Counties in Washington by poverty rate

Whitman County had the highest poverty rate of 39 counties in 2017, at 21.4%. Snohomish County had the lowest, at 7.3%. The median was 13.5% and the figure for Washington was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest21.4Whitman County
Median13.539 counties
Washington11History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Whitman CountyWhitman County: 21.4 %21.4Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 20.4 %20.4Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 18.3 %18.3Yakima CountyYakima County: 18.1 %18.1Ferry CountyFerry County: 17.3 %17.3Pacific CountyPacific County: 16.9 %16.9Clallam CountyClallam County: 16.4 %16.4Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 16.4 %16.4Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 16.3 %16.3Adams CountyAdams County: 15.8 %15.8Lewis CountyLewis County: 15 %15Stevens CountyStevens County: 14.8 %14.8Grant CountyGrant County: 14.7 %14.7Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 14.5 %14.5Mason CountyMason County: 14.5 %14.5Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 14.2 %14.2Spokane CountySpokane County: 14.1 %14.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 14 %14Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 13.6 %13.6Columbia CountyColumbia County: 13.5 %13.5Douglas CountyDouglas County: 13.4 %13.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13.4 %13.4Chelan CountyChelan County: 13.3 %13.3Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 13 %13Asotin CountyAsotin County: 12.9 %12.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 12.7 %12.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 12.6 %12.6Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 12.3 %12.3Benton CountyBenton County: 12 %12Skamania CountySkamania County: 12 %12Skagit CountySkagit County: 11.3 %11.3Thurston CountyThurston County: 10.5 %10.5San Juan CountySan Juan County: 10.3 %10.3Clark CountyClark County: 10.2 %10.2Pierce CountyPierce County: 10.2 %10.2King CountyKing County: 9.3 %9.3Island CountyIsland County: 9.2 %9.2Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 8.3 %8.3Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 7.3 %7.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Whitman County21.4-4.5 pts
2Okanogan County20.4+0.7 pts
3Grays Harbor County18.3+3.1 pts
4Yakima County18.1-0.1 pts
5Ferry County17.3-4 pts
6Pacific County16.9-0.1 pts
7Clallam County16.4+1.1 pts
7Cowlitz County16.4+0.1 pts
9Pend Oreille County16.3+0.1 pts
10Adams County15.8-3.7 pts
11Lewis County15+0.3 pts
12Stevens County14.8+0.5 pts
13Grant County14.7-1.4 pts
14Klickitat County14.5-1 pts
14Mason County14.5-0.4 pts
16Kittitas County14.2-4 pts
17Spokane County14.1+0.8 pts
18Garfield County14+0.1 pts
19Walla Walla County13.6-0.6 pts
20Columbia County13.5-0.5 pts
21Douglas County13.4+0.6 pts
21Franklin County13.4-1.5 pts
23Chelan County13.3+1.8 pts
24Whatcom County13-2.2 pts
25Asotin County12.9-1.7 pts
26Jefferson County12.7+0.7 pts
27Lincoln County12.6+0.1 pts
28Wahkiakum County12.3-0.5 pts
29Benton County12+1.5 pts
29Skamania County12-1.5 pts
31Skagit County11.30 pts
32Thurston County10.5+0.1 pts
33San Juan County10.3+0.4 pts
34Clark County10.2+1.2 pts
34Pierce County10.2-1.9 pts
36King County9.30 pts
37Island County9.2-0.2 pts
38Kitsap County8.3-1.8 pts
39Snohomish County7.3-0.7 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 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Whitman County, with 21.4% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Snohomish County, with 7.3% 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

Counties in Washington: more rankings