List of U.S. states and territories by poverty rate

This article is a list of U.S. states, federal district, and territories, ordered by poverty rate. 2014 statistics are not identical to official poverty rates because they include children not counted in the official numbers (see Revised Tables link below). Supplemental Poverty Measure takes into account differences in cost of living between states (i.e. housing costs appreciably higher/lower than the national average) as well as taxes and the value of government assistance programs. All data are from the United States Census Bureau.

Map of poverty rate in the United States in 2014. Note that this map does not show more recent 2017 data.
Legend:

<6%   6%-7.5%   7.5%-9%

9%-10.5%   10.5%-12%   12%-13.5%

13.5%-15%   15%-16.5%   >16.5%

Map of estimated poverty rates in the United States by county, 2008. Legend:

<5%    <10%    <15%

<20%    <25%    <30%

<35%    <40%    >40%

In 2017—2018, the lowest poverty rate was in New Hampshire, and the highest poverty rate was in American Samoa (the highest poverty rate among the states was in Mississippi).

Data for three U.S. territories (Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) is from American FactFinder (the U.S. Census Bureau); data for Puerto Rico is from the U.S. Census Bureau's "QuickFacts".[1][2][3][4][5] Data for American Samoa is from a 2017 report.[6]

States, federal district, and territories

The states and territories are ranked by 2018 data (2018 American Community Survey 1-year estimates) of the percent of people in poverty in each state and territory.[7][note 1]

Rank	State	2018 Poverty rate (percent of persons in poverty)[note 2][7]	2014 Poverty Rates (includes unrelated children)	Supplemental Poverty Measure (2010–2014 average) (Geographically Adjusted)
-	United States	11.8%[8]		16.0%[9][10]
1	New Hampshire	7.6%	9.5%	15.5%
2	Hawaii	8.8%	12.6%	17.3%
3	Maryland	9.0%	9.6%	10.1%
4	Utah	9.0%	9.8%	11.6%
5	New Jersey	9.5%	13.7%	13.9%[11][12]
6	Colorado	9.6%	12.4%	13.7%
7	Minnesota	9.6%	12.1%	9.7%
8	Massachusetts	10.0%	10.9%	13.8%
9	Washington	10.3%	11.9%	12.2%
10	Connecticut	10.4%	10.6%	12.5%[13][14][15]
11	North Dakota	10.7%	11.0%	9.2%
12	Virginia	10.7%	10.8%	13.3%
13	Alaska	10.9%	12.1%	12.5%
14	Nebraska	11.0%	10.0%	9.8%[16][17]
15	Vermont	11.0%	9.7%	13.4%[18]
16	Wisconsin	11.0%	11.1%	10.8%
17	Wyoming	11.1%	9.3%	9.3%
18	Iowa	11.2%	10.9%	8.6%
19	Maine	11.6%	11.6%	11.2%
20	Idaho	11.8%	13.9%	11.8%
21	Kansas	12.0%	13.9%	11.5%%
22	Illinois	12.1%	13.3%	15.2
23	Pennsylvania	12.2%	11.2%	12.6%
24	Delaware	12.5%	12.4%	13.9%
25	Oregon	12.6%	7.11%	10.3%
26	California	12.8%	15.5%	23.8%
27	Nevada	12.9%	13.1%	19.8%
28	Rhode Island	12.9%	13.2%	13.6%
29	Montana	13.0%	13.5%	12.1%
30	South Dakota	13.1%	14.3%	10.6%
31	Indiana	13.1%	16.4%	14.2%
32	Missouri	13.2%	15.6%	12.4%
33	Florida	13.6%	14.6%	19.5%[19]
34	New York	13.6%	15.9%	18.1%[20]
35	Ohio	13.9%	13.5%	13.2%
36	North Carolina	14.0%	17.0%	14.2%
37	Arizona	14.0%	21.3%	18.8%
38	Michigan	14.1%	27.6%	13.5%
39	Georgia	14.3%	18.5%	18.2%
40	Texas	14.9%	17.4%	16.4%
41	Tennessee	15.3%	16.7%	15.5%
42	South Carolina	15.3%	13.8%	15.8%
43	Oklahoma	15.6%	13.0%	13.4%
44	District of Columbia	16.2%	18.0%	22.7%[21]
45	Alabama	16.8%	16.8%	13.5%
46	Kentucky	16.9%	17.1%	13.6%
47	Arkansas	17.2%	19.1%	16.5%
48	West Virginia	17.8%	16.0%	12.9%
49	Louisiana	18.6%	14.3%	18.5%[22]
50	New Mexico	19.5%	19.6%	16.1%
51	Mississippi	19.7%	23.2%	16.1%[23]
52	Puerto Rico	43.1%	—	—
53	American Samoa [6][note 3]	65.0%	—	—

2010 data

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are data deficient (because they are not included in the American Community Survey), not all recent poverty rate estimates have been made for them. Below are the poverty rates for these territories in 2010.

Rank	Territory	2010 Poverty rate
—	U.S. Virgin Islands	22.4%
—	Guam	22.9%
—	Northern Mariana Islands	52.3%

Notes

1. In the table below, data for the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico is from 2018 (American Community Survey estimates). Data for American Samoa is from a 2017 statement by the governor of American Samoa.[6]
2. 2018 data for the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico (2018 American Community Survey estimates); 2017 data for American Samoa.
3. In 2009, the poverty rate in American Samoa was 57.8%.[5] In 2017 the governor of American Samoa said that the poverty rate in American Samoa was 65%.[6]

See also

• List of US states by Gini coefficient
• List of lowest-income places in the United States
• List of lowest-income counties in the United States
• Thank God for Mississippi

References

1. http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_VISF_PBG76&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at Archive.today Census.gov. American Factfinder. U.S. Virgin Islands. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
2. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_GUSF_PBG82&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at Archive.today Census.gov. American Factfinder. Guam. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
3. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/PR Census.gov. Quick Facts. Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
4. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_MPSF_PBG82&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at Archive.today Census.gov. American Factfinder. Northern Mariana Islands. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
5. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_ASSF_PBG82&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at Archive.today Census.gov. American Factfinder. American Samoa. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
6. http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/03/02/american-samoa-governor-says-small-economies-cannot-afford-any-reduction Pireport.org. American Samoa Governor Says Small Economies 'Cannot Afford Any Reduction In Medicaid. Fili Sagapolutele. 03/02/2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
7. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/US U.S. Census. QuickFacts. (Replace the "US" in the URL with the state abbreviation, such as AL for Alabama, to see each state's data.) Retrieved July 4, 2020.
8. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045218 U.S. Census. Quick Facts — United States. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
9. "Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.: 2014". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
10. "Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates - Interactive Data and Mapping - U.S. Census Bureau". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
11. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
13. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
14. "Connecticut 2015 Report". Talkpoverty.org. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
17. "The Supplemental Poverty Measure : 2013" (PDF). Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
18. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
19. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
20. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
21. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
22. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
23. "Population Estimates : July 1, 2016". Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017.

External links

• Total Number of People Living in Poverty based on Household Income (In Thousands), 2005. State Health Facts. December 14, 2007.
• Poverty Rate based on Household Income, 2005 . State Health Facts. December 14, 2007.
• Geographic Adjustments of Supplemental Poverty Measure Thresholds: Using the American Community Survey Five-Year Data on Housing Costs Accessed November 27, 2012.
• The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure Accessed June 5, 2014.