Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate

Lake County had the highest poverty rate of 95 counties in 2020, at 36.4%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 15% and the figure for Tennessee was 13.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.4Lake County
Median1595 counties
Tennessee13.6History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 36.4 %36.4Hancock CountyHancock County: 28.6 %28.6Madison CountyMadison County: 22.2 %22.2Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 22 %22Clay CountyClay County: 21 %21Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 20.8 %20.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.2 %20.2Campbell CountyCampbell County: 20 %20Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 19.8 %19.8Scott CountyScott County: 19.8 %19.8Cocke CountyCocke County: 19.7 %19.7Fentress CountyFentress County: 19.4 %19.4Shelby CountyShelby County: 19.1 %19.1Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 18.9 %18.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 18.8 %18.8Haywood CountyHaywood County: 18.7 %18.7Johnson CountyJohnson County: 18.6 %18.6Grundy CountyGrundy County: 18.2 %18.2Henry CountyHenry County: 17.8 %17.8DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 17.5 %17.5Decatur CountyDecatur County: 17.1 %17.1Putnam CountyPutnam County: 17 %17Benton CountyBenton County: 16.9 %16.9Union CountyUnion County: 16.9 %16.9Weakley CountyWeakley County: 16.9 %16.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.8 %16.8Carroll CountyCarroll County: 16.7 %16.7Dyer CountyDyer County: 16.7 %16.7Macon CountyMacon County: 16.7 %16.7Pickett CountyPickett County: 16.5 %16.5Warren CountyWarren County: 16.5 %16.5Greene CountyGreene County: 16.4 %16.4Overton CountyOverton County: 16.3 %16.3Unicoi CountyUnicoi County: 16.2 %16.2Carter CountyCarter County: 16.1 %16.1Perry CountyPerry County: 16.1 %16.1Sequatchie CountySequatchie County: 16.1 %16.1Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 16.1 %16.1Meigs CountyMeigs County: 16 %16Houston CountyHouston County: 15.6 %15.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Lake County36.4+0.9 pts
2Hancock County28.6+2.2 pts
3Madison County22.2+4.6 pts
4Hardeman County22+2.8 pts
5Clay County21+0.9 pts
6Bledsoe County20.8-6.5 pts
7Wayne County20.2+2.9 pts
8Campbell County20-1.9 pts
9Lauderdale County19.8+0.5 pts
9Scott County19.8-2.2 pts
11Cocke County19.7-3.1 pts
12Fentress County19.4-1.5 pts
13Shelby County19.1+1.9 pts
14Claiborne County18.9-0.8 pts
15Morgan County18.8-3.2 pts
16Haywood County18.7-2 pts
17Johnson County18.6-6.6 pts
18Grundy County18.2-3.2 pts
19Henry County17.8-0.5 pts
20DeKalb County17.5-0.5 pts
21Decatur County17.1+1.1 pts
22Putnam County17+0.9 pts
23Benton County16.9-0.7 pts
23Union County16.9-1.4 pts
23Weakley County16.9-0.8 pts
26Jackson County16.8-0.3 pts
27Carroll County16.7-0.1 pts
27Dyer County16.7-0.6 pts
27Macon County16.7+1.2 pts
30Pickett County16.5-1.3 pts
30Warren County16.5+0.6 pts
32Greene County16.4+0.5 pts
33Overton County16.3-0.8 pts
34Unicoi County16.2+0.4 pts
35Carter County16.1-3.2 pts
35Perry County16.1+1.7 pts
35Sequatchie County16.1-1.3 pts
35Van Buren County16.1+0.6 pts
39Meigs County16-0.1 pts
40Houston County15.6-2.2 pts
41Hawkins County15.5-2.6 pts
42Trousdale County15.4-0.4 pts
43Chester County15.2+0.4 pts
43Crockett County15.2-0.6 pts
43Lawrence County15.2-1.5 pts
46Obion County15.1+0.5 pts
47Hamblen County15+0.6 pts
47McNairy County15-2 pts
47Rhea County15-0.4 pts
50Hardin County14.8-2.7 pts
51Marion County14.7-0.6 pts
52Henderson County14.6-1.2 pts
53Hickman County14.4-1.9 pts
54Lewis County14.3-0.9 pts
55Grainger County14.2-2.9 pts
56McMinn County14-0.5 pts
57Franklin County13.90 pts
57Humphreys County13.9+0.8 pts
59Bradley County13.8-0.7 pts
59Coffee County13.8-0.6 pts
59Monroe County13.8-2.7 pts
59Sevier County13.8+0.9 pts
59White County13.8-2.2 pts
64Sullivan County13.6-1.5 pts
65Roane County13.5-1.1 pts
66Gibson County13.4-0.9 pts
67Anderson County13.3-2 pts
67Cannon County13.3+0.3 pts
67Hamilton County13.3+0.6 pts
70Stewart County13.2+0.3 pts
70Washington County13.2-2.6 pts
72Bedford County13-0.9 pts
73Jefferson County12.9+0.4 pts
74Davidson County12.8+0.2 pts
75Tipton County12.7+2.2 pts
76Giles County12.5-0.9 pts
77Lincoln County12.4-0.4 pts
77Polk County12.4-2.9 pts
79Marshall County12.1-1 pts
80Cumberland County12-1.3 pts
81Smith County11.7-3.6 pts
82Dickson County11+0.9 pts
83Knox County10.9-2.5 pts
84Montgomery County10.8-1.2 pts
85Loudon County10.6+0.9 pts
86Fayette County10.2-1 pts
87Maury County9.9+1.4 pts
88Moore County9.8-0.2 pts
89Sumner County9.6+1 pts
90Blount County9.2-1.3 pts
90Robertson County9.2-1.3 pts
92Rutherford County8.8-1.2 pts
93Cheatham County8.7-0.9 pts
94Wilson County8+0.6 pts
95Williamson County4.1-0.2 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 36.4% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 4.1% in 2020.

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