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

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Proportion of Americans living below the poverty line in each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the 2016 - 2020 American Community Survey Poverty by U.S. state.svg
Proportion of Americans living below the poverty line in each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the 2016 - 2020 American Community Survey
Proportion of Americans living below the poverty line in each county of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico according to the 2016 - 2020 American Community Survey Poverty in the U.S. by county.png
Proportion of Americans living below the poverty line in each county of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico according to the 2016 - 2020 American Community Survey

This list of U.S. states and territories by poverty rate covers the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Puerto Rico and their populations' poverty rate. The four other inhabited U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are listed separately.

Contents

The data source for the main list is the U.S. Census Bureau's five-year American Community Survey taken 2016 - 2020. [1] The American Community Survey is a large demographic survey collected throughout the year using mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, and visits from Census Bureau field representatives to about 3.5 million household addresses annually, regardless of their legal immigration status.

Overall, out of Americans for whom the Census Bureau was able to determine poverty status, 42.31 million lived below the poverty line (or 13.15% of the total population). Poverty rates were highest in the states of Mississippi (19.58%), Louisiana (18.65%), New Mexico (18.55%), West Virginia (17.10%), Kentucky (16.61%), and Arkansas (16.08%), and they were lowest in the states of New Hampshire (7.42%), Maryland (9.02%), Utah (9.13%), Hawaii (9.26%).

U.S. Census Bureau table

In the list below, the population in each state and territory of the U.S. by specific poverty status can be found. The list is initially sorted by poverty rate but the table headers can be clicked to sort by any column. [1]

U.S. territories

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa 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.

Territory2010
Poverty rate
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa 59.9%
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands 52.3%
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam 22.9%
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  U.S. Virgin Islands 22.4%

USDA map

From United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). [2]

Poverty rates by state. US map.svg

USDA table

Links below are "Economy of STATE" links.

All people in poverty. Percent. 2021. US Department of Agriculture (USDA). [2]
All people in poverty (2021)Children ages 0-17 in poverty (2021)
90% confidence interval of estimate90% confidence interval of estimate
States and D.C.PercentLower BoundUpper BoundPercentLower BoundUpper Bound
National12.812.712.916.916.717.1
Flag of Alabama.svg  Alabama 16.315.916.722.721.923.5
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska 10.810.311.313.512.714.3
Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizona 12.912.613.217.817.218.4
Flag of Arkansas.svg  Arkansas 1615.616.421.82122.6
Flag of California.svg  California 12.312.212.415.815.516.1
Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado 9.79.59.911.811.212.4
Flag of Connecticut.svg  Connecticut 10.19.810.412.912.213.6
Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware 11.5111216.215.317.1
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg  District of Columbia 16.815.917.725.522.528.5
Flag of Florida.svg  Florida 13.21313.418.417.819
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg  Georgia 14.213.914.520.519.921.1
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii 10.910.411.412.91213.8
Flag of Idaho.svg  Idaho 10.810.311.312.511.713.3
Flag of Illinois.svg  Illinois 12.111.912.315.915.416.4
Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana 12.111.812.415.715.116.3
Flag of Iowa.svg  Iowa 1110.611.412.411.813
Flag of Kansas.svg  Kansas 11.611.21213.512.814.2
Flag of Kentucky.svg  Kentucky 16.31616.621.220.521.9
Flag of Louisiana.svg  Louisiana 19.519.119.926.926.127.7
Flag of Maine.svg  Maine 11.210.711.713.812.914.7
Flag of Maryland.svg  Maryland 10.31010.61413.414.6
Flag of Massachusetts.svg  Massachusetts 10.410.210.612.812.213.4
Flag of Michigan.svg  Michigan 1312.813.217.617.118.1
Flag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota 9.39.19.510.810.311.3
Flag of Mississippi.svg  Mississippi 19.218.719.727.126.228
Flag of Missouri.svg  Missouri 12.812.513.116.515.917.1
Flag of Montana.svg  Montana 1211.512.514.914.115.7
Flag of Nebraska.svg  Nebraska 10.510.110.912.111.312.9
Flag of Nevada.svg  Nevada 1413.614.418.81819.6
Flag of New Hampshire.svg  New Hampshire 7.477.89.38.510.1
Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey 10.21010.413.913.314.5
Flag of New Mexico.svg  New Mexico 17.717.118.323.122.124.1
Flag of New York.svg  New York 1413.814.218.818.319.3
Flag of North Carolina.svg  North Carolina 13.513.213.818.217.618.8
Flag of North Dakota.svg  North Dakota 10.910.311.511.510.612.4
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio 13.313.113.518.217.718.7
Flag of Oklahoma.svg  Oklahoma 15.415.115.720.519.821.2
Flag of Oregon.svg  Oregon 12.211.912.513.813.114.5
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg  Pennsylvania 1211.812.216.315.716.9
Flag of Rhode Island.svg  Rhode Island 12.111.612.61716.117.9
Flag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina 14.514.214.819.71920.4
Flag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota 11.911.412.414.413.515.3
Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee 13.713.41418.417.819
Flag of Texas.svg  Texas 14.21414.419.51920
Flag of Utah.svg  Utah 8.78.39.18.57.99.1
Flag of Vermont.svg  Vermont 10.29.710.711.210.312.1
Flag of Virginia.svg  Virginia 10.310.110.513.312.813.8
Flag of Washington.svg  Washington 9.99.710.11211.412.6
Flag of West Virginia.svg  West Virginia 16.816.317.321.420.522.3
Flag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin 10.810.61113.613.114.1
Flag of Wyoming.svg  Wyoming 10.69.911.312.111.113.1

Notes

These metrics are set at a federal level, and thus do not adjust for local cost of living metrics that change purchasing power. Census poverty rates that adjust for cost of living may be more useful for some purposes.[ citation needed ]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "TABLE S1701 - POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS". Census - Table Results. U.S. Census Bureau. 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 Poverty by state. From United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)