Counties in Washington by poverty rate

Whitman County had the highest poverty rate of 39 counties in 2018, at 25.4%. Snohomish County had the lowest, at 7.5%. The median was 12.7% and the figure for Washington was 10.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.4Whitman County
Median12.739 counties
Washington10.3History

All counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Whitman CountyWhitman County: 25.4 %25.4Ferry CountyFerry County: 17.8 %17.8Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 17.3 %17.3Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 17 %17Yakima CountyYakima County: 16.5 %16.5Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 15.8 %15.8Adams CountyAdams County: 15.6 %15.6Pacific CountyPacific County: 15.4 %15.4Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 15 %15Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 14.9 %14.9Asotin CountyAsotin County: 14 %14Garfield CountyGarfield County: 13.8 %13.8Mason CountyMason County: 13.7 %13.7Stevens CountyStevens County: 13.5 %13.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13.4 %13.4Clallam CountyClallam County: 13.3 %13.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 13.3 %13.3Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 13.3 %13.3Spokane CountySpokane County: 13 %13Grant CountyGrant County: 12.7 %12.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 12.7 %12.7Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 12.7 %12.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 12.5 %12.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 12.5 %12.5Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 12.2 %12.2Skamania CountySkamania County: 11.7 %11.7Chelan CountyChelan County: 10.9 %10.9Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 10.9 %10.9Douglas CountyDouglas County: 10.4 %10.4San Juan CountySan Juan County: 10.2 %10.2Benton CountyBenton County: 9.8 %9.8Skagit CountySkagit County: 9.7 %9.7King CountyKing County: 9.2 %9.2Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 9.1 %9.1Clark CountyClark County: 8.8 %8.8Pierce CountyPierce County: 8.7 %8.7Thurston CountyThurston County: 8.7 %8.7Island CountyIsland County: 7.5 %7.5Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 7.5 %7.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Whitman County25.4+4 pts
2Ferry County17.8+0.5 pts
3Grays Harbor County17.3-1 pts
4Okanogan County17-3.4 pts
5Yakima County16.5-1.6 pts
6Kittitas County15.8+1.6 pts
7Adams County15.6-0.2 pts
8Pacific County15.4-1.5 pts
9Pend Oreille County15-1.3 pts
10Whatcom County14.9+1.9 pts
11Asotin County14+1.1 pts
12Garfield County13.8-0.2 pts
13Mason County13.7-0.8 pts
14Stevens County13.5-1.3 pts
15Franklin County13.40 pts
16Clallam County13.3-3.1 pts
16Columbia County13.3-0.2 pts
16Walla Walla County13.3-0.3 pts
19Spokane County13-1.1 pts
20Grant County12.7-2 pts
20Jefferson County12.70 pts
20Klickitat County12.7-1.8 pts
23Lewis County12.5-2.5 pts
23Lincoln County12.5-0.1 pts
25Cowlitz County12.2-4.2 pts
26Skamania County11.7-0.3 pts
27Chelan County10.9-2.4 pts
27Wahkiakum County10.9-1.4 pts
29Douglas County10.4-3 pts
30San Juan County10.2-0.1 pts
31Benton County9.8-2.2 pts
32Skagit County9.7-1.6 pts
33King County9.2-0.1 pts
34Kitsap County9.1+0.8 pts
35Clark County8.8-1.4 pts
36Pierce County8.7-1.5 pts
36Thurston County8.7-1.8 pts
38Island County7.5-1.7 pts
38Snohomish County7.5+0.2 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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Rank Counties in Washington by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Whitman County, with 25.4% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Snohomish County, with 7.5% in 2018.

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