Counties in Wisconsin by poverty rate

Menominee County had the highest poverty rate of 72 counties in 2017, at 27.6%. St. Croix County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 11.2% and the figure for Wisconsin was 11.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.6Menominee County
Median11.272 counties
Wisconsin11.3History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Menominee CountyMenominee County: 27.6 %27.6Milwaukee CountyMilwaukee County: 19.1 %19.1Sawyer CountySawyer County: 17 %17Vernon CountyVernon County: 17 %17Ashland CountyAshland County: 15.1 %15.1Forest CountyForest County: 15.1 %15.1Iron CountyIron County: 15.1 %15.1Adams CountyAdams County: 14.8 %14.8Juneau CountyJuneau County: 14.8 %14.8Rusk CountyRusk County: 14.7 %14.7Eau Claire CountyEau Claire County: 14.5 %14.5Langlade CountyLanglade County: 14 %14Vilas CountyVilas County: 13.9 %13.9Grant CountyGrant County: 13.6 %13.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 13.3 %13.3Marinette CountyMarinette County: 13.3 %13.3Barron CountyBarron County: 13.1 %13.1Richland CountyRichland County: 13.1 %13.1Marquette CountyMarquette County: 12.8 %12.8Washburn CountyWashburn County: 12.8 %12.8Burnett CountyBurnett County: 12.7 %12.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 12.4 %12.4Bayfield CountyBayfield County: 12.3 %12.3Waushara CountyWaushara County: 12.2 %12.2Florence CountyFlorence County: 12.1 %12.1Rock CountyRock County: 12.1 %12.1La Crosse CountyLa Crosse County: 12 %12Portage CountyPortage County: 11.9 %11.9Clark CountyClark County: 11.8 %11.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11.6 %11.6Dunn CountyDunn County: 11.6 %11.6Shawano CountyShawano County: 11.6 %11.6Kenosha CountyKenosha County: 11.4 %11.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 11.4 %11.4Dane CountyDane County: 11.3 %11.3Price CountyPrice County: 11.3 %11.3Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 11.1 %11.1Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 10.9 %10.9Racine CountyRacine County: 10.9 %10.9Pepin CountyPepin County: 10.7 %10.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Menominee County27.6+0.4 pts
2Milwaukee County19.1-0.7 pts
3Sawyer County17+1.8 pts
3Vernon County17+0.5 pts
5Ashland County15.1+0.6 pts
5Forest County15.1-0.8 pts
5Iron County15.1+0.7 pts
8Adams County14.8+0.9 pts
8Juneau County14.8+0.4 pts
10Rusk County14.7+0.9 pts
11Eau Claire County14.5+1.4 pts
12Langlade County14-0.2 pts
13Vilas County13.9+1.3 pts
14Grant County13.6-3.1 pts
15Jackson County13.3+2.2 pts
15Marinette County13.3+0.9 pts
17Barron County13.1+1.8 pts
17Richland County13.1-0.3 pts
19Marquette County12.8+0.8 pts
19Washburn County12.8+0.1 pts
21Burnett County12.7-1.1 pts
22Crawford County12.4-1.8 pts
23Bayfield County12.3-0.1 pts
24Waushara County12.2-2.1 pts
25Florence County12.1-0.2 pts
25Rock County12.1-0.8 pts
27La Crosse County12-1.3 pts
28Portage County11.9+0.4 pts
29Clark County11.8-2 pts
30Douglas County11.6-2 pts
30Dunn County11.6-0.9 pts
30Shawano County11.6-0.3 pts
33Kenosha County11.4-1.6 pts
33Monroe County11.4-0.6 pts
35Dane County11.3+0.4 pts
35Price County11.3+0.2 pts
37Winnebago County11.1-0.6 pts
38Lafayette County10.9-0.8 pts
38Racine County10.9-2.7 pts
40Pepin County10.7-0.8 pts
40Wood County10.7+0.9 pts
42Walworth County10.6-0.6 pts
42Waupaca County10.6-0.1 pts
44Taylor County10.4-1.4 pts
45Lincoln County10.3+0.3 pts
46Chippewa County10.1-1.4 pts
47Green Lake County10-1.6 pts
47Marathon County10-0.4 pts
49Sauk County9.9-0.2 pts
50Brown County9.7-0.1 pts
51Buffalo County9.4-1.1 pts
51Oneida County9.4-0.2 pts
53Polk County9.3-0.6 pts
54Manitowoc County9.20 pts
55Oconto County9-0.1 pts
56Trempealeau County8.8+0.6 pts
57Iowa County8.7-0.1 pts
58Dodge County8.6-1.2 pts
58Fond du Lac County8.6+0.9 pts
60Jefferson County8.5-0.8 pts
61Green County8-0.2 pts
61Kewaunee County8+0.4 pts
63Pierce County7.8-0.3 pts
63Sheboygan County7.8+0.7 pts
65Door County7.7-0.6 pts
66Columbia County7.6-0.6 pts
67Outagamie County7.1-0.9 pts
68Calumet County5.4+0.4 pts
69Washington County5.3-0.3 pts
70Ozaukee County4.9-0.5 pts
71Waukesha County4.8-0.4 pts
72St. Croix County4.5-1.1 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?

Menominee County, with 27.6% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

St. Croix County, with 4.5% 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 Wisconsin: more rankings