Counties in Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024

Hancock County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 95 counties in 2024, at 32.3%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 15.5% and the figure for Tennessee was 13.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest32.3Hancock County
Median15.595 counties
Tennessee13.8History

Map of counties, 2024

Anderson County: 13.4 %Bedford County: 12.6 %Benton County: 17.9 %Bledsoe County: 20.7 %Blount County: 8.4 %Bradley County: 12.7 %Campbell County: 18.5 %Cannon County: 18.3 %Carroll County: 17 %Carter County: 17.1 %Cheatham County: 7.7 %Chester County: 16.1 %Claiborne County: 17.4 %Clay County: 24.2 %Cocke County: 21.9 %Coffee County: 17.4 %Crockett County: 14.5 %Cumberland County: 14.4 %Davidson County: 14 %Decatur County: 22.2 %DeKalb County: 18.6 %Dickson County: 10.9 %Dyer County: 16.3 %Fayette County: 10.3 %Fentress County: 21 %Franklin County: 12 %Gibson County: 13.7 %Giles County: 12.8 %Grainger County: 17.1 %Greene County: 15.4 %Grundy County: 18.9 %Hamblen County: 18.4 %Hamilton County: 13.1 %Hancock County: 32.3 %Hardeman County: 19 %Hardin County: 21.5 %Hawkins County: 15.2 %Haywood County: 21.5 %Henderson County: 16.9 %Henry County: 18.3 %Hickman County: 10.6 %Houston County: 11.1 %Humphreys County: 14.8 %Jackson County: 20.3 %Jefferson County: 11.4 %Johnson County: 21.4 %Knox County: 12.2 %Lake County: 32.2 %Lauderdale County: 21 %Lawrence County: 15 %Lewis County: 16.8 %Lincoln County: 13 %Loudon County: 12.6 %McMinn County: 13 %McNairy County: 16.5 %Macon County: 17.2 %Madison County: 18.2 %Marion County: 16.3 %Marshall County: 11.8 %Maury County: 9.9 %Meigs County: 14.3 %Monroe County: 15.5 %Montgomery County: 11.3 %Moore County: 8.1 %Morgan County: 15.2 %Obion County: 18.6 %Overton County: 16.3 %Perry County: 18.1 %Pickett County: 23.9 %Polk County: 14 %Putnam County: 18.4 %Rhea County: 15.9 %Roane County: 12 %Robertson County: 10.4 %Rutherford County: 9.3 %Scott County: 23.1 %Sequatchie County: 21.9 %Sevier County: 13.5 %Shelby County: 17.8 %Smith County: 10 %Stewart County: 16.4 %Sullivan County: 15.4 %Sumner County: 8.8 %Tipton County: 13.6 %Trousdale County: 11.9 %Unicoi County: 14.3 %Union County: 13.8 %Van Buren County: 16.1 %Warren County: 15.7 %Washington County: 15.5 %Wayne County: 20 %Weakley County: 19 %White County: 13.2 %Williamson County: 4.6 %Wilson County: 8 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 14
  • 14 to 16
  • 16 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2024. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2024

