Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / US states

US states by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Mississippi had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 51 states in 2023, at 19.1%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 7.2%. The median was 11.9% and the figure for the United States was 12.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest19.1Mississippi
Lowest7.2New Hampshire
Median11.951 states
United States12.4History

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 15.6 %Alaska: 10.2 %Arizona: 12.8 %Arkansas: 16 %California: 12 %Colorado: 9.4 %Connecticut: 10 %Delaware: 10.7 %District of Columbia: 14.5 %Florida: 12.6 %Georgia: 13.5 %Hawaii: 10 %Idaho: 10.6 %Illinois: 11.7 %Indiana: 12.2 %Iowa: 11 %Kansas: 11.5 %Kentucky: 16.1 %Louisiana: 18.9 %Maine: 10.8 %Maryland: 9.4 %Massachusetts: 10 %Michigan: 13.1 %Minnesota: 9.2 %Mississippi: 19.1 %Missouri: 12.6 %Montana: 12.1 %Nebraska: 10.3 %Nevada: 12.6 %New Hampshire: 7.2 %New Jersey: 9.8 %New Mexico: 18.1 %New York: 13.7 %North Carolina: 13.2 %North Dakota: 10.6 %Ohio: 13.2 %Oklahoma: 15.3 %Oregon: 11.9 %Pennsylvania: 11.8 %Rhode Island: 10.9 %South Carolina: 14.2 %South Dakota: 12 %Tennessee: 13.8 %Texas: 13.8 %Utah: 8.6 %Vermont: 10.3 %Virginia: 9.9 %Washington: 9.9 %West Virginia: 16.6 %Wisconsin: 10.6 %Wyoming: 10.7 %
  • Under 10
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%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2023

