US States · Poverty rate

US States by Poverty Rate (2024)

Data: 2024 ACS 1-year estimates Updated: Source: U.S. Census Bureau CSV

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income falls below the federal poverty threshold for their family size and composition. The thresholds are the same everywhere in the country, so the rate does not account for differences in living costs between states.

Louisiana has the highest poverty rate at 18.7%; New Hampshire has the lowest at 7.2%. The rate for the US overall is 12.2%.

Key facts

Highest

  1. 1Louisiana18.7%
  2. 2Mississippi17.8%
  3. 3District of Columbia17.3%

Lowest

  1. 51New Hampshire7.2%
  2. 50Utah8.3%
  3. 49Vermont9.0%
United States
12.2%
Median of 51 states
11.6%
states ranked
51

Poverty rate by state

Shaded by quintile; darker = higher. Hover a state for its value and rank.

Alabama: 15.2% (rank 8 of 51)Alaska: 10.2% (rank 38 of 51)Arizona: 11.7% (rank 24 of 51)Colorado: 9.6% (rank 44 of 51)Florida: 12.0% (rank 21 of 51)Georgia: 12.6% (rank 16 of 51)Indiana: 12.2% (rank 19 of 51)Kansas: 10.9% (rank 31 of 51)Maine: 10.6% (rank 32 of 51)Massachusetts: 9.7% (rank 43 of 51)Minnesota: 9.3% (rank 46 of 51)New Jersey: 9.2% (rank 47 of 51)North Carolina: 12.5% (rank 17 of 51)North Dakota: 11.1% (rank 29 of 51)Oklahoma: 14.9% (rank 9 of 51)Pennsylvania: 11.6% (rank 26 of 51)South Dakota: 10.4% (rank 34 of 51)Texas: 13.4% (rank 13 of 51)Wyoming: 10.1% (rank 39 of 51)Connecticut: 10.2% (rank 37 of 51)Missouri: 12.3% (rank 18 of 51)West Virginia: 16.7% (rank 4 of 51)Illinois: 11.6% (rank 25 of 51)New Mexico: 16.4% (rank 5 of 51)Arkansas: 15.5% (rank 7 of 51)California: 11.8% (rank 22 of 51)Delaware: 9.6% (rank 45 of 51)Hawaii: 10.0% (rank 40 of 51)Iowa: 11.3% (rank 28 of 51)Kentucky: 15.6% (rank 6 of 51)Maryland: 9.1% (rank 48 of 51)Michigan: 13.4% (rank 12 of 51)Mississippi: 17.8% (rank 2 of 51)Montana: 10.2% (rank 36 of 51)New Hampshire: 7.2% (rank 51 of 51)New York: 14.0% (rank 10 of 51)Ohio: 12.7% (rank 15 of 51)Oregon: 11.8% (rank 23 of 51)Tennessee: 13.5% (rank 11 of 51)Utah: 8.3% (rank 50 of 51)Virginia: 9.7% (rank 42 of 51)Washington: 9.9% (rank 41 of 51)Wisconsin: 10.3% (rank 35 of 51)Nebraska: 10.9% (rank 30 of 51)South Carolina: 13.3% (rank 14 of 51)Idaho: 10.5% (rank 33 of 51)Nevada: 11.6% (rank 26 of 51)Vermont: 9.0% (rank 49 of 51)Louisiana: 18.7% (rank 1 of 51)Rhode Island: 12.2% (rank 20 of 51) District of Columbia: 17.3% (rank 3 of 51)
  • 7.2%–9.9%
  • 10.0%–10.9%
  • 10.9%–12.0%
  • 12.2%–13.5%
  • 14.0%–18.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-year estimates. Map: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas), Albers USA projection; Alaska and Hawaii repositioned.

Highest and lowest states

Poverty rate; dashed line marks the US figure.

