Counties in Texas by poverty rate

Willacy County had the highest poverty rate of 254 counties in 2015, at 35.4%. Rockwall County had the lowest, at 6%. The median was 16.5% and the figure for Texas was 15.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.4Willacy County
Median16.5254 counties
Texas15.9History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Willacy CountyWillacy County: 35.4 %35.4Cameron CountyCameron County: 32 %32Zavala CountyZavala County: 32 %32Brooks CountyBrooks County: 31.7 %31.7Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 31.1 %31.1Starr CountyStarr County: 30.9 %30.9Zapata CountyZapata County: 30.9 %30.9Webb CountyWebb County: 30.5 %30.5Frio CountyFrio County: 29.3 %29.3La Salle CountyLa Salle County: 27.9 %27.9Houston CountyHouston County: 27 %27Garza CountyGarza County: 26.8 %26.8Concho CountyConcho County: 26.4 %26.4Hall CountyHall County: 25.5 %25.5Duval CountyDuval County: 25.4 %25.4Hudspeth CountyHudspeth County: 25 %25Nacogdoches CountyNacogdoches County: 24.5 %24.5Dimmit CountyDimmit County: 24.4 %24.4Kleberg CountyKleberg County: 24.3 %24.3San Augustine CountySan Augustine County: 24.3 %24.3Brazos CountyBrazos County: 24 %24Culberson CountyCulberson County: 23.9 %23.9Falls CountyFalls County: 23.9 %23.9Maverick CountyMaverick County: 23.9 %23.9Bee CountyBee County: 23.4 %23.4Marion CountyMarion County: 23.4 %23.4Jim Hogg CountyJim Hogg County: 23.2 %23.2Crosby CountyCrosby County: 22.8 %22.8Walker CountyWalker County: 22.7 %22.7Cochran CountyCochran County: 22.5 %22.5Terry CountyTerry County: 22.5 %22.5Potter CountyPotter County: 22.4 %22.4Presidio CountyPresidio County: 22.4 %22.4Childress CountyChildress County: 22.3 %22.3Haskell CountyHaskell County: 22.3 %22.3Dickens CountyDickens County: 22.2 %22.2Edwards CountyEdwards County: 22.2 %22.2Jim Wells CountyJim Wells County: 22.1 %22.1Val Verde CountyVal Verde County: 22.1 %22.1Dawson CountyDawson County: 21.9 %21.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Willacy County35.4
2Cameron County32
2Zavala County32
4Brooks County31.7
5Hidalgo County31.1
6Starr County30.9
6Zapata County30.9
8Webb County30.5
9Frio County29.3
10La Salle County27.9
11Houston County27
12Garza County26.8
13Concho County26.4
14Hall County25.5
15Duval County25.4
16Hudspeth County25
17Nacogdoches County24.5
18Dimmit County24.4
19Kleberg County24.3
19San Augustine County24.3
21Brazos County24
22Culberson County23.9
22Falls County23.9
22Maverick County23.9
25Bee County23.4
25Marion County23.4
27Jim Hogg County23.2
28Crosby County22.8
29Walker County22.7
30Cochran County22.5
30Terry County22.5
32Potter County22.4
32Presidio County22.4
34Childress County22.3
34Haskell County22.3
36Dickens County22.2
36Edwards County22.2
38Jim Wells County22.1
38Val Verde County22.1
40Dawson County21.9
41Floyd County21.8
41Lamb County21.8
43Swisher County21.6
44Cottle County21.4
44Jones County21.4
46Newton County21.2
47Anderson County21
48Menard County20.8
49Uvalde County20.7
50Kinney County20.6
51Lynn County20.5
51Matagorda County20.5
53Atascosa County20.4
54El Paso County20.3
54Hale County20.3
56Donley County20.2
56Red River County20.2
58Lubbock County20.1
58Titus County20.1
60Cass County20
60Coleman County20
60Karnes County20
60Kimble County20
60Nolan County20
65McLennan County19.9
65Nueces County19.9
65Tyler County19.9
68Shelby County19.8
69Mitchell County19.7
69Sabine County19.7
71Navarro County19.6
72Morris County19.5
72Trinity County19.5
74Deaf Smith County19.4
74Real County19.4
76Reeves County19.3
77DeWitt County19.2
77Knox County19.2
77Madison County19.2
80Howard County19.1
80Limestone County19.1
82Cherokee County19
82Collingsworth County19
84San Saba County18.9
84Wichita County18.9