Mississippi: 19.1 %Mississippi19.1Louisiana: 18.9 %Louisiana18.9New Mexico: 18.1 %New Mexico18.1West Virginia: 16.6 %West Virginia16.6Kentucky: 16.1 %Kentucky16.1Arkansas: 16 %Arkansas16Alabama: 15.6 %Alabama15.6Oklahoma: 15.3 %Oklahoma15.3District of Columbia: 14.5 %District of Columbia14.5South Carolina: 14.2 %South Carolina14.2Texas: 13.8 %Texas13.8Tennessee: 13.8 %Tennessee13.8New York: 13.7 %New York13.7Georgia: 13.5 %Georgia13.5Ohio: 13.2 %Ohio13.2North Carolina: 13.2 %North Carolina13.2Michigan: 13.1 %Michigan13.1Arizona: 12.8 %Arizona12.8Florida: 12.6 %Florida12.6Missouri: 12.6 %Missouri12.6Nevada: 12.6 %Nevada12.6Indiana: 12.2 %Indiana12.2Montana: 12.1 %Montana12.1South Dakota: 12 %South Dakota12California: 12 %California12Oregon: 11.9 %Oregon11.9Pennsylvania: 11.8 %Pennsylvania11.8Illinois: 11.7 %Illinois11.7Kansas: 11.5 %Kansas11.5Iowa: 11 %Iowa11Rhode Island: 10.9 %Rhode Island10.9Maine: 10.8 %Maine10.8Delaware: 10.7 %Delaware10.7Wyoming: 10.7 %Wyoming10.7Idaho: 10.6 %Idaho10.6North Dakota: 10.6 %North Dakota10.6Wisconsin: 10.6 %Wisconsin10.6Nebraska: 10.3 %Nebraska10.3Vermont: 10.3 %Vermont10.3Alaska: 10.2 %Alaska10.2Connecticut: 10 %Connecticut10Massachusetts: 10 %Massachusetts10Hawaii: 10 %Hawaii10Virginia: 9.9 %Virginia9.9Washington: 9.9 %Washington9.9New Jersey: 9.8 %New Jersey9.8Colorado: 9.4 %Colorado9.4Maryland: 9.4 %Maryland9.4Minnesota: 9.2 %Minnesota9.2Utah: 8.6 %Utah8.6New Hampshire: 7.2 %New Hampshire7.2Mississippi: 19.1 %Mississippi19.1Louisiana: 18.9 %Louisiana18.9New Mexico: 18.1 %New Mexico18.1West Virginia: 16.6 %West Virginia16.6Kentucky: 16.1 %Kentucky16.1Arkansas: 16 %Arkansas16Alabama: 15.6 %Alabama15.6Oklahoma: 15.3 %Oklahoma15.3District of Columbia: 14.5 %District of Columbia14.5South Carolina: 14.2 %South Carolina14.2Texas: 13.8 %Texas13.8Tennessee: 13.8 %Tennessee13.8New York: 13.7 %New York13.7Georgia: 13.5 %Georgia13.5Ohio: 13.2 %Ohio13.2North Carolina: 13.2 %North Carolina13.2Michigan: 13.1 %Michigan13.1Arizona: 12.8 %Arizona12.8Florida: 12.6 %Florida12.6Missouri: 12.6 %Missouri12.6Nevada: 12.6 %Nevada12.6Indiana: 12.2 %Indiana12.2Montana: 12.1 %Montana12.1South Dakota: 12 %South Dakota12California: 12 %California12Oregon: 11.9 %Oregon11.9Pennsylvania: 11.8 %Pennsylvania11.8Illinois: 11.7 %Illinois11.7Kansas: 11.5 %Kansas11.5Iowa: 11 %Iowa11Rhode Island: 10.9 %Rhode Island10.9Maine: 10.8 %Maine10.8Delaware: 10.7 %Delaware10.7Wyoming: 10.7 %Wyoming10.7Idaho: 10.6 %Idaho10.6North Dakota: 10.6 %North Dakota10.6Wisconsin: 10.6 %Wisconsin10.6Nebraska: 10.3 %Nebraska10.3Vermont: 10.3 %Vermont10.3Alaska: 10.2 %Alaska10.2Connecticut: 10 %Connecticut10Massachusetts: 10 %Massachusetts10Hawaii: 10 %Hawaii10Virginia: 9.9 %Virginia9.9Washington: 9.9 %Washington9.9New Jersey: 9.8 %New Jersey9.8Colorado: 9.4 %Colorado9.4Maryland: 9.4 %Maryland9.4Minnesota: 9.2 %Minnesota9.2Utah: 8.6 %Utah8.6New Hampshire: 7.2 %New Hampshire7.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Mississippi19.1-0.1 pts
2Louisiana18.9+0.2 pts
3New Mexico18.1-0.2 pts
4West Virginia16.6-0.2 pts
5Kentucky16.10 pts
6Arkansas16-0.2 pts
7Alabama15.6-0.1 pts
8Oklahoma15.3+0.1 pts
9District of Columbia14.5-0.6 pts
10South Carolina14.2-0.2 pts
11Texas13.8-0.1 pts
12Tennessee13.8-0.2 pts
13New York13.7+0.1 pts
14Georgia13.5-0 pts
15Ohio13.2-0.1 pts
16North Carolina13.2-0.2 pts
17Michigan13.1-0.1 pts
18Arizona12.8-0.3 pts
19Florida12.6-0.3 pts
19Missouri12.6-0.2 pts
21Nevada12.6-0.1 pts
22Indiana12.2-0.1 pts
23Montana12.1-0.4 pts
24South Dakota12-0.3 pts
25California12-0.1 pts
26Oregon11.9-0 pts
27Pennsylvania11.80 pts
28Illinois11.7-0 pts
29Kansas11.5-0.1 pts
30Iowa11-0.1 pts
31Rhode Island10.9-0.3 pts
32Maine10.8-0.2 pts
33Delaware10.7-0.4 pts
33Wyoming10.7+0.1 pts
35Idaho10.6-0.4 pts
36North Dakota10.6-0.2 pts
36Wisconsin10.6-0.1 pts
38Nebraska10.3-0.1 pts
39Vermont10.3-0.2 pts
40Alaska10.2-0.3 pts
41Connecticut10-0.1 pts
42Massachusetts10+0.1 pts
43Hawaii10+0.4 pts
44Virginia9.9-0.1 pts
45Washington9.90 pts
46New Jersey9.8+0.1 pts
47Colorado9.4-0.2 pts
48Maryland9.4+0.1 pts
49Minnesota9.2-0.1 pts
50Utah8.60 pts
51New Hampshire7.2-0.2 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 states 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 (US states 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, US states 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/us-states?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. US states 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/us-states?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, US states 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/us-states?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_poverty_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: US states 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/us-states?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: US states 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/us-states?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/us-states?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 state has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Mississippi, with 19.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

New Hampshire, with 7.2% 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

US states: more rankings