PlainCities

Counties ranked

The poorest counties in America

Oglala Lakota County, SD ranks first by share of residents below the poverty line (57.6%), within the margin of error of Todd County, SD. Counties of 1,000 or more residents with a reliable estimate.

Which U.S. counties have the highest poverty rate?

First to fifth: Oglala Lakota County, SD (57.6%), Todd County, SD (48.4%), Corson County, SD (44.2%), Sioux County, ND (43.3%) and Jackson County, SD (42.4%).

The poorest counties in America, by share of residents below the poverty line (the first 100 of 3,092). "Within the margin": the survey cannot tell it from the next one.
RankCountyShare of residents below the poverty lineResidents, 2025
1 Oglala Lakota County, SDwithin the margin 57.6%±7.7 pts 13,338
2 Todd County, SDwithin the margin 48.4%±6.6 pts 8,863
3 Corson County, SDwithin the margin 44.2%±4.6 pts 3,781
4 Sioux County, NDwithin the margin 43.3%±5.9 pts 3,667
5 Jackson County, SDwithin the margin 42.4%±11.9 pts 2,666
6 Mellette County, SDwithin the margin 41.7%±8.7 pts 2,137
7 Dimmit County, TXwithin the margin 41.1%±8.9 pts 8,024
8 Greene County, ALwithin the margin 40.1%±6.9 pts 7,067
9 Lee County, ARwithin the margin 39.4%±4.5 pts 8,029
10 McCreary County, KYwithin the margin 38.9%±5.3 pts 17,124
11 Zapata County, TXwithin the margin 38.4%±6.0 pts 13,753
12 Magoffin County, KYwithin the margin 38.2%±6.4 pts 11,110
13 Wolfe County, KYwithin the margin 37.7%±9.3 pts 6,298
14 Knox County, KYwithin the margin 36.9%±3.6 pts 29,532
15 Holmes County, MSwithin the margin 36.4%±4.6 pts 15,465
16 Owsley County, KYwithin the margin 36.1%±7.5 pts 3,932
17 Coahoma County, MSwithin the margin 35.5%±4.4 pts 19,849
18 East Carroll Parish, LAwithin the margin 35.2%±7.3 pts 6,760
19 Madison Parish, LAwithin the margin 34.5%±5.4 pts 8,844
20 Tensas Parish, LAwithin the margin 34.4%±4.8 pts 3,700
21 McDowell County, WVwithin the margin 34.2%±6.2 pts 16,878
22 Buffalo County, SDwithin the margin 33.9%±8.2 pts 1,802
22 Zavala County, TXwithin the margin 33.9%±9.5 pts 9,037
24 Ziebach County, SDwithin the margin 33.5%±5.9 pts 2,389
24 Starr County, TXwithin the margin 33.5%±3.2 pts 66,319
26 Terrell County, GAwithin the margin 33.3%±5.5 pts 8,656
26 Duval County, TXwithin the margin 33.3%±8.4 pts 9,402
26 Bullock County, ALwithin the margin 33.3%±6.8 pts 9,780
29 Martin County, KYwithin the margin 33.2%±5.5 pts 10,697
29 McKinley County, NMwithin the margin 33.2%±2.3 pts 68,119
29 Socorro County, NMwithin the margin 33.2%±7.2 pts 15,838
32 Breathitt County, KYwithin the margin 33.1%±4.0 pts 12,558
33 Dewey County, SDwithin the margin 33.0%±4.9 pts 5,419
34 Calhoun County, WVwithin the margin 32.9%±6.5 pts 5,978
35 Wheeler County, GAwithin the margin 32.7%±9.7 pts 7,570
36 Bolivar County, MSwithin the margin 32.6%±3.6 pts 28,262
37 Jefferson County, MSwithin the margin 32.5%±6.6 pts 6,825
38 Kusilvak Census Area, AKwithin the margin 32.4%±3.2 pts 7,932
38 St. Helena Parish, LAwithin the margin 32.4%±6.8 pts 10,758
38 Mingo County, WVwithin the margin 32.4%±3.8 pts 21,455
38 Clay County, KYwithin the margin 32.4%±4.5 pts 19,465
42 Hancock County, TNwithin the margin 32.2%±5.1 pts 7,075
42 Lake County, TNwithin the margin 32.2%±5.5 pts 6,249
44 Taylor County, GAwithin the margin 32.1%±5.2 pts 7,818
45 Presidio County, TXwithin the margin 32.0%±12.8 pts 5,433
45 Claiborne Parish, LAwithin the margin 32.0%±4.6 pts 13,354
47 Concordia Parish, LAwithin the margin 31.8%±3.9 pts 17,836
48 Leflore County, MSwithin the margin 31.5%±4.1 pts 25,686
49 Jim Hogg County, TXwithin the margin 31.4%±11.1 pts 4,555
