4.6 pts
3Adams County20.6+1.5 pts
4Lawrence County19.8+3.6 pts
5Meigs County18.8+3 pts
6Lucas County17.5-0.5 pts
7Pike County17.4-1.7 pts
8Ashtabula County16.5-2.2 pts
9Gallia County16.1-0.4 pts
9Vinton County16.1-2.6 pts
11Jackson County15.9-1.3 pts
12Mahoning County15.8-2.6 pts
12Trumbull County15.8+0.4 pts
14Franklin County15.4+1.9 pts
15Cuyahoga County15.3-0.9 pts
15Jefferson County15.3-1.8 pts
17Hardin County15.1+1.2 pts
18Morgan County15-0.7 pts
18Muskingum County15-0.3 pts
18Noble County15+0.8 pts
18Ross County15-0.2 pts
22Coshocton County14.9+2.4 pts
22Highland County14.9-0.7 pts
24Hocking County14.7-0.3 pts
24Montgomery County14.7-0.6 pts
26Monroe County14.6+0.6 pts
27Clark County14.3-0.3 pts
27Marion County14.3-0.5 pts
29Columbiana County13.9+0.7 pts
30Fayette County13.8+0.2 pts
31Harrison County13.7-0.8 pts
32Brown County13.6+1.5 pts
33Guernsey County13.5-2 pts
34Washington County13.4+2.4 pts
35Stark County13.2+0.2 pts
36Perry County13.1-1.9 pts
37Allen County12.90 pts
38Belmont County12.7+1.1 pts
38Hamilton County12.7-1.9 pts
38Richland County12.7-0.8 pts
41Pickaway County12.5+1 pts
42Crawford County12.1-2.6 pts
42Summit County12.1-2.1 pts
44Lorain County11.9-2 pts
45Carroll County11.6+0.3 pts
45Tuscarawas County11.6+0.4 pts
47Ashland County11.4-1.2 pts
48Clinton County11.3-3.5 pts
49Erie County10.9-0.7 pts
49Knox County10.9-0.4 pts
51Sandusky County10.4+0.8 pts
51Seneca County10.4-1.7 pts
53Williams County10.3+1 pts
54Darke County10.2-1.9 pts
55Butler County10.1-1.6 pts
55Champaign County10.1+2.4 pts
55Logan County10.1-0.4 pts
58Portage County9.9-2 pts
58Wood County9.9-1.3 pts
60Huron County9.8-0.2 pts
60Licking County9.8+0.5 pts
62Madison County9.5-0.1 pts
63Hancock County9.30 pts
63Paulding County9.3-0.5 pts
63Shelby County9.3+0.2 pts
66Clermont County9.2+1 pts
67Greene County9-0.9 pts
67Morrow County9+0.5 pts
67Wayne County9-0.9 pts
70Preble County8.8-0.1 pts
71Defiance County8.5-0.3 pts
72Holmes County8.4-0.8 pts
73Fulton County8.3+1.4 pts
74Henry County8+0.5 pts
74Miami County8-0.8 pts
76Lake County7.9-0.4 pts
77Ottawa County7.7-0.4 pts
78Fairfield County7.5-0.6 pts
79Van Wert County7.4-1.1 pts
80Wyandot County7-0.5 pts
81Putnam County6.5-0.7 pts
82Geauga County6.2+0.7 pts
83Auglaize County5.9-1.4 pts
83Medina County5.9+0.4 pts
85Mercer County5.5-1.2 pts
86Warren County5.2+0.7 pts
87Union County5-0.4 pts
88Delaware County3.7-1.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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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?

Scioto County, with 22.8% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Delaware County, with 3.7% in 2020.

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