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 2017, at 39.9%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 16.9% and the figure for Tennessee was 15%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest39.9Lake County
Lowest3.9Williamson County
Median16.995 counties
Tennessee15History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 39.9 %39.9Hancock CountyHancock County: 28.4 %28.4Clay CountyClay County: 24.8 %24.8Johnson CountyJohnson County: 24.3 %24.3Fentress CountyFentress County: 23.4 %23.4Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 23.1 %23.1Cocke CountyCocke County: 23 %23Grundy CountyGrundy County: 23 %23Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 23 %23Scott CountyScott County: 22.8 %22.8Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 22.5 %22.5McMinn CountyMcMinn County: 22.4 %22.4Weakley CountyWeakley County: 22.1 %22.1Warren CountyWarren County: 21.6 %21.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 21.2 %21.2Perry CountyPerry County: 21.1 %21.1Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 20.8 %20.8Carter CountyCarter County: 20.7 %20.7Obion CountyObion County: 20.7 %20.7Haywood CountyHaywood County: 20.6 %20.6Morgan CountyMorgan County: 20.3 %20.3Carroll CountyCarroll County: 19.5 %19.5Decatur CountyDecatur County: 19.4 %19.4Campbell CountyCampbell County: 19.2 %19.2Putnam CountyPutnam County: 19 %19Union CountyUnion County: 19 %19Shelby CountyShelby County: 18.9 %18.9Benton CountyBenton County: 18.8 %18.8Hardin CountyHardin County: 18.7 %18.7Grainger CountyGrainger County: 18.3 %18.3Henry CountyHenry County: 18.3 %18.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 18 %18Overton CountyOverton County: 17.8 %17.8Crockett CountyCrockett County: 17.7 %17.7Greene CountyGreene County: 17.7 %17.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 17.6 %17.6Lewis CountyLewis County: 17.5 %17.5Madison CountyMadison County: 17.5 %17.5Trousdale CountyTrousdale County: 17.5 %17.5Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 17.5 %17.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Lake County39.9-2.8 pts
2Hancock County28.4-2.5 pts
3Clay County24.8+2.8 pts
4Johnson County24.3-1.1 pts
5Fentress County23.4+2 pts
6Bledsoe County23.1-0.7 pts
7Cocke County23-1.2 pts
7Grundy County23+0.4 pts
7Hardeman County23-2.2 pts
10Scott County22.8+0.8 pts
11Claiborne County22.5-2.9 pts
12McMinn County22.4+5.5 pts
13Weakley County22.1+1.3 pts
14Warren County21.6+2.2 pts
15Wayne County21.2+0.3 pts
16Perry County21.1-1 pts
17Lauderdale County20.8-4.1 pts
18Carter County20.7-0.8 pts
18Obion County20.7+2.1 pts
20Haywood County20.6+0.6 pts
21Morgan County20.3-2.4 pts
22Carroll County19.5+1.2 pts
23Decatur County19.4+0.6 pts
24Campbell County19.2-4.9 pts
25Putnam County19-0.2 pts
25Union County19-3.2 pts
27Shelby County18.9-1.9 pts
28Benton County18.8+0.9 pts
29Hardin County18.7-2.8 pts
30Grainger County18.3-1.7 pts
30Henry County18.3-1.2 pts
32Jackson County18-3.9 pts
33Overton County17.8-0.9 pts
34Crockett County17.7+0.1 pts
34Greene County17.7+0.7 pts
36Monroe County17.6-1.7 pts
37Lewis County17.5-1 pts
37Madison County17.5-1.5 pts
37Trousdale County17.5+2.2 pts
37Van Buren County17.5-1.6 pts
41Meigs County17.4-0.9 pts
42Dyer County17.3-2.7 pts
43Macon County17.2-0.7 pts
44DeKalb County17.1-2.7 pts
44McNairy County17.1-4.9 pts
46Hickman County17-3.7 pts
47Bradley County16.9+2.7 pts
47Chester County16.9+0.9 pts
47Pickett County16.9-0.1 pts
50Bedford County16.8+2.1 pts
51Hamblen County16.7-1.8 pts
51Hawkins County16.7-2.5 pts
51Sequatchie County16.7-1 pts
54Gibson County16.4-0.5 pts
54Unicoi County16.4-0.9 pts
56Stewart County16.1-0.3 pts
57Rhea County16-2.2 pts
57White County16-1.7 pts
59Houston County15.7-2.1 pts
59Marion County15.7-2.6 pts
59Polk County15.7-0.5 pts
59Sullivan County15.7-0.7 pts
63Lawrence County15.6-1.1 pts
64Anderson County15.3+0.9 pts
65Giles County15.2-1.5 pts
65Henderson County15.2-2.2 pts
65Roane County15.2+1 pts
68Cannon County15-0.5 pts
69Coffee County14.9+0.6 pts
69Franklin County14.9-0.6 pts
69Washington County14.9+0.1 pts
72Davidson County14.6-0.5 pts
73Cumberland County14.1-1.2 pts
73Jefferson County14.1-1.6 pts
75Tipton County14-2.1 pts
76Fayette County13.9-0.6 pts
76Knox County13.9-0.9 pts
78Humphreys County13.6-4.8 pts
79Lincoln County13-3.7 pts
79Smith County13-1.6 pts
81Montgomery County12.8-0.1 pts
82Loudon County12.6+2 pts
82Sevier County12.6-2.5 pts
84Hamilton County12.5-1 pts
85Blount County12.1+0.7 pts
86Marshall County11.7-1.5 pts
87Robertson County11.6+1.3 pts
88Dickson County11.3-2.2 pts
89Cheatham County11-0.1 pts
90Maury County10.4-1.1 pts
91Rutherford County10.1-0.2 pts
92Moore County9.9-1 pts
93Sumner County8.8-0.9 pts
94Wilson County8.4+0.3 pts
95Williamson County3.9-1.3 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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Rank Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lake County, with 39.9% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 3.9% 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 Tennessee: more rankings