Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Texas

Counties in Texas by poverty rate, 2024

Starr County had the highest poverty rate of 254 counties in 2024, at 35.4%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 5.4%. The median was 14.7% and the figure for Texas was 13.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.4Starr County
Lowest5.4Williamson County
Median14.7254 counties
Texas13.4History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Starr CountyStarr County: 35.4 %35.4Zapata CountyZapata County: 30.9 %30.9Brooks CountyBrooks County: 30.6 %30.6Hudspeth CountyHudspeth County: 30.2 %30.2Dimmit CountyDimmit County: 28.5 %28.5La Salle CountyLa Salle County: 27.3 %27.3Frio CountyFrio County: 27 %27Zavala CountyZavala County: 25.7 %25.7Duval CountyDuval County: 24.8 %24.8Cameron CountyCameron County: 24.3 %24.3Bee CountyBee County: 24.2 %24.2Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 24.2 %24.2Willacy CountyWillacy County: 24.2 %24.2Walker CountyWalker County: 23.3 %23.3Swisher CountySwisher County: 23.2 %23.2Haskell CountyHaskell County: 22.8 %22.8Jim Wells CountyJim Wells County: 22.8 %22.8Jones CountyJones County: 22.7 %22.7Potter CountyPotter County: 22.5 %22.5Brazos CountyBrazos County: 22.1 %22.1Hall CountyHall County: 22.1 %22.1Jim Hogg CountyJim Hogg County: 22.1 %22.1Mitchell CountyMitchell County: 22.1 %22.1Concho CountyConcho County: 22 %22Nacogdoches CountyNacogdoches County: 21.9 %21.9Maverick CountyMaverick County: 21.8 %21.8Kleberg CountyKleberg County: 21.4 %21.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 21.3 %21.3Crosby CountyCrosby County: 21.2 %21.2Marion CountyMarion County: 21 %21Cochran CountyCochran County: 20.8 %20.8Kinney CountyKinney County: 20.7 %20.7Webb CountyWebb County: 20.6 %20.6San Augustine CountySan Augustine County: 20.4 %20.4Dawson CountyDawson County: 20.1 %20.1Anderson CountyAnderson County: 20 %20Childress CountyChildress County: 20 %20Menard CountyMenard County: 20 %20Presidio CountyPresidio County: 19.8 %19.8Terry CountyTerry County: 19.8 %19.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Starr County35.4+6.6 pts
2Zapata County30.9+0.5 pts
3Brooks County30.6+0.9 pts
4Hudspeth County30.2-1.8 pts
5Dimmit County28.5+1.2 pts
6La Salle County27.3+0.2 pts
7Frio County27+1.4 pts
8Zavala County25.7-3.2 pts
9Duval County24.8-4.3 pts
10Cameron County24.3+0.8 pts
11Bee County24.2-0.7 pts
11Hidalgo County24.2-2.7 pts
11Willacy County24.2-3.6 pts
14Walker County23.3+0.9 pts
15Swisher County23.2+3.8 pts
16Haskell County22.8+3.5 pts
16Jim Wells County22.8+1.6 pts
18Jones County22.7+2.2 pts
19Potter County22.5+4.7 pts
20Brazos County22.1-1.6 pts
20Hall County22.10 pts
20Jim Hogg County22.1-2.5 pts
20Mitchell County22.1+1 pts
24Concho County22-0.2 pts
25Nacogdoches County21.9+2.3 pts
26Maverick County21.8-1 pts
27Kleberg County21.4-0.7 pts
28Jefferson County21.3+1.2 pts
29Crosby County21.2-0.5 pts
30Marion County21-0.7 pts
31Cochran County20.8-1.2 pts
32Kinney County20.7-0.3 pts
33Webb County20.6-1.9 pts
34San Augustine County20.4+0.1 pts
35Dawson County20.1+0.4 pts
36Anderson County20-1.4 pts
36Childress County20+0.1 pts
36Menard County200 pts
39Presidio County19.8-3.1 pts
39Terry County19.8+0.5 pts
41Nolan County19.7-0.7 pts