Highest 10

  1. 1. Louisiana 18.7%
  2. 2. Mississippi 17.8%
  3. 3. District of Columbia 17.3%
  4. 4. West Virginia 16.7%
  5. 5. New Mexico 16.4%
  6. 6. Kentucky 15.6%
  7. 7. Arkansas 15.5%
  8. 8. Alabama 15.2%
  9. 9. Oklahoma 14.9%
  10. 10. New York 14.0%

Lowest 10

  1. 42. Virginia 9.7%
  2. 43. Massachusetts 9.7%
  3. 44. Colorado 9.6%
  4. 45. Delaware 9.6%
  5. 46. Minnesota 9.3%
  6. 47. New Jersey 9.2%
  7. 48. Maryland 9.1%
  8. 49. Vermont 9.0%
  9. 50. Utah 8.3%
  10. 51. New Hampshire 7.2%

United States: 12.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-year estimates.

Full ranking

Download CSV 51 rows
Select a column header to sort (press again to reverse).
1 Louisiana 18.7% South 4,597,740
2 Mississippi 17.8% South 2,943,045
3 District of Columbia 17.3% South 702,250
4 West Virginia 16.7% South 1,769,979
5 New Mexico 16.4% West 2,130,256
6 Kentucky 15.6% South 4,588,372
7 Arkansas 15.5% South 3,088,354
8 Alabama 15.2% South 5,157,699
9 Oklahoma 14.9% South 4,095,393
10 New York 14.0% Northeast 19,867,248
11 Tennessee 13.5% South 7,227,750
12 Michigan 13.4% Midwest 10,140,459
13 Texas 13.4% South 31,290,831
14 South Carolina 13.3% South 5,478,831
15 Ohio 12.7% Midwest 11,883,304
16 Georgia 12.6% South 11,180,878
17 North Carolina 12.5% South 11,046,024
18 Missouri 12.3% Midwest 6,245,466
19 Indiana 12.2% Midwest 6,924,275
20 Rhode Island 12.2% Northeast 1,112,308
21 Florida 12.0% South 23,372,215
22 California 11.8% West 39,431,263
23 Oregon 11.8% West 4,272,371
24 Arizona 11.7% West 7,582,384
25 Illinois 11.6% Midwest 12,710,158
26 Nevada 11.6% West 3,267,467
26 Pennsylvania 11.6% Northeast 13,078,751
28 Iowa 11.3% Midwest 3,241,488
29 North Dakota 11.1% Midwest 796,568
30 Nebraska 10.9% Midwest 2,005,466
31 Kansas 10.9% Midwest 2,970,606
32 Maine 10.6% Northeast 1,405,012
33 Idaho 10.5% West 2,001,619
34 South Dakota 10.4% Midwest 924,669
35 Wisconsin 10.3% Midwest 5,960,975
36 Montana 10.2% West 1,137,233
37 Connecticut 10.2% Northeast 3,675,069
38 Alaska 10.2% West 740,133
39 Wyoming 10.1% West 587,618
40 Hawaii 10.0% West 1,446,146
41 Washington 9.9% West 7,958,180
42 Virginia 9.7% South 8,811,195
43 Massachusetts 9.7% Northeast 7,136,171
44 Colorado 9.6% West 5,957,494
45 Delaware 9.6% South 1,051,917
46 Minnesota 9.3% Midwest 5,793,151
47 New Jersey 9.2% Northeast 9,500,851
48 Maryland 9.1% South 6,263,220
49 Vermont 9.0% Northeast 648,493
50 Utah 8.3% West 3,503,613
51 New Hampshire 7.2% Northeast 1,409,032

Methodology

Calculated from Census Bureau table B17001 (Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Sex by Age), 1-year estimates: people below the poverty level divided by everyone for whom poverty status is determined. People in institutions, military group quarters and college dormitories, and unrelated children under 15, are excluded from the poverty universe.

Puerto Rico and other US territories are not included. Rankings use competition ranking: tied values share a rank.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the lowest poverty rate?

New Hampshire, at 7.2%.

Is this the Supplemental Poverty Measure?

No. This is the official measure. The Supplemental Poverty Measure adjusts for regional housing costs and government benefits and can rank states differently.

Sources

Data retrieved October 28, 2026. Values are shown as published, rounded for display; derived percentages are computed by us from published counts as described above. Download the CSV. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Cite this page: SortedLists, “US States by Poverty Rate”, https://sortedlists.com/states-by-poverty-rate/ (accessed October 28, 2026). Data: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, table B17001.