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 2023, at 34%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 15.5% and the figure for Tennessee was 13.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest34Lake County
Lowest4.9Williamson County
Median15.595 counties
Tennessee13.8History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Lake CountyLake County: 34 %34Hancock CountyHancock County: 26.7 %26.7Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 24.6 %24.6Grundy CountyGrundy County: 22.8 %22.8Bledsoe CountyBledsoe County: 21.6 %21.6Hardeman CountyHardeman County: 21.5 %21.5Clay CountyClay County: 21.2 %21.2Haywood CountyHaywood County: 21 %21Scott CountyScott County: 21 %21Johnson CountyJohnson County: 20.9 %20.9Campbell CountyCampbell County: 20.6 %20.6Cocke CountyCocke County: 20.4 %20.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 20 %20Hardin CountyHardin County: 19.7 %19.7Obion CountyObion County: 19.3 %19.3Decatur CountyDecatur County: 19.2 %19.2Fentress CountyFentress County: 18.9 %18.9Claiborne CountyClaiborne County: 18.6 %18.6Madison CountyMadison County: 18.6 %18.6Weakley CountyWeakley County: 18.6 %18.6Henry CountyHenry County: 18.3 %18.3Shelby CountyShelby County: 18.2 %18.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 18 %18Dyer CountyDyer County: 17.7 %17.7Benton CountyBenton County: 17.6 %17.6Warren CountyWarren County: 17.6 %17.6Perry CountyPerry County: 17.5 %17.5Carroll CountyCarroll County: 17.4 %17.4Hamblen CountyHamblen County: 17.3 %17.3Putnam CountyPutnam County: 17.3 %17.3Hawkins CountyHawkins County: 17.2 %17.2Houston CountyHouston County: 17 %17Carter CountyCarter County: 16.9 %16.9Chester CountyChester County: 16.7 %16.7Pickett CountyPickett County: 16.6 %16.6DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 16.3 %16.3Washington CountyWashington County: 16.3 %16.3Macon CountyMacon County: 16.2 %16.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 16.2 %16.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 16.1 %16.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Lake County34-0.2 pts
2Hancock County26.7-0.4 pts
3Lauderdale County24.6+5.1 pts
4Grundy County22.8+1.5 pts
5Bledsoe County21.6-1 pts
6Hardeman County21.5-0.7 pts
7Clay County21.2+0.7 pts
8Haywood County21+0.3 pts
8Scott County21-0.5 pts
10Johnson County20.9-1.4 pts
11Campbell County20.6+0.2 pts
12Cocke County20.4-2.1 pts
13Jackson County20+0.9 pts
14Hardin County19.7-4 pts
15Obion County19.3+2.4 pts
16Decatur County19.2+2.3 pts
17Fentress County18.9-4.4 pts
18Claiborne County18.6-1.6 pts
18Madison County18.6+3.7 pts
18Weakley County18.6+0.6 pts
21Henry County18.3+2.8 pts
22Shelby County18.2+1.6 pts
23Wayne County18-1.7 pts
24Dyer County17.7+0.6 pts
25Benton County17.6+0.9 pts
25Warren County17.6+2.6 pts
27Perry County17.5+0.6 pts
28Carroll County17.4+1.4 pts
29Hamblen County17.3+2.2 pts
29Putnam County17.3-1.8 pts
31Hawkins County17.2+2.6 pts
32Houston County17+3.3 pts
33Carter County16.9-1.4 pts
34Chester County16.7+1.6 pts
35Pickett County16.6+0.5 pts
36DeKalb County16.3+0.7 pts
36Washington County16.3+2.2 pts
38Macon County16.2+1.5 pts
38Morgan County16.2-0.7 pts
40Lewis County16.1+1.7 pts
41Monroe County16+1.1 pts
41Rhea County16+1.6 pts
43Hickman County15.9+1.4 pts
43Union County15.9-0.3 pts
45Trousdale County15.8-0.9 pts
46Meigs County15.6-1 pts
47Grainger County15.5-1 pts
47McNairy County15.5-1.8 pts
49Giles County15.3-0.6 pts
50Marion County15.1+1.2 pts
50Sequatchie County15.1-2.4 pts
52Bradley County15+1.9 pts
52Polk County15-0.4 pts
54Crockett County14.9-1.7 pts
54Lawrence County14.9+1.3 pts
54McMinn County14.90 pts
57Greene County14.8-2.3 pts
57Tipton County14.8+0.9 pts
59Gibson County14.7-0.2 pts
59Humphreys County14.7+1.9 pts
59Van Buren County14.7-0.6 pts
62Cumberland County14.6+0.6 pts
63Coffee County14.5-2.4 pts
63Lincoln County14.5+0.6 pts
65Anderson County14.4+1.3 pts
65Cannon County14.4+3.7 pts
67Overton County14.3-0.8 pts
68Henderson County14-2.9 pts
69Knox County13.8+2.2 pts
70White County13.7-2.7 pts
71Sullivan County13.5-1.8 pts
72Roane County13.4+0.2 pts
73Bedford County13.3+0.7 pts
74Franklin County12.9-0.3 pts
74Hamilton County12.9+1.1 pts
74Jefferson County12.9+1.8 pts
74Stewart County12.9-0.2 pts
78Fayette County12.8+2.4 pts
79Montgomery County12.6+1.4 pts
80Davidson County12.3-1.7 pts
80Unicoi County12.3-2.8 pts
82Sevier County12.2+0.6 pts
83Smith County11.7-0.9 pts
84Marshall County10.7-0.3 pts
84Maury County10.7+0.3 pts
86Loudon County10.5+0.3 pts
87Dickson County9.9-1.2 pts
87Moore County9.9-0.1 pts
87Robertson County9.9+0.8 pts
90Blount County9.70 pts
91Rutherford County9.1-0.3 pts
92Sumner County8.9+1.4 pts
93Cheatham County8.7+0.1 pts
94Wilson County6.6-0.6 pts
95Williamson County4.9+0.8 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 34% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 4.9% in 2023.

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