86Camp County18.8
86Castro County18.8
86Lamar County18.8
89Bowie County18.6
89McCulloch County18.6
89Palo Pinto County18.6
92Delta County18.5
92Harrison County18.5
92Runnels County18.5
95Aransas County18.2
95Brown County18.2
95Stephens County18.2
98Eastland County18.1
98Pecos County18.1
98San Jacinto County18.1
101Hardeman County18
102Angelina County17.9
102Dallas County17.9
104Caldwell County17.8
104Foard County17.8
104Grimes County17.8
104Hill County17.8
108Erath County17.7
109Baylor County17.4
110Polk County17.2
110Wharton County17.2
112Jack County17.1
113Gregg County17
113Motley County17
115Jefferson County16.9
115Milam County16.9
117Calhoun County16.8
117Comanche County16.8
119Terrell County16.7
120Briscoe County16.6
120Harris County16.6
120Mills County16.6
120Robertson County16.6
120Rusk County16.6
120Wood County16.6
126Hunt County16.5
126Kenedy County16.5
126Wilbarger County16.5
129Fannin County16.4
129Franklin County16.4
129Gonzales County16.4
132Henderson County16.2
133Orange County16.1
134Coryell County16
134Smith County16
134Waller County16
137Bell County15.9
137Hockley County15.9
137Hopkins County15.9
137Van Zandt County15.9
141Bailey County15.8
141Freestone County15.8
141Liberty County15.8
141Live Oak County15.8
145Jasper County15.7
146Bexar County15.6
146Tom Green County15.6
148Burleson County15.5
148San Patricio County15.5
148Upshur County15.5
151Hamilton County15.4
151Refugio County15.4
153Fisher County15.2
153Grayson County15.2
153Montague County15.2
156Panola County15.1
157Bosque County15
157Young County15
159Brewster County14.8
159Llano County14.8
159Medina County14.8
159Taylor County14.8
163Colorado County14.5
163Parmer County14.5
163Stonewall County14.5
163Washington County14.5
167Moore County14.4
167Rains County14.4
169Kerr County14.3
169Loving County14.3
171Hutchinson County14.2
172Goliad County14.1
173Galveston County14
174Lampasas County13.9
175Leon County13.8
175Mason County13.8
177Hays County13.6
177Jackson County13.6
177Throckmorton County13.6
177Victoria County13.6
181Coke County13.5
181Upton County13.5
183Oldham County13.4
183Schleicher County13.4
185Bandera County13.3
185Gaines County13.3
185Jeff Davis County13.3
185Winkler County13.3
189Burnet County13.2
189Cooke County13.2
189Travis County13.2
192Kaufman County13.1
192Shackelford County13.1
192Tarrant County13.1
195Callahan County13
195Gray County13
197Crockett County12.9
197Wheeler County12.9
199Sherman County12.8
199Ward County12.8
201Austin County12.7
201Bastrop County12.7
201Scurry County12.7
204Ector County12.6
205Sutton County12.5
206Lee County12.4
207Clay County12.3
208Lavaca County12.2
209Somervell County12.1
209Wise County12.1
211Dallam County12
211Fayette County12
213Hardin County11.8
214Hansford County11.7
215Sterling County11.6
216Johnson County11.4
216Martin County11.4
218Kent County11.3
219Yoakum County11.1
220King County11
221Blanco County10.9
221Ellis County10.9
223Brazoria County10.6
224Andrews County10.4
224Armstrong County10.4
224Gillespie County10.4
227Guadalupe County10.3
228Borden County10.2
229Montgomery County10.1
230McMullen County10
231Hartley County9.9
232Hood County9.8
233Lipscomb County9.7
234Chambers County9.6
234Crane County9.6
236Archer County9.5
237Parker County9.4
237Wilson County9.4
239Midland County8.9
240Ochiltree County8.8
240Reagan County8.8
242Hemphill County8.6
243Carson County8.5
243Randall County8.5
245Comal County8.3
246Denton County8
246Kendall County8
248Irion County7.9
249Glasscock County7.8
250Fort Bend County7

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Willacy County, with 35.4% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Rockwall County, with 6% in 2015.

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