42Uvalde County19.5-1.5 pts
43Karnes County19.4-4.2 pts
43Motley County19.4+2.6 pts
45Houston County19.3-2.5 pts
46Edwards County19.2-0.5 pts
47Cottle County19-1.1 pts
47Knox County19-1.5 pts
47Morris County19-0.3 pts
50Coleman County18.8+1.1 pts
51Falls County18.7-1.4 pts
51Terrell County18.7+0.1 pts
53Hale County18.6-0.7 pts
54DeWitt County18.5+0.2 pts
54Eastland County18.5+2.2 pts
56Culberson County18.2-2.3 pts
56McCulloch County18.2-0.3 pts
58El Paso County18.1-0.4 pts
58Hardeman County18.1+1.7 pts
58Val Verde County18.1-2.1 pts
61Gonzales County18+0.4 pts
61Live Oak County18+1 pts
63Dickens County17.8-0.6 pts
63Liberty County17.8+3.3 pts
63Runnels County17.8+2.5 pts
66Stephens County17.7-0.7 pts
67Newton County17.5-1 pts
68Floyd County17.3-3 pts
68Pecos County17.3-3.9 pts
70Donley County17.2+0.3 pts
70Garza County17.2-1.3 pts
70Lamar County17.2-2 pts
70Lamb County17.2-1.1 pts
74Deaf Smith County16.8+0.3 pts
74Reeves County16.8-0.8 pts
74San Jacinto County16.8+0.1 pts
74Trinity County16.8-2.1 pts
78Brown County16.7+1.9 pts
78Castro County16.7-1 pts
78Harris County16.7+0.7 pts
81Collingsworth County16.6-2.3 pts
82Cass County16.50 pts
82Stonewall County16.5+0.6 pts
84Tyler County16.3-2.2 pts
85Bowie County16.2+1.4 pts
85Foard County16.2-0.6 pts
85McLennan County16.2-0.5 pts
85Shelby County16.2-1.8 pts
89Baylor County16.1-1.3 pts
89Gregg County16.1+0.1 pts
91Cherokee County16-2.9 pts
91Palo Pinto County16-0.9 pts
93Atascosa County15.9-2.5 pts
93Henderson County15.9-1 pts
93Jasper County15.9-0.7 pts
93Sabine County15.9+1.4 pts
97Hockley County15.8+0.7 pts
97Madison County15.8-2.5 pts
99Camp County15.7-1.9 pts
99Hill County15.7+1.5 pts
99Lubbock County15.7-1.4 pts
99Robertson County15.7-1.3 pts
103Bailey County15.6-0.8 pts
104Kenedy County15.5+0.6 pts
105Goliad County15.4+1.6 pts
105Gray County15.4-1.9 pts
105Howard County15.4-2.6 pts
105Kimble County15.4-2 pts
105Schleicher County15.4-0.6 pts
110Nueces County15.3-2 pts
111Refugio County15.2-1.6 pts
112Brewster County15.1+1.4 pts
112Real County15.1-0.6 pts
112Scurry County15.1-0.6 pts
115Coke County15+2 pts
115Grimes County15+0.1 pts
115Red River County15-3.4 pts
115San Saba County15-3.4 pts
115Titus County15-0.7 pts
120Erath County14.9-0.9 pts
120Fisher County14.9+0.6 pts
120Wilbarger County14.9-2 pts
123Ector County14.8+3.1 pts
123Limestone County14.8-3.2 pts
123Matagorda County14.8-3.1 pts
123Taylor County14.8+1.5 pts
127Briscoe County14.7+0.8 pts
127Crockett County14.7-0.6 pts
129Bexar County14.6-0.1 pts
129Coryell County14.6+2.4 pts
129Delta County14.6-0.5 pts
129Wharton County14.6-0.7 pts
133Bosque County14.5+2.8 pts
133Calhoun County14.5-0.1 pts
133Comanche County14.5-3.1 pts
133Harrison County14.5-2.7 pts
133Navarro County14.5-1.2 pts
133Polk County14.5-3.6 pts
139Hutchinson County14.4+0.1 pts
139Wichita County14.4-3.2 pts
141Aransas County14.3-2.8 pts
141Jack County14.3+1.1 pts
141Jackson County14.3+0.3 pts
141San Patricio County14.3-2.9 pts
141Victoria County14.3+0.2 pts
141Winkler County14.3+0.8 pts
147Leon County14.2+0.5 pts
148Rusk County14.1-0.1 pts
148Throckmorton County14.1+1 pts
150Lynn County13.9-2.8 pts
151Bell County13.8+2.3 pts
151Milam County13.8-2.1 pts
151Orange County13.8-0.7 pts
154Burleson County13.7-0.2 pts
