Counties in Texas by poverty rate

Willacy County had the highest poverty rate of 254 counties in 2018, at 35%. Loving County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 15.8% and the figure for Texas was 14.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Lowest3.3Loving County
Median15.8254 counties
Texas14.9History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Willacy CountyWillacy County: 35 %35Starr CountyStarr County: 33.2 %33.2Zapata CountyZapata County: 32.1 %32.1Zavala CountyZavala County: 32 %32Brooks CountyBrooks County: 31 %31Hidalgo CountyHidalgo County: 30 %30La Salle CountyLa Salle County: 29.6 %29.6Cameron CountyCameron County: 27.9 %27.9Frio CountyFrio County: 27.5 %27.5Bee CountyBee County: 26.7 %26.7Concho CountyConcho County: 26.6 %26.6Houston CountyHouston County: 26.1 %26.1Walker CountyWalker County: 26.1 %26.1Maverick CountyMaverick County: 25.9 %25.9Webb CountyWebb County: 25.7 %25.7Duval CountyDuval County: 25.5 %25.5Jim Hogg CountyJim Hogg County: 25.2 %25.2Kleberg CountyKleberg County: 25 %25Dimmit CountyDimmit County: 24.6 %24.6Garza CountyGarza County: 24.6 %24.6Hall CountyHall County: 24.1 %24.1Crosby CountyCrosby County: 23.7 %23.7Brazos CountyBrazos County: 23.2 %23.2Haskell CountyHaskell County: 23.1 %23.1Dawson CountyDawson County: 22.9 %22.9Uvalde CountyUvalde County: 22.9 %22.9Presidio CountyPresidio County: 22.4 %22.4Terry CountyTerry County: 22.4 %22.4Newton CountyNewton County: 22.3 %22.3Limestone CountyLimestone County: 22.2 %22.2San Augustine CountySan Augustine County: 22.2 %22.2Edwards CountyEdwards County: 22.1 %22.1Jones CountyJones County: 22 %22Cochran CountyCochran County: 21.9 %21.9Marion CountyMarion County: 21.9 %21.9Karnes CountyKarnes County: 21.8 %21.8Falls CountyFalls County: 21.7 %21.7Menard CountyMenard County: 21.6 %21.6Nacogdoches CountyNacogdoches County: 21.6 %21.6Reeves CountyReeves County: 21.5 %21.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Willacy County350 pts
2Starr County33.2+1.2 pts
3Zapata County32.1+2.1 pts
4Zavala County32+0.4 pts
5Brooks County31-4 pts
6Hidalgo County30+0.5 pts
7La Salle County29.6+0.4 pts
8Cameron County27.9+0.2 pts
9Frio County27.5-0.4 pts
10Bee County26.7+0.1 pts
11Concho County26.6+11.2 pts
12Houston County26.1+3.8 pts
12Walker County26.1+3 pts
14Maverick County25.9-1.1 pts
15Webb County25.7-1.6 pts
16Duval County25.5-3.1 pts
17Jim Hogg County25.2-2.1 pts
18Kleberg County25-0.5 pts
19Dimmit County24.6-6.6 pts
19Garza County24.6-0.7 pts
21Hall County24.1+0.1 pts
22Crosby County23.7+1.4 pts
23Brazos County23.2-0.7 pts
24Haskell County23.1+2.5 pts
25Dawson County22.9+1.2 pts
25Uvalde County22.9+2.4 pts
27Presidio County22.4-1 pts
27Terry County22.4+0.9 pts
29Newton County22.3+1.5 pts
30Limestone County22.2+3.1 pts
30San Augustine County22.2+0.6 pts
32Edwards County22.1-0.5 pts
33Jones County22+1.1 pts
34Cochran County21.9-2.9 pts
34Marion County21.9-0.9 pts
36Karnes County21.8-0.3 pts
37Falls County21.7-5.9 pts
38Menard County21.6+1 pts
38Nacogdoches County21.6-2.3 pts
40Reeves County21.5-3.6 pts
41Mitchell County21.4+0.8 pts
42Childress County21.2+0.9 pts
