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

Counties in Oregon by poverty rate

Malheur County had the highest poverty rate of 36 counties in 2017, at 22.2%. Washington County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 14.6% and the figure for Oregon was 13.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.2Malheur County
Lowest8Washington County
Median14.636 counties
Oregon13.2History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Malheur CountyMalheur County: 22.2 %22.2Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 20.6 %20.6Coos CountyCoos County: 19.9 %19.9Klamath CountyKlamath County: 19.2 %19.2Lake CountyLake County: 18.9 %18.9Josephine CountyJosephine County: 17.8 %17.8Baker CountyBaker County: 17.7 %17.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 17.2 %17.2Lane CountyLane County: 16.6 %16.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 16.2 %16.2Benton CountyBenton County: 16 %16Harney CountyHarney County: 15.7 %15.7Umatilla CountyUmatilla County: 15.6 %15.6Curry CountyCurry County: 15.5 %15.5Grant CountyGrant County: 15.3 %15.3Marion CountyMarion County: 15.2 %15.2Douglas CountyDouglas County: 14.9 %14.9Polk CountyPolk County: 14.7 %14.7Multnomah CountyMultnomah County: 14.4 %14.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 14.3 %14.3Linn CountyLinn County: 14.3 %14.3Morrow CountyMorrow County: 14.2 %14.2Tillamook CountyTillamook County: 13.9 %13.9Wasco CountyWasco County: 13.8 %13.8Wallowa CountyWallowa County: 13.5 %13.5Crook CountyCrook County: 13.3 %13.3Union CountyUnion County: 13.3 %13.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 12.3 %12.3Clatsop CountyClatsop County: 12.2 %12.2Sherman CountySherman County: 12.2 %12.2Gilliam CountyGilliam County: 11.2 %11.2Yamhill CountyYamhill County: 11 %11Hood River CountyHood River County: 10.6 %10.6Deschutes CountyDeschutes County: 9.7 %9.7Clackamas CountyClackamas County: 8.3 %8.3Washington CountyWashington County: 8 %8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Malheur County22.2-0.7 pts
2Wheeler County20.6+1 pts
3Coos County19.9+2.4 pts
4Klamath County19.2+0.2 pts
5Lake County18.9+3.7 pts
6Josephine County17.8-0.2 pts
7Baker County17.7+0.1 pts
8Jefferson County17.2-0.1 pts
9Lane County16.6-1.7 pts
10Lincoln County16.2-3.4 pts
11Benton County16-2.4 pts
12Harney County15.7-0.7 pts
13Umatilla County15.6-0.1 pts
14Curry County15.5+1.4 pts
15Grant County15.3-0.7 pts
16Marion County15.2+1.6 pts
17Douglas County14.9-0.7 pts
18Polk County14.7+2.6 pts
19Multnomah County14.4+0.2 pts
20Jackson County14.3-0.3 pts
20Linn County14.3+1.2 pts
22Morrow County14.2-0.6 pts
23Tillamook County13.9+1 pts
24Wasco County13.8-0.4 pts
25Wallowa County13.5-1.1 pts
26Crook County13.3-0.9 pts
26Union County13.3-2.7 pts
28Columbia County12.3+1.3 pts
29Clatsop County12.2-0.7 pts
29Sherman County12.20 pts
31Gilliam County11.2-1 pts
32Yamhill County11-0.7 pts
33Hood River County10.6-0.1 pts
34Deschutes County9.7-0.9 pts
35Clackamas County8.3-0.4 pts
36Washington County8-1 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Malheur County, with 22.2% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Washington County, with 8% 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 Oregon: more rankings