Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Arkansas

Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Desha County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 75 counties in 2023, at 28.9%. Benton County had the lowest, at 7.6%. The median was 18.8% and the figure for Arkansas was 16%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest28.9Desha County
Lowest7.6Benton County
Median18.875 counties
Arkansas16History

Map of counties, 2023

Arkansas County: 14.7 %Ashley County: 22.7 %Baxter County: 14.5 %Benton County: 7.6 %Boone County: 13.4 %Bradley County: 20.1 %Calhoun County: 13.3 %Carroll County: 16.3 %Chicot County: 24.4 %Clark County: 20.2 %Clay County: 17.2 %Cleburne County: 13.9 %Cleveland County: 15.6 %Columbia County: 22.7 %Conway County: 20.6 %Craighead County: 19.1 %Crawford County: 16.8 %Crittenden County: 20.7 %Cross County: 20.1 %Dallas County: 11.2 %Desha County: 28.9 %Drew County: 22.7 %Faulkner County: 15 %Franklin County: 18.9 %Fulton County: 14.8 %Garland County: 16.5 %Grant County: 12.3 %Greene County: 17 %Hempstead County: 19 %Hot Spring County: 17.1 %Howard County: 19.8 %Independence County: 19.6 %Izard County: 21.1 %Jackson County: 21.2 %Jefferson County: 20.6 %Johnson County: 19.4 %Lafayette County: 27.2 %Lawrence County: 18.2 %Lee County: 27.7 %Lincoln County: 17.7 %Little River County: 16.5 %Logan County: 14.4 %Lonoke County: 11.2 %Madison County: 15 %Marion County: 17.8 %Miller County: 21.1 %Mississippi County: 21 %Monroe County: 22.2 %Montgomery County: 20.9 %Nevada County: 28.5 %Newton County: 13.3 %Ouachita County: 17.9 %Perry County: 15.6 %Phillips County: 28.7 %Pike County: 18.8 %Poinsett County: 20.1 %Polk County: 19 %Pope County: 17.6 %Prairie County: 9.4 %Pulaski County: 16.2 %Randolph County: 21.1 %St. Francis County: 27.8 %Saline County: 9.1 %Scott County: 17.2 %Searcy County: 24.5 %Sebastian County: 16.3 %Sevier County: 19.6 %Sharp County: 17.4 %Stone County: 21.6 %Union County: 19.4 %Van Buren County: 19.5 %Washington County: 14.8 %White County: 16.4 %Woodruff County: 22.8 %Yell County: 13.3 %
  • Under 15
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  • 22 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Desha County: 28.9 %Desha County28.9Phillips County: 28.7 %Phillips County28.7Nevada County: 28.5 %Nevada County28.5St. Francis County: 27.8 %St. Francis County27.8Lee County: 27.7 %Lee County27.7Lafayette County: 27.2 %Lafayette County27.2Searcy County: 24.5 %Searcy County24.5Chicot County: 24.4 %Chicot County24.4Woodruff County: 22.8 %Woodruff County22.8Drew County: 22.7 %Drew County22.7Ashley County: 22.7 %Ashley County22.7Columbia County: 22.7 %Columbia County22.7Monroe County: 22.2 %Monroe County22.2Stone County: 21.6 %Stone County21.6Jackson County: 21.2 %Jackson County21.2Randolph County: 21.1 %Randolph County21.1Izard County: 21.1 %Izard County21.1Miller County: 21.1 %Miller County21.1Mississippi County: 21 %Mississippi County21Montgomery County: 20.9 %Montgomery County20.9Crittenden County: 20.7 %Crittenden County20.7Conway County: 20.6 %Conway County20.6Jefferson County: 20.6 %Jefferson County20.6Clark County: 20.2 %Clark County20.2Cross County: 20.1 %Cross County20.1Bradley County: 20.1 %Bradley County20.1Poinsett County: 20.1 %Poinsett County20.1Howard County: 19.8 %Howard County19.8Independence County: 19.6 %Independence County19.6Sevier County: 19.6 %Sevier County19.6Van Buren County: 19.5 %Van Buren County19.5Union County: 19.4 %Union County19.4Johnson County: 19.4 %Johnson County19.4Craighead County: 19.1 %Craighead County19.1Hempstead County: 19 %Hempstead County19Polk County: 19 %Polk County19Franklin County: 18.9 %Franklin County18.9Pike County: 18.8 %Pike County18.8Lawrence County: 18.2 %Lawrence County18.2Ouachita County: 17.9 %Ouachita County17.9Desha County: 28.9 %Desha County28.9Phillips County: 28.7 %Phillips County28.7Nevada County: 28.5 %Nevada County28.5St. Francis County: 27.8 %St. Francis County27.8Lee County: 27.7 %Lee