42Cottle County21.20 pts
42Jim Wells County21.2-2.5 pts
45Kinney County21.1+1 pts
46Floyd County21+0.8 pts
47Howard County20.6+2.5 pts
47Shelby County20.6-0.2 pts
49El Paso County20.5-0.5 pts
50Cass County20.4+1.4 pts
50Knox County20.4-0.2 pts
52Culberson County20.3-1.8 pts
52Dickens County20.3-0.9 pts
54Morris County20.2+1.8 pts
55Lamb County200 pts
55Navarro County20+3.1 pts
57Aransas County19.9+1.8 pts
58Anderson County19.8+1 pts
59Potter County19.7+1.2 pts
60Hockley County19.5+3.3 pts
60Pecos County19.5-1.1 pts
62Henderson County19.4+2.2 pts
62Stephens County19.4-0.1 pts
64Coleman County19.3-5.9 pts
65Jasper County19.2-0.8 pts
65Swisher County19.2-0.7 pts
67Bowie County19.1+3.2 pts
68McLennan County18.9+1.6 pts
68Terrell County18.9-0.4 pts
68Val Verde County18.9-2.5 pts
71Camp County18.8-1.5 pts
72Eastland County18.7+1.9 pts
72Jefferson County18.7+0.1 pts
72Live Oak County18.7+1.3 pts
75Donley County18.6-1.3 pts
75Titus County18.6+2.3 pts
77McCulloch County18.5-0.9 pts
78DeWitt County18.4-0.4 pts
78Hale County18.4-1.5 pts
78Matagorda County18.4+0.4 pts
81Lynn County18.3+0.2 pts
82Nolan County18.2-1.1 pts
82Red River County18.2-1.3 pts
82Tyler County18.2-1.4 pts
85Erath County18.1+2.3 pts
85Real County18.1-0.1 pts
87Foard County180 pts
88Angelina County17.9-2.1 pts
88Madison County17.9-0.4 pts
90Hudspeth County17.8-0.5 pts
90Motley County17.8+0.1 pts
90Wichita County17.8+1 pts
93Jack County17.7+0.3 pts
93Trinity County17.7-3.3 pts
95Kimble County17.6-1 pts
95Lubbock County17.6-1.3 pts
95Sabine County17.6-2.6 pts
98Castro County17.5+0.3 pts
98Deaf Smith County17.5-0.2 pts
98Grimes County17.5-0.5 pts
98San Jacinto County17.5-0.7 pts
102Cherokee County17.4+0.2 pts
102Hardeman County17.4-0.6 pts
104Collingsworth County17.3-0.7 pts
104San Patricio County17.3-1.7 pts
106Bexar County17.2+1.6 pts
106Delta County17.2-0.3 pts
108Gonzales County16.9+0.2 pts
108Runnels County16.9-0.4 pts
110San Saba County16.8-0.3 pts
110Wharton County16.8+0.8 pts
112Gray County16.7-0.3 pts
113Harris County16.5+0.6 pts
113Schleicher County16.5+0.3 pts
115Comanche County16.4+1.4 pts
115Rusk County16.4+1.2 pts
117Refugio County16.3-0.6 pts
118Briscoe County16.2+0.9 pts
118Nueces County16.2+0.1 pts
120Baylor County16.1-1.6 pts
121Brewster County16+2 pts
121Taylor County16+0.8 pts
123Palo Pinto County15.9-0.9 pts
123Upshur County15.9-0.5 pts
123Waller County15.9+0.4 pts
126Bailey County15.8-1.4 pts
126Robertson County15.8-1.6 pts
126Scurry County15.8-1.4 pts
129Atascosa County15.7-1.2 pts
129Panola County15.7+0.7 pts
131Leon County15.6-0.5 pts
131Milam County15.6-3.7 pts
131Van Zandt County15.6+2.5 pts
134Fisher County15.5+0.8 pts
134Tom Green County15.5+2 pts
136Gaines County15.4+0.4 pts
136Victoria County15.4-0.3 pts
138Crockett County15.3-1.5 pts
138Wilbarger County15.3-1.1 pts
138Wood County15.3+0.1 pts
141Franklin County15.2+0.4 pts
142Gregg County15.1-1.4 pts
142Liberty County15.1-0.4 pts
144Coryell County15+1.4 pts
144Polk County15-3 pts
144Smith County15-0.6 pts
147Bosque County14.9-1.1 pts
148Burleson County14.8-1.8 pts
148Cooke County14.8+1.8 pts
150Hamilton County14.7-1.4 pts
150Harrison County14.7-2.6 pts
