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

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

Hancock County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 95 counties in 2022, at 32.3%. Williamson County had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 16% and the figure for Tennessee was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest32.3Hancock County
Lowest4.2Williamson County
Median1695 counties
Tennessee14History

Map of counties, 2022

Anderson County: 15.4 %Bedford County: 12.4 %Benton County: 18 %Bledsoe County: 26 %Blount County: 8.6 %Bradley County: 13.4 %Campbell County: 19.4 %Cannon County: 15.1 %Carroll County: 16.5 %Carter County: 18.1 %Cheatham County: 9.3 %Chester County: 15.8 %Claiborne County: 18.3 %Clay County: 22.3 %Cocke County: 20.1 %Coffee County: 16.9 %Crockett County: 15.6 %Cumberland County: 12.6 %Davidson County: 14.3 %Decatur County: 19.2 %DeKalb County: 20.2 %Dickson County: 10.9 %Dyer County: 16.3 %Fayette County: 9.7 %Fentress County: 20.2 %Franklin County: 14.5 %Gibson County: 13.9 %Giles County: 13.5 %Grainger County: 17.6 %Greene County: 15.6 %Grundy County: 18.2 %Hamblen County: 17.1 %Hamilton County: 12.3 %Hancock County: 32.3 %Hardeman County: 16.1 %Hardin County: 19.4 %Hawkins County: 16.9 %Haywood County: 21.9 %Henderson County: 18 %Henry County: 18.1 %Hickman County: 14.3 %Houston County: 13.4 %Humphreys County: 12.1 %Jackson County: 19.7 %Jefferson County: 11.1 %Johnson County: 21.6 %Knox County: 12.4 %Lake County: 27.9 %Lauderdale County: 18 %Lawrence County: 16.1 %Lewis County: 18.9 %Lincoln County: 11.9 %Loudon County: 11.8 %McMinn County: 13.6 %McNairy County: 16.7 %Macon County: 16.5 %Madison County: 18.2 %Marion County: 16.3 %Marshall County: 15.6 %Maury County: 8.9 %Meigs County: 15.4 %Monroe County: 16 %Montgomery County: 11.9 %Moore County: 9.9 %Morgan County: 20.9 %Obion County: 16.2 %Overton County: 17.3 %Perry County: 14.2 %Pickett County: 21 %Polk County: 12.9 %Putnam County: 16.3 %Rhea County: 15.7 %Roane County: 12.2 %Robertson County: 10.3 %Rutherford County: 9.8 %Scott County: 25.7 %Sequatchie County: 22.3 %Sevier County: 13.3 %Shelby County: 18.1 %Smith County: 14.9 %Stewart County: 11.5 %Sullivan County: 15.2 %Sumner County: 9.4 %Tipton County: 10.8 %Trousdale County: 11.5 %Unicoi County: 16.7 %Union County: 15.9 %Van Buren County: 17 %Warren County: 16.8 %Washington County: 15.7 %Wayne County: 19.6 %Weakley County: 18.9 %White County: 17.1 %Williamson County: 4.2 %Wilson County: 8.3 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 14
  • 14 to 16
  • 16 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Hancock County: 32.3 %Hancock County32.3Lake County: 27.9 %Lake County27.9Bledsoe County: 26 %Bledsoe County26Scott County: 25.7 %Scott County25.7Clay County: 22.3 %Clay County22.3Sequatchie County: 22.3 %Sequatchie County22.3Haywood County: 21.9 %Haywood County21.9Johnson County: 21.6 %Johnson County21.6Pickett County: 21 %Pickett County21Morgan County: 20.9 %Morgan County20.9DeKalb County: 20.2 %DeKalb County20.2Fentress County: 20.2 %Fentress County20.2Cocke County: 20.1 %Cocke County20.1Jackson County: 19.7 %Jackson County19.7Wayne County: 19.6 %Wayne County19.6Campbell County: 19.4 %Campbell County19.4Hardin County: 19.4 %Hardin County19.4Decatur County: 19.2 %Decatur County19.2Weakley County: 18.9 %Weakley County18.9Lewis County: 18.9 %Lewis County18.9Claiborne County: 18.3 %Claiborne County18.3Grundy County: 18.2 %Grundy County18.2Madison County: 18.2 %Madison County18.2Carter County: 18.1 %Carter County18.1Shelby County: 18.1 %Shelby County18.1Henry County: 18.1 %Henry County18.1Henderson County: 18 %Henderson County18Lauderdale County: 18 %Lauderdale County18Benton County: 18 %Benton County18Grainger County: 17.6 %Grainger County17.6Overton County: 17.3 %Overton County17.3Hamblen County: 17.1 %Hamblen County17.1White County: 17.1 %White County17.1Van Buren County: 17 %Van Buren County17Coffee County: 16.9 %Coffee County16.9Hawkins County: 16.9 %Hawkins County16.9Warren County: 16.8 %Warren County16.8McNairy County: 16.7 %McNairy County16.7Unicoi County: 16.7 %Unicoi County16.7Macon County: 16.5 %Macon County16.5Hancock County: 32.3 %Hancock County32.3Lake County: 27.9 %Lake County27.9Bledsoe County: 26 %Bledsoe County26Scott County: 25.7 %Scott County25.7Clay County: 22.3 %Clay County22.3Sequatchie County: 22.3 %Sequatchie County22.3Haywood County: 21.9 %Haywood County21.9Johnson County: 21.6 %Johnson County21.6Pickett County: 21 %Pickett County21Morgan County: 20.9 %Morgan County20.9DeKalb County: 20.2 %DeKalb County20.2Fentress County: 20.2 %Fentress