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

Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate

Lake County had the highest poverty rate of 95 counties in 2015, at 43.1%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 5%. The median was 18.7% and the figure for Tennessee was 16.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.1Lake County
Lowest5Williamson County
Median18.795 counties
Tennessee16.7History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 43.1 %43.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 30.1 %30.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 27.2 %27.2Cocke CountyCocke County: 26.4 %26.4Campbell CountyCampbell County: 26.2 %26.2Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 26.2 %26.2Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 26.1 %26.1Grundy CountyGrundy County: 26.1 %26.1Fentress CountyFentress County: 25.7 %25.7Scott CountyScott County: 25.5 %25.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 25.4 %25.4Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 24.2 %24.2Union CountyUnion County: 23.9 %23.9Clay CountyClay County: 23.7 %23.7Carter CountyCarter County: 23.6 %23.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.6 %23.6Rhea CountyRhea County: 23.3 %23.3McMinn CountyMcMinn County: 23 %23Hardin CountyHardin County: 22.7 %22.7Dyer CountyDyer County: 22.5 %22.5Haywood CountyHaywood County: 22.5 %22.5Perry CountyPerry County: 22.3 %22.3Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 21.6 %21.6Hawkins CountyHawkins County: 21.2 %21.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 21.2 %21.2Warren CountyWarren County: 21.2 %21.2Carroll CountyCarroll County: 21.1 %21.1Benton CountyBenton County: 20.5 %20.5Hickman CountyHickman County: 20.4 %20.4DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 20.2 %20.2Meigs CountyMeigs County: 20.2 %20.2Shelby CountyShelby County: 20.2 %20.2Anderson CountyAnderson County: 19.7 %19.7Putnam CountyPutnam County: 19.7 %19.7Houston CountyHouston County: 19.5 %19.5Obion CountyObion County: 19.5 %19.5Decatur CountyDecatur County: 19.4 %19.4Unicoi CountyUnicoi County: 19.2 %19.2Crockett CountyCrockett County: 19.1 %19.1Henry CountyHenry County: 19.1 %19.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Lake County43.1
2Hancock County30.1
3Johnson County27.2
4Cocke County26.4
5Campbell County26.2
5Lauderdale County26.2
7Bledsoe County26.1
7Grundy County26.1
9Fentress County25.7
10Scott County25.5
11Wayne County25.4
12Hardeman County24.2
13Union County23.9
14Clay County23.7
15Carter County23.6
15Jackson County23.6
17Rhea County23.3
18McMinn County23
19Hardin County22.7
20Dyer County22.5
20Haywood County22.5
22Perry County22.3
23Claiborne County21.6
24Hawkins County21.2
24Morgan County21.2
24Warren County21.2
27Carroll County21.1
28Benton County20.5
29Hickman County20.4
30DeKalb County20.2
30Meigs County20.2
30Shelby County20.2
33Anderson County19.7
33Putnam County19.7
35Houston County19.5
35Obion County19.5
37Decatur County19.4
38Unicoi County19.2
39Crockett County19.1
39Henry County19.1
41Chester County19
41Hamblen County19
41Marion County19
44Lawrence County18.9
44McNairy County18.9
44Pickett County18.9
44Van Buren County18.9
48Grainger County18.7
48Sequatchie County18.7
50Monroe County18.6
51Macon County18.5
52Polk County18.4
53Weakley County18.2
53White County18.2
55Bradley County18.1
55Madison County18.1
55Smith County18.1
58Greene County18
59Lewis County17.9
60Roane County17.6
61Henderson County17.5
61Overton County17.5
63Washington County17.2
64Davidson County17.1
65Bedford County17
66Jefferson County16.8
67Cumberland County16.7
68Cannon County16.4
68Dickson County16.4
68Sullivan County16.4
71Trousdale County16.2
72Giles County16.1
73Lincoln County16
74Coffee County15.9
74Humphreys County15.9
76Gibson County15.7
77Knox County15.6
78Stewart County15.5
79Hamilton County15.2
80Franklin County15
81Sevier County14.6
82Tipton County14.4
83Fayette County13.8
83Marshall County13.8
85Loudon County13.5
86Montgomery County13.4
87Maury County13.2
88Blount County13.1
89Robertson County12.3
90Moore County11.8
91Rutherford County11.1
92Cheatham County10.6
93Sumner County10.1
94Wilson County8.4
95Williamson County5

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lake County, with 43.1% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 5% in 2015.

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