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

US states by poverty rate

Mississippi had the highest poverty rate of 51 states in 2017, at 19.9%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 7.7%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for the United States was 13.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest19.9Mississippi
Lowest7.7New Hampshire
Median12.851 states
United States13.4History

All states, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

MississippiMississippi: 19.9 %19.9LouisianaLouisiana: 19.6 %19.6New MexicoNew Mexico: 19 %19West VirginiaWest Virginia: 18.5 %18.5KentuckyKentucky: 17.1 %17.1AlabamaAlabama: 16.9 %16.9District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 16.6 %16.6ArkansasArkansas: 16.3 %16.3OklahomaOklahoma: 15.8 %15.8South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 15.4 %15.4GeorgiaGeorgia: 15.1 %15.1TennesseeTennessee: 15 %15ArizonaArizona: 14.9 %14.9North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 14.7 %14.7TexasTexas: 14.7 %14.7FloridaFlorida: 14.1 %14.1MichiganMichigan: 14.1 %14.1New YorkNew York: 14.1 %14.1OhioOhio: 13.9 %13.9MissouriMissouri: 13.4 %13.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 13.3 %13.3IndianaIndiana: 13.3 %13.3NevadaNevada: 13.3 %13.3OregonOregon: 13.2 %13.2DelawareDelaware: 13 %13South DakotaSouth Dakota: 12.8 %12.8MontanaMontana: 12.7 %12.7IdahoIdaho: 12.6 %12.6IllinoisIllinois: 12.5 %12.5PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 12.5 %12.5Rhode IslandRhode Island: 12.3 %12.3KansasKansas: 11.9 %11.9MaineMaine: 11.3 %11.3WisconsinWisconsin: 11.3 %11.3AlaskaAlaska: 11 %11WashingtonWashington: 11 %11IowaIowa: 10.8 %10.8VermontVermont: 10.8 %10.8WyomingWyoming: 10.8 %10.8NebraskaNebraska: 10.7 %10.7VirginiaVirginia: 10.7 %10.7MassachusettsMassachusetts: 10.5 %10.5ColoradoColorado: 10.3 %10.3North DakotaNorth Dakota: 10.2 %10.2New JerseyNew Jersey: 10 %10ConnecticutConnecticut: 9.7 %9.7UtahUtah: 9.7 %9.7HawaiiHawaii: 9.5 %9.5MinnesotaMinnesota: 9.5 %9.5MarylandMaryland: 9.4 %9.4New HampshireNew Hampshire: 7.7 %7.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStates2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Mississippi19.9-1.1 pts
2Louisiana19.6-0.5 pts
3New Mexico19-0.1 pts
4West Virginia18.5+0.6 pts
5Kentucky17.1-1.1 pts
6Alabama16.9-0.3 pts
7District of Columbia16.6-1.9 pts
8Arkansas16.3-0.9 pts
9Oklahoma15.8-0.3 pts
10South Carolina15.4+0.1 pts
11Georgia15.1-1 pts
12Tennessee15-0.8 pts
13Arizona14.9-1.5 pts
14North Carolina14.7-0.7 pts
14Texas14.7-0.9 pts
16Florida14.1-0.7 pts
16Michigan14.1-0.8 pts
16New York14.1-0.7 pts
19Ohio13.9-0.6 pts
20Missouri13.4-0.6 pts
21California13.3-1.1 pts
21Indiana13.3-0.7 pts
21Nevada13.3-0.8 pts
24Oregon13.2-0.2 pts
25Delaware13+1.2 pts
26South Dakota12.8-0.1 pts
27Montana12.7-0.7 pts
28Idaho12.6-1.2 pts
29Illinois12.5-0.5 pts
29Pennsylvania12.5-0.4 pts
31Rhode Island12.3-1 pts
32Kansas11.9-0.3 pts
33Maine11.3-1 pts
33Wisconsin11.3-0.5 pts
35Alaska11+1.1 pts
35Washington11-0.3 pts
37Iowa10.8-0.9 pts
37Vermont10.8-0.5 pts
37Wyoming10.8-0.1 pts
40Nebraska10.7-0.6 pts
40Virginia10.7-0.3 pts
42Massachusetts10.50 pts
43Colorado10.3-0.7 pts
44North Dakota10.2-0.3 pts
45New Jersey10-0.4 pts
46Connecticut9.7-0.2 pts
46Utah9.7-0.5 pts
48Hawaii9.50 pts
48Minnesota9.5-0.4 pts
50Maryland9.4-0.3 pts
51New Hampshire7.7+0.1 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 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which state has the highest poverty rate?

Mississippi, with 19.9% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest poverty rate?

New Hampshire, with 7.7% in 2017.

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