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

Counties in Wisconsin by poverty rate

Menominee County had the highest poverty rate of 72 counties in 2015, at 35.2%. Waukesha County had the lowest, at 4.7%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for Wisconsin was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.2Menominee County
Lowest4.7Waukesha County
Median11.872 counties
Wisconsin12.1History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Menominee CountyMenominee County: 35.2 %35.2Milwaukee CountyMilwaukee County: 20.3 %20.3Adams CountyAdams County: 17.4 %17.4Ashland CountyAshland County: 17.2 %17.2Sawyer CountySawyer County: 15.5 %15.5Douglas CountyDouglas County: 14.8 %14.8Vernon CountyVernon County: 14.8 %14.8Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.5 %14.5Forest CountyForest County: 14.5 %14.5Juneau CountyJuneau County: 14.5 %14.5La Crosse CountyLa Crosse County: 14.4 %14.4Langlade CountyLanglade County: 14.4 %14.4Richland CountyRichland County: 14.2 %14.2Grant CountyGrant County: 14 %14Rusk CountyRusk County: 14 %14Clark CountyClark County: 13.9 %13.9Rock CountyRock County: 13.9 %13.9Eau Claire CountyEau Claire County: 13.6 %13.6Dunn CountyDunn County: 13.5 %13.5Washburn CountyWashburn County: 13.5 %13.5Vilas CountyVilas County: 13.4 %13.4Burnett CountyBurnett County: 13.1 %13.1Iron CountyIron County: 13 %13Price CountyPrice County: 13 %13Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.8 %12.8Kenosha CountyKenosha County: 12.7 %12.7Marinette CountyMarinette County: 12.7 %12.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 12.4 %12.4Racine CountyRacine County: 12.4 %12.4Taylor CountyTaylor County: 12.4 %12.4Walworth CountyWalworth County: 12.4 %12.4Florence CountyFlorence County: 12.2 %12.2Green Lake CountyGreen Lake County: 12.2 %12.2Portage CountyPortage County: 12.2 %12.2Marquette CountyMarquette County: 12 %12Waushara CountyWaushara County: 11.8 %11.8Sauk CountySauk County: 11.7 %11.7Shawano CountyShawano County: 11.6 %11.6Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 11.3 %11.3Wood CountyWood County: 11.3 %11.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Menominee County35.2
2Milwaukee County20.3
3Adams County17.4
4Ashland County17.2
5Sawyer County15.5
6Douglas County14.8
6Vernon County14.8
8Crawford County14.5
8Forest County14.5
8Juneau County14.5
11La Crosse County14.4
11Langlade County14.4
13Richland County14.2
14Grant County14
14Rusk County14
16Clark County13.9
16Rock County13.9
18Eau Claire County13.6
19Dunn County13.5
19Washburn County13.5
21Vilas County13.4
22Burnett County13.1
23Iron County13
23Price County13
25Monroe County12.8
26Kenosha County12.7
26Marinette County12.7
28Jackson County12.4
28Racine County12.4
28Taylor County12.4
28Walworth County12.4
32Florence County12.2
32Green Lake County12.2
32Portage County12.2
35Marquette County12
36Waushara County11.8
37Sauk County11.7
38Shawano County11.6
39Winnebago County11.3
39Wood County11.3
41Dane County11.2
42Bayfield County11.1
42Brown County11.1
44Chippewa County10.8
45Manitowoc County10.7
45Waupaca County10.7
47Barron County10.5
47Lafayette County10.5
49Buffalo County10.2
50Pepin County10.1
50Polk County10.1
52Lincoln County9.8
52Pierce County9.8
54Oconto County9.7
55Iowa County9.5
55Marathon County9.5
55Oneida County9.5
58Fond du Lac County9.4
58Trempealeau County9.4
60Jefferson County9.2
61Outagamie County9
61Sheboygan County9
63Columbia County8.9
64Dodge County8.7
65Door County8.5
66Kewaunee County8.2
67Green County7.5
68Calumet County6.2
69St. Croix County5.7
70Washington County5.3
71Ozaukee County5.2
72Waukesha County4.7

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?

Menominee County, with 35.2% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Waukesha County, with 4.7% 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 Wisconsin: more rankings