Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by poverty rate

Whitman County had the highest poverty rate of 39 counties in 2015, at 20.8%. Island County had the lowest, at 8.4%. The median was 15.3% and the figure for Washington was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest20.8Whitman County
Lowest8.4Island County
Median15.339 counties
Washington12.2History

All counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Whitman CountyWhitman County: 20.8 %20.8Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 20.5 %20.5Ferry CountyFerry County: 20.4 %20.4Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 20 %20Stevens CountyStevens County: 19.7 %19.7Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 19.6 %19.6Yakima CountyYakima County: 19.1 %19.1Pacific CountyPacific County: 18.8 %18.8Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 17.2 %17.2Mason CountyMason County: 16.9 %16.9Adams CountyAdams County: 16.5 %16.5Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 16.5 %16.5Grant CountyGrant County: 16.1 %16.1Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 16 %16Asotin CountyAsotin County: 15.7 %15.7Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 15.7 %15.7Clallam CountyClallam County: 15.6 %15.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 15.6 %15.6Spokane CountySpokane County: 15.5 %15.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 15.3 %15.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 15.2 %15.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 15.2 %15.2Skagit CountySkagit County: 14.9 %14.9Skamania CountySkamania County: 14.5 %14.5Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 14.4 %14.4Benton CountyBenton County: 14.2 %14.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 14 %14Douglas CountyDouglas County: 13.5 %13.5Chelan CountyChelan County: 12.7 %12.7Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 12.6 %12.6Pierce CountyPierce County: 12.4 %12.4Thurston CountyThurston County: 12.2 %12.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 11.9 %11.9San Juan CountySan Juan County: 11.5 %11.5Clark CountyClark County: 10.6 %10.6Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 9.9 %9.9King CountyKing County: 9.8 %9.8Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 9.3 %9.3Island CountyIsland County: 8.4 %8.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Whitman County20.8
2Okanogan County20.5
3Ferry County20.4
4Kittitas County20
5Stevens County19.7
6Pend Oreille County19.6
7Yakima County19.1
8Pacific County18.8
9Klickitat County17.2
10Mason County16.9
11Adams County16.5
11Walla Walla County16.5
13Grant County16.1
14Grays Harbor County16
15Asotin County15.7
15Cowlitz County15.7
17Clallam County15.6
17Franklin County15.6
19Spokane County15.5
20Lewis County15.3
21Columbia County15.2
21Garfield County15.2
23Skagit County14.9
24Skamania County14.5
25Whatcom County14.4
26Benton County14.2
27Lincoln County14
28Douglas County13.5
29Chelan County12.7
30Wahkiakum County12.6
31Pierce County12.4
32Thurston County12.2
33Jefferson County11.9
34San Juan County11.5
35Clark County10.6
36Kitsap County9.9
37King County9.8
38Snohomish County9.3
39Island County8.4

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 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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Whitman County, with 20.8% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Island County, 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

Counties in Washington: more rankings