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

US states by poverty rate

Mississippi had the highest poverty rate of 51 states in 2022, at 19.2%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 7.4%. The median was 11.9% and the figure for the United States was 12.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest19.2Mississippi
Lowest7.4New Hampshire
Median11.951 states
United States12.6History

All states, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

MississippiMississippi: 19.2 %19.2LouisianaLouisiana: 18.6 %18.6West VirginiaWest Virginia: 17.4 %17.4New MexicoNew Mexico: 17.3 %17.3ArkansasArkansas: 16.3 %16.3KentuckyKentucky: 16.3 %16.3AlabamaAlabama: 16.2 %16.2OklahomaOklahoma: 15.6 %15.6District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 14.2 %14.2New YorkNew York: 14.2 %14.2South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 14 %14TexasTexas: 14 %14OhioOhio: 13.4 %13.4MichiganMichigan: 13.3 %13.3TennesseeTennessee: 13.3 %13.3MissouriMissouri: 13.1 %13.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 12.9 %12.9North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 12.8 %12.8FloridaFlorida: 12.7 %12.7NevadaNevada: 12.6 %12.6ArizonaArizona: 12.5 %12.5IndianaIndiana: 12.5 %12.5South DakotaSouth Dakota: 12.4 %12.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 12.2 %12.2OregonOregon: 12 %12IllinoisIllinois: 11.9 %11.9KansasKansas: 11.9 %11.9MontanaMontana: 11.8 %11.8PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 11.8 %11.8North DakotaNorth Dakota: 11.2 %11.2Rhode IslandRhode Island: 11.2 %11.2WyomingWyoming: 11.2 %11.2NebraskaNebraska: 11.1 %11.1IowaIowa: 11 %11MaineMaine: 10.9 %10.9AlaskaAlaska: 10.8 %10.8WisconsinWisconsin: 10.8 %10.8VirginiaVirginia: 10.6 %10.6IdahoIdaho: 10.5 %10.5MassachusettsMassachusetts: 10.4 %10.4VermontVermont: 10.2 %10.2DelawareDelaware: 10 %10HawaiiHawaii: 10 %10WashingtonWashington: 10 %10ConnecticutConnecticut: 9.8 %9.8MarylandMaryland: 9.8 %9.8New JerseyNew Jersey: 9.7 %9.7MinnesotaMinnesota: 9.6 %9.6ColoradoColorado: 9.5 %9.5UtahUtah: 8.3 %8.3New HampshireNew Hampshire: 7.4 %7.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Mississippi19.20 pts
2Louisiana18.6-0.9 pts
3West Virginia17.4+0.6 pts
4New Mexico17.3-0.4 pts
5Arkansas16.3+0.3 pts
5Kentucky16.30 pts
7Alabama16.2-0.1 pts
8Oklahoma15.6+0.2 pts
9District of Columbia14.2-2.6 pts
9New York14.2+0.2 pts
11South Carolina14-0.5 pts
11Texas14-0.2 pts
13Ohio13.4+0.1 pts
14Michigan13.3+0.3 pts
14Tennessee13.3-0.4 pts
16Missouri13.1+0.3 pts
17Georgia12.9-1.3 pts
18North Carolina12.8-0.7 pts
19Florida12.7-0.5 pts
20Nevada12.6-1.4 pts
21Arizona12.5-0.4 pts
21Indiana12.5+0.4 pts
23South Dakota12.4+0.5 pts
24California12.2-0.1 pts
25Oregon12-0.2 pts
26Illinois11.9-0.2 pts
26Kansas11.9+0.3 pts
28Montana11.8-0.2 pts
28Pennsylvania11.8-0.2 pts
30North Dakota11.2+0.3 pts
30Rhode Island11.2-0.9 pts
30Wyoming11.2+0.6 pts
33Nebraska11.1+0.6 pts
34Iowa110 pts
35Maine10.9-0.3 pts
36Alaska10.80 pts
36Wisconsin10.80 pts
38Virginia10.6+0.3 pts
39Idaho10.5-0.3 pts
40Massachusetts10.40 pts
41Vermont10.20 pts
42Delaware10-1.5 pts
42Hawaii10-0.9 pts
42Washington10+0.1 pts
45Connecticut9.8-0.3 pts
45Maryland9.8-0.5 pts
47New Jersey9.7-0.5 pts
48Minnesota9.6+0.3 pts
49Colorado9.5-0.2 pts
50Utah8.3-0.4 pts
51New Hampshire7.40 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which state has the highest poverty rate?

Mississippi, with 19.2% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest poverty rate?

New Hampshire, with 7.4% in 2022.

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