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 2022, at 34.2%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 15.1% and the figure for Tennessee was 13.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest34.2Lake County
Lowest4.1Williamson County
Median15.195 counties
Tennessee13.3History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 34.2 %34.2Hancock CountyHancock County: 27.1 %27.1Hardin CountyHardin County: 23.7 %23.7Fentress CountyFentress County: 23.3 %23.3Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 22.6 %22.6Cocke CountyCocke County: 22.5 %22.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 22.3 %22.3Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 22.2 %22.2Scott CountyScott County: 21.5 %21.5Grundy CountyGrundy County: 21.3 %21.3Haywood CountyHaywood County: 20.7 %20.7Clay CountyClay County: 20.5 %20.5Campbell CountyCampbell County: 20.4 %20.4Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 20.2 %20.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.7 %19.7Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 19.5 %19.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 19.1 %19.1Putnam CountyPutnam County: 19.1 %19.1Carter CountyCarter County: 18.3 %18.3Weakley CountyWeakley County: 18 %18Sequatchie CountySequatchie County: 17.5 %17.5McNairy CountyMcNairy County: 17.3 %17.3Dyer CountyDyer County: 17.1 %17.1Greene CountyGreene County: 17.1 %17.1Coffee CountyCoffee County: 16.9 %16.9Decatur CountyDecatur County: 16.9 %16.9Henderson CountyHenderson County: 16.9 %16.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 16.9 %16.9Obion CountyObion County: 16.9 %16.9Perry CountyPerry County: 16.9 %16.9Benton CountyBenton County: 16.7 %16.7Trousdale CountyTrousdale County: 16.7 %16.7Crockett CountyCrockett County: 16.6 %16.6Meigs CountyMeigs County: 16.6 %16.6Shelby CountyShelby County: 16.6 %16.6Grainger CountyGrainger County: 16.5 %16.5White CountyWhite County: 16.4 %16.4Union CountyUnion County: 16.2 %16.2Pickett CountyPickett County: 16.1 %16.1Carroll CountyCarroll County: 16 %16
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Lake County34.2+0.8 pts
2Hancock County27.1-0.5 pts
3Hardin County23.7+6.1 pts
4Fentress County23.3+3.4 pts
5Bledsoe County22.6+0.5 pts
6Cocke County22.5+1.5 pts
7Johnson County22.3-1.4 pts
8Hardeman County22.2+1.3 pts
9Scott County21.5-0.9 pts
10Grundy County21.3+0.8 pts
11Haywood County20.7-0.6 pts
12Clay County20.5+1.8 pts
13Campbell County20.4+0.5 pts
14Claiborne County20.2+3.1 pts
15Wayne County19.7-0.1 pts
16Lauderdale County19.5-2 pts
17Jackson County19.1-2.1 pts
17Putnam County19.1+5.4 pts
19Carter County18.3+1.2 pts
20Weakley County180 pts
21Sequatchie County17.5+3.9 pts
22McNairy County17.3+1.9 pts
23Dyer County17.1+1.1 pts
23Greene County17.1+4.6 pts
25Coffee County16.9+1.3 pts
25Decatur County16.9-0.8 pts
25Henderson County16.9+3.3 pts
25Morgan County16.9-1.2 pts
25Obion County16.9+1.4 pts
25Perry County16.9-0.1 pts
31Benton County16.7-1.6 pts
31Trousdale County16.7-1.1 pts
33Crockett County16.6+1 pts
33Meigs County16.6+1.4 pts
33Shelby County16.6-1.4 pts
36Grainger County16.5-0.4 pts
37White County16.40 pts
38Union County16.2+0.6 pts
39Pickett County16.1+1.9 pts
40Carroll County16+0.1 pts
41Giles County15.9+3.5 pts
42DeKalb County15.6+0.1 pts
43Henry County15.5-0.9 pts
44Polk County15.4+1.9 pts
45Sullivan County15.3-1.8 pts
45Van Buren County15.3-1.7 pts
47Chester County15.1-2.5 pts
47Hamblen County15.1-3.3 pts
47Overton County15.1+0.2 pts
47Unicoi County15.1+0.6 pts
51Warren County15-0.6 pts
52Gibson County14.9+1.5 pts
52Madison County14.9-2.2 pts
52McMinn County14.9+0.4 pts
52Monroe County14.9-0.7 pts
56Macon County14.7-1.2 pts
57Hawkins County14.6-1.9 pts
58Hickman County14.5-1.8 pts
59Lewis County14.4-0.3 pts
59Rhea County14.4-1.4 pts
61Washington County14.1-0.2 pts
62Cumberland County14-0.9 pts
62Davidson County14-1 pts
64Lincoln County13.9-0.7 pts
64Marion County13.9-2.3 pts
64Tipton County13.9+0.8 pts
67Houston County13.7-1.6 pts
68Lawrence County13.60 pts
69Franklin County13.2+0.8 pts
69Roane County13.2+0.1 pts
71Anderson County13.1-1.2 pts
71Bradley County13.1+1.4 pts
71Stewart County13.1-0.2 pts
74Humphreys County12.8+0.7 pts
75Bedford County12.6-0.8 pts
75Smith County12.6+0.9 pts
77Hamilton County11.8-0.8 pts
78Knox County11.6-0.5 pts
78Sevier County11.6-1.6 pts
80Montgomery County11.2+0.4 pts
81Dickson County11.1-1 pts
81Jefferson County11.1-3.6 pts
83Marshall County11-0.1 pts
84Cannon County10.7-4.2 pts
85Fayette County10.4-1.9 pts
85Maury County10.4+0.1 pts
87Loudon County10.2+0.6 pts
88Moore County10+0.3 pts
89Blount County9.70 pts
90Rutherford County9.4+0.7 pts
91Robertson County9.1-1.4 pts
92Cheatham County8.60 pts
93Sumner County7.5-1.1 pts
94Wilson County7.2-0.3 pts
95Williamson County4.1+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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lake County, with 34.2% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 4.1% in 2022.

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