Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / US states

US states by poverty rate

Mississippi had the highest poverty rate of 51 states in 2015, at 22.1%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 8.4%. The median was 14.4% and the figure for the United States was 14.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.1Mississippi
Lowest8.4New Hampshire
Median14.451 states
United States14.7History

All states, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

MississippiMississippi: 22.1 %22.1New MexicoNew Mexico: 19.8 %19.8LouisianaLouisiana: 19.5 %19.5ArkansasArkansas: 18.7 %18.7AlabamaAlabama: 18.5 %18.5KentuckyKentucky: 18.3 %18.3West VirginiaWest Virginia: 18 %18District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 17.7 %17.7ArizonaArizona: 17.4 %17.4GeorgiaGeorgia: 17.2 %17.2South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 16.8 %16.8TennesseeTennessee: 16.7 %16.7North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 16.4 %16.4OklahomaOklahoma: 16 %16TexasTexas: 15.9 %15.9FloridaFlorida: 15.8 %15.8MichiganMichigan: 15.7 %15.7New YorkNew York: 15.5 %15.5CaliforniaCalifornia: 15.4 %15.4OregonOregon: 15.2 %15.2NevadaNevada: 14.9 %14.9MissouriMissouri: 14.8 %14.8OhioOhio: 14.8 %14.8IdahoIdaho: 14.7 %14.7IndianaIndiana: 14.4 %14.4MontanaMontana: 14.4 %14.4Rhode IslandRhode Island: 14.1 %14.1IllinoisIllinois: 13.6 %13.6South DakotaSouth Dakota: 13.5 %13.5MaineMaine: 13.2 %13.2PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 13.1 %13.1KansasKansas: 12.9 %12.9DelawareDelaware: 12.6 %12.6NebraskaNebraska: 12.2 %12.2WashingtonWashington: 12.2 %12.2IowaIowa: 12.1 %12.1WisconsinWisconsin: 12.1 %12.1ColoradoColorado: 11.5 %11.5MassachusettsMassachusetts: 11.5 %11.5UtahUtah: 11.2 %11.2VirginiaVirginia: 11.2 %11.2New JerseyNew Jersey: 10.8 %10.8HawaiiHawaii: 10.7 %10.7North DakotaNorth Dakota: 10.7 %10.7ConnecticutConnecticut: 10.6 %10.6WyomingWyoming: 10.6 %10.6AlaskaAlaska: 10.4 %10.4VermontVermont: 10.4 %10.4MinnesotaMinnesota: 10.2 %10.2MarylandMaryland: 9.9 %9.9New HampshireNew Hampshire: 8.4 %8.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStates2015 (%)
1Mississippi22.1
2New Mexico19.8
3Louisiana19.5
4Arkansas18.7
5Alabama18.5
6Kentucky18.3
7West Virginia18
8District of Columbia17.7
9Arizona17.4
10Georgia17.2
11South Carolina16.8
12Tennessee16.7
13North Carolina16.4
14Oklahoma16
15Texas15.9
16Florida15.8
17Michigan15.7
18New York15.5
19California15.4
20Oregon15.2
21Nevada14.9
22Missouri14.8
22Ohio14.8
24Idaho14.7
25Indiana14.4
25Montana14.4
27Rhode Island14.1
28Illinois13.6
29South Dakota13.5
30Maine13.2
31Pennsylvania13.1
32Kansas12.9
33Delaware12.6
34Nebraska12.2
34Washington12.2
36Iowa12.1
36Wisconsin12.1
38Colorado11.5
38Massachusetts11.5
40Utah11.2
40Virginia11.2
42New Jersey10.8
43Hawaii10.7
43North Dakota10.7
45Connecticut10.6
45Wyoming10.6
47Alaska10.4
47Vermont10.4
49Minnesota10.2
50Maryland9.9
51New Hampshire8.4

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 states 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 state has the highest poverty rate?

Mississippi, with 22.1% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest poverty rate?

New Hampshire, with 8.4% 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

US states: more rankings