Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate, 2024

Lake County had the highest poverty rate of 95 counties in 2024, at 31.2%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 14.4% and the figure for Tennessee was 13.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.2Lake County
Median14.495 counties
Tennessee13.3History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 31.2 %31.2Hancock CountyHancock County: 26.1 %26.1Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 21.5 %21.5Cocke CountyCocke County: 20.9 %20.9Johnson CountyJohnson County: 20.9 %20.9Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 20.7 %20.7Grundy CountyGrundy County: 20.2 %20.2Haywood CountyHaywood County: 19.8 %19.8Clay CountyClay County: 19.7 %19.7Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 19.4 %19.4Fentress CountyFentress County: 19 %19Shelby CountyShelby County: 19 %19Campbell CountyCampbell County: 18.9 %18.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 18.8 %18.8Putnam CountyPutnam County: 18.4 %18.4Hardin CountyHardin County: 18 %18Scott CountyScott County: 17.7 %17.7Madison CountyMadison County: 17.5 %17.5Union CountyUnion County: 17.4 %17.4Weakley CountyWeakley County: 17.3 %17.3Henry CountyHenry County: 17.1 %17.1Stewart CountyStewart County: 17.1 %17.1Benton CountyBenton County: 17 %17McNairy CountyMcNairy County: 16.7 %16.7Morgan CountyMorgan County: 16.6 %16.6Carroll CountyCarroll County: 16.5 %16.5Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 16.4 %16.4Greene CountyGreene County: 16.3 %16.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.3 %16.3Carter CountyCarter County: 16.1 %16.1Macon CountyMacon County: 16 %16Perry CountyPerry County: 15.9 %15.9Pickett CountyPickett County: 15.8 %15.8Sullivan CountySullivan County: 15.7 %15.7Houston CountyHouston County: 15.6 %15.6Obion CountyObion County: 15.6 %15.6Coffee CountyCoffee County: 15.5 %15.5Sequatchie CountySequatchie County: 15.4 %15.4Warren CountyWarren County: 15.2 %15.2Decatur CountyDecatur County: 15 %15
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Lake County31.2-2.8 pts
2Hancock County26.1-0.6 pts
3Hardeman County21.50 pts
4Cocke County20.9+0.5 pts
4Johnson County20.90 pts
6Lauderdale County20.7-3.9 pts
7Grundy County20.2-2.6 pts
8Haywood County19.8-1.2 pts
9Clay County19.7-1.5 pts
10Bledsoe County19.4-2.2 pts
11Fentress County19+0.1 pts
11Shelby County19+0.8 pts
13Campbell County18.9-1.7 pts
14Wayne County18.8+0.8 pts
15Putnam County18.4+1.1 pts
16Hardin County18-1.7 pts
17Scott County17.7-3.3 pts
18Madison County17.5-1.1 pts
19Union County17.4+1.5 pts
20Weakley County17.3-1.3 pts
21Henry County17.1-1.2 pts
21Stewart County17.1+4.2 pts
23Benton County17-0.6 pts
24McNairy County16.7+1.2 pts
25Morgan County16.6+0.4 pts
26Carroll County16.5-0.9 pts
27Claiborne County16.4-2.2 pts
28Greene County16.3+1.5 pts
28Jackson County16.3-3.7 pts
30Carter County16.1-0.8 pts
31Macon County16-0.2 pts
32Perry County15.9-1.6 pts
33Pickett County15.8-0.8 pts
34Sullivan County15.7+2.2 pts
35Houston County15.6-1.4 pts
35Obion County15.6-3.7 pts
37Coffee County15.5+1 pts
38Sequatchie County15.4+0.3 pts
39Warren County15.2-2.4 pts
40Decatur County15-4.2 pts
41Van Buren County14.9+0.2 pts
42Hamblen County14.8-2.5 pts
43Polk County14.6-0.4 pts
44Hamilton County14.5+1.6 pts
44Meigs County14.5-1.1 pts
44Trousdale County14.5-1.3 pts
47Gibson County14.4-0.3 pts
47Henderson County14.4+0.4 pts
47Unicoi County14.4+2.1 pts
50Dyer County14.3-3.4 pts
51Grainger County14.2-1.3 pts
52Cannon County14.1-0.3 pts
52Lewis County14.1-2 pts
54Crockett County14-0.9 pts
54Rhea County14-2 pts
56DeKalb County13.9-2.4 pts
56Lawrence County13.9-1 pts
58Marion County13.8-1.3 pts
59McMinn County13.7-1.2 pts
60Hawkins County13.6-3.6 pts
60Tipton County13.6-1.2 pts
62Overton County13.5-0.8 pts
63Giles County13.3-2 pts
64Cumberland County13.2-1.4 pts
64Hickman County13.2-2.7 pts
64Sevier County13.2+1 pts
67Washington County13-3.3 pts
68Knox County12.8-1 pts
69Monroe County12.6-3.4 pts
70Chester County12.5-4.2 pts
71Bedford County12.2-1.1 pts
71Davidson County12.2-0.1 pts
71Humphreys County12.2-2.5 pts
74Jefferson County12.1-0.8 pts
74Lincoln County12.1-2.4 pts
74Roane County12.1-1.3 pts
77Franklin County12-0.9 pts
78Bradley County11.6-3.4 pts
78Smith County11.6-0.1 pts
78White County11.6-2.1 pts
81Anderson County11.5-2.9 pts
82Montgomery County10.2-2.4 pts
83Dickson County10.1+0.2 pts
84Rutherford County10+0.9 pts
85Fayette County9.3-3.5 pts
86Blount County9.2-0.5 pts
86Robertson County9.2-0.7 pts
88Loudon County9-1.5 pts
88Marshall County9-1.7 pts
90Moore County8.9-1 pts
91Maury County8.7-2 pts
92Cheatham County8.4-0.3 pts
93Sumner County8.3-0.6 pts
94Wilson County7.3+0.7 pts
95Williamson County4.5-0.4 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/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lake County, with 31.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 4.5% in 2024.

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 Tennessee: more rankings