152Hopkins County14.6+0.9 pts
152Mills County14.6-1.2 pts
152Stonewall County14.6-0.7 pts
155Rains County14.5-2.5 pts
156Goliad County14.4-0.8 pts
156Lamar County14.4-1.8 pts
158Kenedy County14.3-0.9 pts
158Throckmorton County14.3-1.1 pts
160Calhoun County14.2-2.1 pts
160Dallas County14.2-0.6 pts
160Sutton County14.2-0.1 pts
160Upton County14.2+0.2 pts
164Caldwell County14.1-0.4 pts
164Coke County14.1+0.8 pts
164Winkler County14.1-0.6 pts
167Wheeler County14-0.5 pts
168Kerr County13.9+0.6 pts
168Ward County13.9-1.2 pts
168Young County13.9-1.9 pts
171Fannin County13.8+0.9 pts
171Montague County13.8-1.5 pts
171Washington County13.8+0.9 pts
174Colorado County13.7-1.2 pts
174Freestone County13.7-2.4 pts
174King County13.7-0.2 pts
177Hunt County13.6-3.3 pts
177Martin County13.6+0.3 pts
179Lavaca County13.5+1.4 pts
179Parmer County13.5+0.2 pts
181Bandera County13.4+1.5 pts
181Orange County13.4-0.3 pts
181Shackelford County13.4-0.8 pts
184Fayette County13.3+2.5 pts
184Kent County13.30 pts
186Brown County13.2-3.6 pts
186Hays County13.2+1 pts
188Jeff Davis County13.1+0.3 pts
189Bell County13-0.8 pts
189Hutchinson County13+0.1 pts
189Oldham County13+0.2 pts
192Ector County12.9-0.6 pts
192Jackson County12.9-3.1 pts
192Lampasas County12.9-0.3 pts
195Mason County12.7+0.2 pts
196Bastrop County12.6+1.1 pts
196Hill County12.6-2.3 pts
196Sterling County12.6+0.4 pts
199Hardin County12.4-0.3 pts
200Grayson County12.3-1.1 pts
200Lee County12.3-0.4 pts
200Llano County12.3-0.6 pts
200Medina County12.3-2.4 pts
204Moore County12.2+0.5 pts
205Dallam County12.1+0.6 pts
205Galveston County12.1+0.1 pts
205Sherman County12.1-0.4 pts
205Tarrant County12.1+0.5 pts
205Yoakum County12.1+0.1 pts
210Callahan County12-2 pts
210Lipscomb County12-1.4 pts
210Travis County12+0.5 pts
213Hansford County11.6-0.3 pts
214Kaufman County11.5+2.2 pts
215McMullen County11.1-0.5 pts
216Burnet County11+0.6 pts
217Clay County10.9-0.9 pts
217Wilson County10.9+1.8 pts
219Andrews County10.7-2.3 pts
219Armstrong County10.7+0.1 pts
219Johnson County10.7+0.3 pts
222Archer County10.6+0.5 pts
223Ochiltree County10.5-1.8 pts
224Austin County10.2-0.5 pts
224Hood County10.2-0.4 pts
226Blanco County10.1-0.5 pts
226Brazoria County10.1+1.1 pts
226Crane County10.1-1.6 pts
226Midland County10.1-0.6 pts
230Borden County10-1 pts
230Reagan County10-1.4 pts
232Wise County9.9-1.2 pts
233Glasscock County9.7+0.3 pts
233Somervell County9.7-0.7 pts
235Gillespie County9.6-1.3 pts
235Hemphill County9.6-0.4 pts
237Hartley County9.5+0.6 pts
238Montgomery County9.3+0.4 pts
239Carson County8.9+0.4 pts
240Ellis County8.8+0.3 pts
241Chambers County8.5-1 pts
241Guadalupe County8.5-0.8 pts
241Randall County8.5-0.3 pts
244Parker County8.3+0.3 pts
245Irion County8.1-1.2 pts
246Fort Bend County7.9-0.1 pts
247Roberts County7.8+0.8 pts
248Kendall County7.5+0.2 pts
249Denton County7.3+0.2 pts
250Comal County7.1-1.8 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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?

Willacy County, with 35% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loving County, with 3.3% in 2018.

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