Hancock County: 32.3 %Hancock County32.3Lake County: 32.2 %Lake County32.2Clay County: 24.2 %Clay County24.2Pickett County: 23.9 %Pickett County23.9Scott County: 23.1 %Scott County23.1Decatur County: 22.2 %Decatur County22.2Sequatchie County: 21.9 %Sequatchie County21.9Cocke County: 21.9 %Cocke County21.9Hardin County: 21.5 %Hardin County21.5Haywood County: 21.5 %Haywood County21.5Johnson County: 21.4 %Johnson County21.4Lauderdale County: 21 %Lauderdale County21Fentress County: 21 %Fentress County21Bledsoe County: 20.7 %Bledsoe County20.7Jackson County: 20.3 %Jackson County20.3Wayne County: 20 %Wayne County20Weakley County: 19 %Weakley County19Hardeman County: 19 %Hardeman County19Grundy County: 18.9 %Grundy County18.9DeKalb County: 18.6 %DeKalb County18.6Obion County: 18.6 %Obion County18.6Campbell County: 18.5 %Campbell County18.5Putnam County: 18.4 %Putnam County18.4Hamblen County: 18.4 %Hamblen County18.4Cannon County: 18.3 %Cannon County18.3Henry County: 18.3 %Henry County18.3Madison County: 18.2 %Madison County18.2Perry County: 18.1 %Perry County18.1Benton County: 17.9 %Benton County17.9Shelby County: 17.8 %Shelby County17.8Coffee County: 17.4 %Coffee County17.4Claiborne County: 17.4 %Claiborne County17.4Macon County: 17.2 %Macon County17.2Carter County: 17.1 %Carter County17.1Grainger County: 17.1 %Grainger County17.1Carroll County: 17 %Carroll County17Henderson County: 16.9 %Henderson County16.9Lewis County: 16.8 %Lewis County16.8McNairy County: 16.5 %McNairy County16.5Stewart County: 16.4 %Stewart County16.4Hancock County: 32.3 %Hancock County32.3Lake County: 32.2 %Lake County32.2Clay County: 24.2 %Clay County24.2Pickett County: 23.9 %Pickett County23.9Scott County: 23.1 %Scott County23.1Decatur County: 22.2 %Decatur County22.2Sequatchie County: 21.9 %Sequatchie County21.9Cocke County: 21.9 %Cocke County21.9Hardin County: 21.5 %Hardin County21.5Haywood County: 21.5 %Haywood County21.5Johnson County: 21.4 %Johnson County21.4Lauderdale County: 21 %Lauderdale County21Fentress County: 21 %Fentress County21Bledsoe County: 20.7 %Bledsoe County20.7Jackson County: 20.3 %Jackson County20.3Wayne County: 20 %Wayne County20Weakley County: 19 %Weakley County19Hardeman County: 19 %Hardeman County19Grundy County: 18.9 %Grundy County18.9DeKalb County: 18.6 %DeKalb County18.6Obion County: 18.6 %Obion County18.6Campbell County: 18.5 %Campbell County18.5Putnam County: 18.4 %Putnam County18.4Hamblen County: 18.4 %Hamblen County18.4Cannon County: 18.3 %Cannon County18.3Henry County: 18.3 %Henry County18.3Madison County: 18.2 %Madison County18.2Perry County: 18.1 %Perry County18.1Benton County: 17.9 %Benton County17.9Shelby County: 17.8 %Shelby County17.8Coffee County: 17.4 %Coffee County17.4Claiborne County: 17.4 %Claiborne County17.4Macon County: 17.2 %Macon County17.2Carter County: 17.1 %Carter County17.1Grainger County: 17.1 %Grainger County17.1Carroll County: 17 %Carroll County17Henderson County: 16.9 %Henderson County16.9Lewis County: 16.8 %Lewis County16.8McNairy County: 16.5 %McNairy County16.5Stewart County: 16.4 %Stewart County16.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Hancock County32.3+0.8 pts
2Lake County32.2-0.1 pts
3Clay County24.2+2.5 pts
4Pickett County23.9-1.9 pts
5Scott County23.1-1.8 pts
6Decatur County22.2+0.5 pts
7Sequatchie County21.9-1.6 pts
8Cocke County21.9+1.6 pts
9Hardin County21.5+0.7 pts
10Haywood County21.5-1.3 pts
11Johnson County21.4-0.6 pts
12Lauderdale County21+2.3 pts
13Fentress County210 pts
14Bledsoe County20.7-4.2 pts
15Jackson County20.3-0.4 pts
16Wayne County20+1.4 pts
17Weakley County19-0.3 pts
18Hardeman County19+1.7 pts
19Grundy County18.9-0.3 pts
20DeKalb County18.6-2.8 pts
21Obion County18.6+1.6 pts
22Campbell County18.5-0.6 pts
23Putnam County18.4+1.4 pts
24Hamblen County18.4+1.2 pts
25Cannon County18.3+1.8 pts
25Henry County18.3-0 pts
27Madison County18.2-0.4 pts
28Perry County18.1+0.3 pts
29Benton County17.9-0.6 pts
30Shelby County17.8+0.3 pts
31Coffee County17.4+1.2 pts
32Claiborne County17.4-0.8 pts
33Macon County17.2+2 pts
34Carter County17.1-0.9 pts
35Grainger County17.1+0.7 pts
36Carroll County17+0.5 pts
37Henderson County16.90 pts
38Lewis County16.8+0.9 pts
39McNairy County16.5+0.4 pts
40Stewart County16.4+4.4 pts
41Dyer County16.3-1.6 pts
41Marion County16.3-0.6 pts
43Overton County16.3-1.8 pts
44Van Buren County16.1+2.3 pts
45Chester County16.1+0.5 pts
46Rhea County15.9+0.6 pts
47Warren County15.7+0.4 pts
48Washington County15.5-0.3 pts
49Monroe County15.5-0.6 pts
50Sullivan County15.4+0.5 pts
51Greene County15.4+0.2 pts
52Hawkins County15.2-2 pts
53Morgan County15.2-3.7 pts
54Lawrence County15-0.3 pts
55Humphreys County14.8+1.1 pts
56Crockett County14.5-0.3 pts
57Cumberland County14.4+0.9 pts
58Unicoi County14.3+0.1 pts
59Meigs County14.3-0 pts
60Davidson County140 pts
60Polk County14+0.6 pts
62Union County13.8-0.1 pts
63Gibson County13.7+0.3 pts
64Tipton County13.6+2 pts
65Sevier County13.5-0.2 pts
66Anderson County13.4-1.5 pts
67White County13.2-1.6 pts
68Hamilton County13.1+0.5 pts
69McMinn County13-0.3 pts
70Lincoln County13+0.5 pts
71Giles County12.8-1.5 pts
72Bradley County12.7-0.4 pts
73Bedford County12.6-1 pts
73Loudon County12.6-0 pts
75Knox County12.2-0.1 pts
76Franklin County12-0.7 pts
77Roane County12-0.8 pts
78Trousdale County11.9+1.5 pts
79Marshall County11.8-2.5 pts
80Jefferson County11.4-0.1 pts
81Montgomery County11.3-0.4 pts
82Houston County11.1-2.7 pts
83Dickson County10.9+1 pts
84Hickman County10.6-3.4 pts
85Robertson County10.4+0.1 pts
86Fayette County10.3-0.6 pts
87Smith County10-3.3 pts
88Maury County9.9-0.1 pts
89Rutherford County9.3+0.1 pts
90Sumner County8.8-0.1 pts
91Blount County8.4-0.5 pts
92Moore County8.1-3.2 pts
93Wilson County8+0.4 pts
94Cheatham County7.7-0.4 pts
95Williamson County4.6+0.1 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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties. 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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties.

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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_tennessee_by_2024,
  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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties. 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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-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 Tennessee by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties.
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/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Hancock County, with 32.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Williamson County, with 4.6% in 2024.

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 Tennessee: more rankings