County27.7Lafayette County: 27.2 %Lafayette County27.2Searcy County: 24.5 %Searcy County24.5Chicot County: 24.4 %Chicot County24.4Woodruff County: 22.8 %Woodruff County22.8Drew County: 22.7 %Drew County22.7Ashley County: 22.7 %Ashley County22.7Columbia County: 22.7 %Columbia County22.7Monroe County: 22.2 %Monroe County22.2Stone County: 21.6 %Stone County21.6Jackson County: 21.2 %Jackson County21.2Randolph County: 21.1 %Randolph County21.1Izard County: 21.1 %Izard County21.1Miller County: 21.1 %Miller County21.1Mississippi County: 21 %Mississippi County21Montgomery County: 20.9 %Montgomery County20.9Crittenden County: 20.7 %Crittenden County20.7Conway County: 20.6 %Conway County20.6Jefferson County: 20.6 %Jefferson County20.6Clark County: 20.2 %Clark County20.2Cross County: 20.1 %Cross County20.1Bradley County: 20.1 %Bradley County20.1Poinsett County: 20.1 %Poinsett County20.1Howard County: 19.8 %Howard County19.8Independence County: 19.6 %Independence County19.6Sevier County: 19.6 %Sevier County19.6Van Buren County: 19.5 %Van Buren County19.5Union County: 19.4 %Union County19.4Johnson County: 19.4 %Johnson County19.4Craighead County: 19.1 %Craighead County19.1Hempstead County: 19 %Hempstead County19Polk County: 19 %Polk County19Franklin County: 18.9 %Franklin County18.9Pike County: 18.8 %Pike County18.8Lawrence County: 18.2 %Lawrence County18.2Ouachita County: 17.9 %Ouachita County17.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Desha County28.9+1.7 pts
2Phillips County28.7-1.7 pts
3Nevada County28.5+0.7 pts
4St. Francis County27.8-0.3 pts
5Lee County27.7+0.1 pts
6Lafayette County27.2+5.6 pts
7Searcy County24.5-2.1 pts
8Chicot County24.4-3.1 pts
9Woodruff County22.8+3.8 pts
10Drew County22.7+1.4 pts
11Ashley County22.7-0.6 pts
12Columbia County22.7+0.2 pts
13Monroe County22.2-1.6 pts
14Stone County21.6+0.4 pts
15Jackson County21.2+0.8 pts
16Randolph County21.1+1.9 pts
17Izard County21.1+1.3 pts
18Miller County21.1+0.5 pts
19Mississippi County21-0.8 pts
20Montgomery County20.9+2.7 pts
21Crittenden County20.7+1 pts
22Conway County20.6-0.3 pts
22Jefferson County20.6+1.1 pts
24Clark County20.2+0.2 pts
25Cross County20.1-0.1 pts
26Bradley County20.1+4.9 pts
26Poinsett County20.1-0.9 pts
28Howard County19.8+1.5 pts
29Independence County19.6+0.3 pts
29Sevier County19.6-0.5 pts
31Van Buren County19.5+0.6 pts
32Union County19.4+0.8 pts
33Johnson County19.4-1.8 pts
34Craighead County19.1-0.1 pts
35Hempstead County19-4 pts
36Polk County19+1.2 pts
37Franklin County18.9-1.4 pts
38Pike County18.8+1.4 pts
39Lawrence County18.2+0.4 pts
40Ouachita County17.9-1.2 pts
41Marion County17.8+0.1 pts
42Lincoln County17.70 pts
43Pope County17.6-0.3 pts
44Sharp County17.4+1.4 pts
45Clay County17.2-2.2 pts
46Scott County17.2+0.1 pts
47Hot Spring County17.1-2.7 pts
48Greene County17-0.5 pts
49Crawford County16.8-1.1 pts
50Garland County16.5-0.4 pts
51Little River County16.5+4.6 pts
52White County16.4+0.3 pts
53Sebastian County16.3-0.2 pts
54Carroll County16.3+0.8 pts
55Pulaski County16.2-0.3 pts
56Perry County15.6+0.3 pts
57Cleveland County15.6+2 pts
58Faulkner County15-0.5 pts
59Madison County15-1.4 pts
60Washington County14.8-0.4 pts
61Fulton County14.8-0.6 pts
62Arkansas County14.7-2.1 pts
63Baxter County14.5+0.9 pts
64Logan County14.4-0.1 pts
65Cleburne County13.9-0.3 pts
66Boone County13.4+0.3 pts
67Newton County13.3+2 pts
68Calhoun County13.3+0.8 pts
69Yell County13.3+0.8 pts
70Grant County12.3-1.2 pts
71Dallas County11.2-0.7 pts
72Lonoke County11.2-0.7 pts
73Prairie County9.4-0.6 pts
74Saline County9.1-0.5 pts
75Benton County7.6-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_arkansas_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Arkansas by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/arkansas-counties?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Desha County, with 28.9% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Benton County, with 7.6% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Arkansas: more rankings