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

US states by poverty rate

Mississippi had the highest poverty rate of 51 states in 2019, at 19.5%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 7.5%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for the United States was 12.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest19.5Mississippi
Lowest7.5New Hampshire
Median11.851 states
United States12.3History

All states, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

MississippiMississippi: 19.5 %19.5LouisianaLouisiana: 18.8 %18.8New MexicoNew Mexico: 17.5 %17.5West VirginiaWest Virginia: 16.2 %16.2ArkansasArkansas: 16 %16KentuckyKentucky: 16 %16AlabamaAlabama: 15.6 %15.6OklahomaOklahoma: 15.1 %15.1District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 14.1 %14.1South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 13.9 %13.9TennesseeTennessee: 13.8 %13.8North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 13.6 %13.6TexasTexas: 13.6 %13.6ArizonaArizona: 13.5 %13.5GeorgiaGeorgia: 13.5 %13.5New YorkNew York: 13.1 %13.1OhioOhio: 13 %13MichiganMichigan: 12.9 %12.9MissouriMissouri: 12.9 %12.9FloridaFlorida: 12.7 %12.7NevadaNevada: 12.7 %12.7MontanaMontana: 12.6 %12.6PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 12 %12IndianaIndiana: 11.9 %11.9South DakotaSouth Dakota: 11.9 %11.9CaliforniaCalifornia: 11.8 %11.8Rhode IslandRhode Island: 11.6 %11.6OregonOregon: 11.5 %11.5IllinoisIllinois: 11.4 %11.4KansasKansas: 11.3 %11.3DelawareDelaware: 11.2 %11.2IdahoIdaho: 11 %11IowaIowa: 11 %11MaineMaine: 10.9 %10.9North DakotaNorth Dakota: 10.5 %10.5WisconsinWisconsin: 10.4 %10.4AlaskaAlaska: 10.2 %10.2VermontVermont: 10.1 %10.1ConnecticutConnecticut: 9.9 %9.9NebraskaNebraska: 9.9 %9.9VirginiaVirginia: 9.9 %9.9WyomingWyoming: 9.9 %9.9WashingtonWashington: 9.8 %9.8MassachusettsMassachusetts: 9.5 %9.5ColoradoColorado: 9.4 %9.4MarylandMaryland: 9.1 %9.1New JerseyNew Jersey: 9.1 %9.1HawaiiHawaii: 9 %9MinnesotaMinnesota: 8.9 %8.9UtahUtah: 8.8 %8.8New HampshireNew Hampshire: 7.5 %7.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Mississippi19.5-0.3 pts
2Louisiana18.8+0.1 pts
3New Mexico17.5-1.3 pts
4West Virginia16.2-1.2 pts
5Arkansas16-0.8 pts
5Kentucky16-0.7 pts
7Alabama15.6-1.2 pts
8Oklahoma15.1-0.4 pts
9District of Columbia14.1-2 pts
10South Carolina13.9-1.3 pts
11Tennessee13.8-1.4 pts
12North Carolina13.6-0.5 pts
12Texas13.6-1.3 pts
14Arizona13.5-0.6 pts
14Georgia13.5-1 pts
16New York13.1-0.6 pts
17Ohio13-0.8 pts
18Michigan12.9-1.1 pts
18Missouri12.9-0.3 pts
20Florida12.7-1 pts
20Nevada12.7-0.4 pts
22Montana12.6-0.3 pts
23Pennsylvania12-0.2 pts
24Indiana11.9-1.1 pts
24South Dakota11.9-1 pts
26California11.8-1 pts
27Rhode Island11.6-1.2 pts
28Oregon11.5-1 pts
29Illinois11.4-0.7 pts
30Kansas11.3-0.6 pts
31Delaware11.2-1 pts
32Idaho11-0.7 pts
32Iowa11-0.2 pts
34Maine10.9-0.7 pts
35North Dakota10.5-0.1 pts
36Wisconsin10.4-0.7 pts
37Alaska10.2-0.9 pts
38Vermont10.1-0.6 pts
39Connecticut9.9-0.4 pts
39Nebraska9.9-1.1 pts
39Virginia9.9-0.8 pts
39Wyoming9.9-0.8 pts
43Washington9.8-0.5 pts
44Massachusetts9.5-0.5 pts
45Colorado9.4-0.3 pts
46Maryland9.10 pts
46New Jersey9.1-0.4 pts
48Hawaii90 pts
49Minnesota8.9-0.7 pts
50Utah8.8-0.3 pts
51New Hampshire7.5-0.1 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which state has the highest poverty rate?

Mississippi, with 19.5% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest poverty rate?

New Hampshire, with 7.5% in 2019.

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