County20.2Cocke County: 20.1 %Cocke County20.1Jackson County: 19.7 %Jackson County19.7Wayne County: 19.6 %Wayne County19.6Campbell County: 19.4 %Campbell County19.4Hardin County: 19.4 %Hardin County19.4Decatur County: 19.2 %Decatur County19.2Weakley County: 18.9 %Weakley County18.9Lewis County: 18.9 %Lewis County18.9Claiborne County: 18.3 %Claiborne County18.3Grundy County: 18.2 %Grundy County18.2Madison County: 18.2 %Madison County18.2Carter County: 18.1 %Carter County18.1Shelby County: 18.1 %Shelby County18.1Henry County: 18.1 %Henry County18.1Henderson County: 18 %Henderson County18Lauderdale County: 18 %Lauderdale County18Benton County: 18 %Benton County18Grainger County: 17.6 %Grainger County17.6Overton County: 17.3 %Overton County17.3Hamblen County: 17.1 %Hamblen County17.1White County: 17.1 %White County17.1Van Buren County: 17 %Van Buren County17Coffee County: 16.9 %Coffee County16.9Hawkins County: 16.9 %Hawkins County16.9Warren County: 16.8 %Warren County16.8McNairy County: 16.7 %McNairy County16.7Unicoi County: 16.7 %Unicoi County16.7Macon County: 16.5 %Macon County16.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Hancock County32.3+3.2 pts
2Lake County27.9+0.2 pts
3Bledsoe County26+4.9 pts
4Scott County25.7+2.5 pts
5Clay County22.3-1.8 pts
6Sequatchie County22.3+2.2 pts
7Haywood County21.9+1.2 pts
8Johnson County21.6-0.4 pts
9Pickett County21-0.5 pts
10Morgan County20.9-0.9 pts
11DeKalb County20.2+1.8 pts
12Fentress County20.2-0.4 pts
13Cocke County20.1-0.2 pts
14Jackson County19.7+2.7 pts
15Wayne County19.6+1.9 pts
16Campbell County19.4+0.4 pts
17Hardin County19.4+1.8 pts
18Decatur County19.2-0 pts
19Weakley County18.9-0.4 pts
20Lewis County18.9-1.7 pts
21Claiborne County18.3-0.6 pts
22Grundy County18.2+1 pts
23Madison County18.2-0.6 pts
24Carter County18.1-0.8 pts
25Shelby County18.1-0.4 pts
26Henry County18.1-1.9 pts
27Henderson County18+1.3 pts
28Lauderdale County18-0.6 pts
29Benton County18-0.1 pts
30Grainger County17.6+1 pts
31Overton County17.3-0 pts
32Hamblen County17.1-0 pts
33White County17.1+1.2 pts
34Van Buren County17-0.3 pts
35Coffee County16.9+0.8 pts
36Hawkins County16.9-0.8 pts
37Warren County16.8-2.3 pts
38McNairy County16.7+0.3 pts
39Unicoi County16.7+1.3 pts
40Macon County16.5-1.5 pts
41Carroll County16.5-0.9 pts
42Dyer County16.3-1 pts
43Putnam County16.3+0.1 pts
44Marion County16.3-0.3 pts
45Obion County16.2-1.3 pts
46Hardeman County16.1-0.6 pts
47Lawrence County16.1-0.3 pts
48Monroe County16-0.3 pts
49Union County15.9-0.4 pts
50Chester County15.8-1.8 pts
51Washington County15.7+0.4 pts
52Rhea County15.7-1.1 pts
53Crockett County15.6-0.9 pts
54Greene County15.6-0.1 pts
55Marshall County15.6+0.5 pts
56Meigs County15.4-0.4 pts
57Anderson County15.4-0 pts
58Sullivan County15.2-0.4 pts
59Cannon County15.1-2.1 pts
60Smith County14.9+0.6 pts
61Franklin County14.5-0.1 pts
62Davidson County14.30 pts
63Hickman County14.3+0.7 pts
64Perry County14.2-7.9 pts
65Gibson County13.9-0.6 pts
66McMinn County13.6-2.3 pts
67Giles County13.5+0.4 pts
68Bradley County13.4-0.8 pts
69Houston County13.4-0.6 pts
70Sevier County13.3-0.5 pts
71Polk County12.9+1.3 pts
72Cumberland County12.6-0.2 pts
73Bedford County12.4-1.2 pts
73Knox County12.4-0.3 pts
75Hamilton County12.3-0.4 pts
76Roane County12.2-1.6 pts
77Humphreys County12.1+0.9 pts
78Lincoln County11.9+0.8 pts
79Montgomery County11.9-0.2 pts
80Loudon County11.8-0.4 pts
81Stewart County11.5-2.1 pts
82Trousdale County11.5-1.1 pts
83Jefferson County11.1-1.4 pts
84Dickson County10.90 pts
85Tipton County10.8-0.5 pts
86Robertson County10.3-1.8 pts
87Moore County9.9+1.9 pts
88Rutherford County9.8-0.3 pts
89Fayette County9.7-2.2 pts
90Sumner County9.4-0.4 pts
91Cheatham County9.3-0.9 pts
92Maury County8.9-0.1 pts
93Blount County8.6-0.9 pts
94Wilson County8.3-0.1 pts
95Williamson County4.2+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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022. 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), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022.

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), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_tennessee_by_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022. 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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/tennessee-counties?period=2022.
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/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-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 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Williamson County, with 4.2% in 2022.

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