49 Perry County, ALwithin the margin 31.4%±6.4 pts 7,425
51 Lincoln Parish, LAwithin the margin 31.2%±2.4 pts 48,360
52 Galax city, VAwithin the margin 31.1%±7.7 pts 6,670
52 Glacier County, MTwithin the margin 31.1%±3.9 pts 13,463
52 Tunica County, MSwithin the margin 31.1%±7.4 pts 8,819
55 Dallas County, ALwithin the margin 31.0%±2.8 pts 35,140
56 Sharkey County, MSwithin the margin 30.9%±7.4 pts 3,097
57 Yazoo County, MSwithin the margin 30.8%±4.7 pts 22,947
58 Claiborne County, MSwithin the margin 30.7%±6.7 pts 8,058
59 Hancock County, GAwithin the margin 30.6%±8.1 pts 8,682
60 Apache County, AZwithin the margin 30.5%±2.0 pts 64,445
61 Roosevelt County, MTwithin the margin 30.4%±4.0 pts 10,242
62 Leslie County, KYwithin the margin 30.3%±6.3 pts 9,627
63 Swisher County, TXwithin the margin 30.1%±6.9 pts 6,703
64 Marion County, SCwithin the margin 30.0%±3.9 pts 28,242
64 Randolph County, GAwithin the margin 30.0%±8.7 pts 6,156
66 Lowndes County, ALwithin the margin 29.9%±4.8 pts 9,359
66 Bennett County, SDwithin the margin 29.9%±9.5 pts 3,307
68 Caldwell Parish, LAwithin the margin 29.8%±5.0 pts 9,344
69 Pemiscot County, MOwithin the margin 29.6%±3.7 pts 14,465
69 Quitman County, MSwithin the margin 29.6%±5.8 pts 5,364
71 Union Parish, LAwithin the margin 29.4%±4.8 pts 20,561
72 Morehouse Parish, LAwithin the margin 29.3%±4.2 pts 23,705
72 Phillips County, ARwithin the margin 29.3%±3.4 pts 14,255
74 Bienville Parish, LAwithin the margin 29.2%±2.8 pts 12,269
75 Sunflower County, MSwithin the margin 28.9%±3.9 pts 22,893
76 Lee County, VAwithin the margin 28.8%±4.0 pts 21,642
76 Bell County, KYwithin the margin 28.8%±3.4 pts 22,829
78 Radford city, VAwithin the margin 28.7%±4.3 pts 17,243
78 Jefferson Davis County, MSwithin the margin 28.7%±5.3 pts 10,941
80 Luna County, NMwithin the margin 28.6%±3.6 pts 25,407
81 St. Francis County, ARwithin the margin 28.5%±4.0 pts 21,800
81 Marlboro County, SCwithin the margin 28.5%±3.1 pts 25,488
83 Cibola County, NMwithin the margin 28.4%±4.5 pts 26,807
83 Bent County, COwithin the margin 28.4%±6.4 pts 5,716
85 Faulk County, SDwithin the margin 28.3%±9.0 pts 2,178
85 Desha County, ARwithin the margin 28.3%±4.8 pts 9,984
87 Wilcox County, ALwithin the margin 28.2%±4.8 pts 9,666
87 Allendale County, SCwithin the margin 28.2%±5.8 pts 7,355
89 Kleberg County, TXwithin the margin 28.1%±4.3 pts 30,315
90 Floyd County, KYwithin the margin 28.0%±3.3 pts 34,401
91 Gadsden County, FLwithin the margin 27.9%±2.7 pts 44,298
92 Bronx County, NYwithin the margin 27.8%±0.6 pts 1,406,332
92 Avoyelles Parish, LAwithin the margin 27.8%±3.2 pts 37,941
92 Conecuh County, ALwithin the margin 27.8%±5.0 pts 10,899
92 Cochran County, TXwithin the margin 27.8%±6.9 pts 2,546
96 Dillon County, SCwithin the margin 27.7%±3.2 pts 27,458
97 Amite County, MSwithin the margin 27.6%±5.4 pts 12,487
98 Metcalfe County, KYwithin the margin 27.5%±5.2 pts 10,583
99 Harlan County, KYwithin the margin 27.4%±3.2 pts 24,725
99 Lee County, KY 27.4%±4.5 pts 7,297

Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau · Check it at data.census.gov

How is this ranking made?

One figure is read for each county: the share of residents below the poverty line. A survey estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40% is left out. Equal figures share a rank. A ranking measures one number; it is not a judgment of a place. The rules are on the methodology page (how a survey figure's reliability is judged), and every ranking is on the rankings page.

Source: PlainCities ranking method applied to the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau · How ranks are computed