Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate

Lake County had the highest poverty rate of 95 counties in 2018, at 36.5%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 16.5% and the figure for Tennessee was 15.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.5Lake County
Median16.595 counties
Tennessee15.2History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 36.5 %36.5Hancock CountyHancock County: 29.9 %29.9Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 26.7 %26.7Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 24.9 %24.9Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 23.5 %23.5Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 23.4 %23.4Cocke CountyCocke County: 22.5 %22.5Warren CountyWarren County: 22.5 %22.5Shelby CountyShelby County: 21.7 %21.7Campbell CountyCampbell County: 21.6 %21.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 21.3 %21.3Grundy CountyGrundy County: 21.2 %21.2Scott CountyScott County: 21.2 %21.2Clay CountyClay County: 21 %21Johnson CountyJohnson County: 20.7 %20.7Fentress CountyFentress County: 20.6 %20.6Haywood CountyHaywood County: 20.5 %20.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 20.4 %20.4Hardin CountyHardin County: 20.3 %20.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 19.8 %19.8Union CountyUnion County: 19.8 %19.8Weakley CountyWeakley County: 19.7 %19.7Crockett CountyCrockett County: 19.4 %19.4Benton CountyBenton County: 19.2 %19.2Carter CountyCarter County: 19.1 %19.1Henry CountyHenry County: 18.8 %18.8Carroll CountyCarroll County: 18.6 %18.6Trousdale CountyTrousdale County: 18.6 %18.6Dyer CountyDyer County: 18.4 %18.4Grainger CountyGrainger County: 18.4 %18.4Hawkins CountyHawkins County: 18.4 %18.4Rhea CountyRhea County: 18.4 %18.4Decatur CountyDecatur County: 18.2 %18.2Macon CountyMacon County: 18.1 %18.1Henderson CountyHenderson County: 18 %18Madison CountyMadison County: 17.8 %17.8Meigs CountyMeigs County: 17.8 %17.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 17.7 %17.7Obion CountyObion County: 17.7 %17.7Perry CountyPerry County: 17.6 %17.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Lake County36.5-3.4 pts
2Hancock County29.9+1.5 pts
3Bledsoe County26.7+3.6 pts
4Lauderdale County24.9+4.1 pts
5Hardeman County23.5+0.5 pts
6Claiborne County23.4+0.9 pts
7Cocke County22.5-0.5 pts
7Warren County22.5+0.9 pts
9Shelby County21.7+2.8 pts
10Campbell County21.6+2.4 pts
11Wayne County21.3+0.1 pts
12Grundy County21.2-1.8 pts
12Scott County21.2-1.6 pts
14Clay County21-3.8 pts
15Johnson County20.7-3.6 pts
16Fentress County20.6-2.8 pts
17Haywood County20.5-0.1 pts
18Morgan County20.4+0.1 pts
19Hardin County20.3+1.6 pts
20Jackson County19.8+1.8 pts
20Union County19.8+0.8 pts
22Weakley County19.7-2.4 pts
23Crockett County19.4+1.7 pts
24Benton County19.2+0.4 pts
25Carter County19.1-1.6 pts
26Henry County18.8+0.5 pts
27Carroll County18.6-0.9 pts
27Trousdale County18.6+1.1 pts
29Dyer County18.4+1.1 pts
29Grainger County18.4+0.1 pts
29Hawkins County18.4+1.7 pts
29Rhea County18.4+2.4 pts
33Decatur County18.2-1.2 pts
34Macon County18.1+0.9 pts
35Henderson County18+2.8 pts
36Madison County17.8+0.3 pts
36Meigs County17.8+0.4 pts
38Lawrence County17.7+2.1 pts
38Obion County17.7-3 pts
40Perry County17.6-3.5 pts
41Lewis County17.50 pts
42DeKalb County17.4+0.3 pts
42McNairy County17.4+0.3 pts
44White County17.3+1.3 pts
45Hamblen County17.1+0.4 pts
46Houston County16.7+1 pts
47Anderson County16.5+1.2 pts
47Gibson County16.5+0.1 pts
47Sullivan County16.5+0.8 pts
50Hickman County16.3-0.7 pts
50Van Buren County16.3-1.2 pts
52Unicoi County16.1-0.3 pts
53Franklin County16+1.1 pts
53Pickett County16-0.9 pts
53Sequatchie County16-0.7 pts
56Chester County15.9-1 pts
56Coffee County15.9+1 pts
56McMinn County15.9-6.5 pts
59Polk County15.8+0.1 pts
60Monroe County15.7-1.9 pts
61Davidson County15.4+0.8 pts
62Marion County15.3-0.4 pts
63Greene County15.1-2.6 pts
64Overton County15-2.8 pts
65Washington County14.90 pts
66Roane County14.8-0.4 pts
67Bradley County14.7-2.2 pts
68Giles County14.5-0.7 pts
68Putnam County14.5-4.5 pts
70Bedford County14.4-2.4 pts
70Cumberland County14.4+0.3 pts
70Lincoln County14.4+1.4 pts
73Cannon County14.2-0.8 pts
74Marshall County14.1+2.4 pts
75Sevier County13.9+1.3 pts
75Smith County13.9+0.9 pts
75Stewart County13.9-2.2 pts
78Dickson County13.8+2.5 pts
78Jefferson County13.8-0.3 pts
80Humphreys County13.60 pts
81Knox County13.2-0.7 pts
82Fayette County13.1-0.8 pts
83Hamilton County13+0.5 pts
84Montgomery County12-0.8 pts
84Tipton County12-2 pts
86Maury County10.8+0.4 pts
87Robertson County10.6-1 pts
88Rutherford County10.4+0.3 pts
89Cheatham County10.3-0.7 pts
90Blount County9.9-2.2 pts
91Loudon County9.1-3.5 pts
91Moore County9.1-0.8 pts
93Sumner County8.9+0.1 pts
94Wilson County7.8-0.6 pts
95Williamson County3.8-0.1 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 36.5% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 3.8% in 2018.

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