154Hamilton County13.70 pts
154Moore County13.7+0.2 pts
154Upshur County13.7-0.2 pts
154Wood County13.7-1.5 pts
154Young County13.7-0.8 pts
160Mills County13.6-1.1 pts
160Waller County13.6-0.3 pts
160Ward County13.6-0.5 pts
163King County13.5+3.8 pts
163Wheeler County13.5-0.8 pts
165Colorado County13.4-1.1 pts
165Franklin County13.4-0.7 pts
165Hopkins County13.4+0.4 pts
165Lipscomb County13.4+0.8 pts
165Montague County13.40 pts
165Upton County13.4-1.9 pts
171Panola County13.3-0.3 pts
172Van Zandt County13+1 pts
173Fannin County12.8-1.4 pts
173Jeff Davis County12.80 pts
175Angelina County12.7-4.5 pts
175Freestone County12.7-2.7 pts
175Oldham County12.7+0.4 pts
175Parmer County12.7-0.7 pts
179Galveston County12.6+1.1 pts
179Yoakum County12.6-0.4 pts
181Dallas County12.5-1.3 pts
182Lavaca County12.4-0.1 pts
182Washington County12.4-2.1 pts
184Sutton County12.3-1.1 pts
185Gaines County12.2-1.2 pts
186Martin County12.1+0.2 pts
186Shackelford County12.1-0.7 pts
186Sherman County12.1-0.7 pts
186Smith County12.1-1.1 pts
190Kent County11.9+0.3 pts
191Caldwell County11.8-1.9 pts
191Llano County11.8+0.1 pts
193Dallam County11.7-0.5 pts
194Callahan County11.5-1.2 pts
194Tarrant County11.5+0.5 pts
194Tom Green County11.5-3.1 pts
197Crane County11.4-0.3 pts
197Ochiltree County11.4+0.3 pts
199Cooke County11.2-1.3 pts
199Kerr County11.2-0.8 pts
199Mason County11.2-1.2 pts
199Medina County11.2-1.9 pts
199Midland County11.2+0.3 pts
199Rains County11.2-2.6 pts
205Austin County11.1-0.5 pts
205Hansford County11.1-0.5 pts
205Hunt County11.1-1.6 pts
205Lampasas County11.1-0.4 pts
209Bandera County11-1.9 pts
209Clay County11-0.7 pts
209Grayson County11+0.1 pts
209Lee County11-0.2 pts
213McMullen County10.9-1.5 pts
214Hardin County10.8-0.7 pts
214Hays County10.8+1 pts
214Sterling County10.8-0.7 pts
217Andrews County10.5-0.9 pts
217Travis County10.5+0.3 pts
219Randall County10.4+1.7 pts
220Borden County10.2-1.7 pts
220Fayette County10.2+0.9 pts
220Hemphill County10.2+0.1 pts
223Armstrong County10.1-0.4 pts
223Reagan County10.1-0.6 pts
225Somervell County9.7+0.9 pts
226Bastrop County9.6-1.7 pts
227Carson County9.5+0.4 pts
228Wilson County9.3-0.6 pts
229Archer County9.2-0.5 pts
229Burnet County9.2-0.7 pts
229Hartley County9.2+0.7 pts
232Brazoria County9.1-0.3 pts
232Montgomery County9.1-1 pts
234Irion County8.90 pts
235Roberts County8.6-0.4 pts
236Kaufman County8.5-1.1 pts
237Gillespie County8.2-1.8 pts
237Glasscock County8.2+0.1 pts
239Wise County8.1-1.3 pts
240Blanco County8-0.5 pts
240Hood County8-0.1 pts
240Parker County8-0.2 pts
243Chambers County7.9-0.7 pts
243Guadalupe County7.9-0.2 pts
243Johnson County7.9-2 pts
246Fort Bend County7.7-0.8 pts
247Ellis County7.5+0.1 pts
248Comal County6.9-0.2 pts
249Kendall County6.5-0.4 pts
250Loving County6.3+1.6 pts

Showing the top 250 of 254. The CSV download has every row.

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/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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Rank Counties in Texas by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Starr County, with 35.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Williamson County, with 5.4% in 2024.

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 Texas: more rankings