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Poverty rate by state
The percentage of people whose family income was below the federal poverty threshold in the past 12 months. Higher ranks mean a higher poverty rate.
Data vintage: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (table S1701), compared with 2023; 2025 1-year estimates had not been released when this page was built. Last checked 2026-10-27 by The CompareTheData team.
Data: Census Bureau ACS 2024 1-year (S1701). Jump to sources · Methodology
Key takeaways
- 12.1% of Americans were below the poverty line in 2024 (12.5% in 2023).
- Highest poverty rates: Louisiana (18.7%), Mississippi (17.8%) and the District of Columbia (17.3%).
- Lowest: New Hampshire (7.2%), Utah (8.3%) and Vermont (9.0%).
- 38 jurisdictions saw their rate fall from 2023.
Poverty rate by state chart
Poverty rate, all states ranked
Click a column heading to sort. Download this table (CSV).
| Rank | State | Poverty rate 2024 | Poverty rate 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | 18.7% | 18.9% | −0.2 pts |
| 2 | Mississippi | 17.8% | 18.0% | −0.2 pts |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 17.3% | 14.0% | +3.3 pts |
| 4 | West Virginia | 16.7% | 16.7% | +0.0 pts |
| 5 | New Mexico | 16.4% | 17.8% | −1.4 pts |
| 6 | Kentucky | 15.6% | 16.4% | −0.8 pts |
| 7 | Arkansas | 15.5% | 15.7% | −0.2 pts |
| 8 | Alabama | 15.2% | 15.6% | −0.4 pts |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.9% | 15.9% | −1.0 pts |
| 10 | New York | 14.0% | 14.2% | −0.2 pts |
| 11 | Tennessee | 13.5% | 14.0% | −0.5 pts |
| 12 | Michigan | 13.4% | 13.5% | −0.1 pts |
| 13 | Texas | 13.4% | 13.7% | −0.3 pts |
| 14 | South Carolina | 13.3% | 13.9% | −0.6 pts |
| 15 | Ohio | 12.7% | 13.3% | −0.6 pts |
| 16 | Georgia | 12.6% | 13.6% | −1.0 pts |
| 17 | North Carolina | 12.5% | 12.8% | −0.3 pts |
| 18 | Missouri | 12.3% | 12.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 19 | Indiana | 12.2% | 12.3% | −0.1 pts |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 12.2% | 10.8% | +1.4 pts |
| 21 | Florida | 12.0% | 12.3% | −0.3 pts |
| 22 | California | 11.8% | 12.0% | −0.2 pts |
| 23 | Oregon | 11.8% | 12.2% | −0.4 pts |
| 24 | Arizona | 11.7% | 12.4% | −0.7 pts |
| 25 | Illinois | 11.6% | 11.6% | +0.0 pts |
| 26 | Nevada | 11.6% | 12.0% | −0.4 pts |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 11.6% | 12.0% | −0.4 pts |
| 28 | Iowa | 11.3% | 11.3% | +0.0 pts |
| 29 | North Dakota | 11.1% | 9.8% | +1.3 pts |
| 30 | Kansas | 10.9% | 11.2% | −0.3 pts |
| 31 | Nebraska | 10.9% | 10.5% | +0.4 pts |
| 32 | Maine | 10.6% | 10.4% | +0.2 pts |
| 33 | Idaho | 10.5% | 10.1% | +0.4 pts |
| 34 | South Dakota | 10.4% | 11.8% | −1.4 pts |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 10.3% | 10.7% | −0.4 pts |
| 36 | Alaska | 10.2% | 10.4% | −0.2 pts |
| 37 | Connecticut | 10.2% | 10.3% | −0.1 pts |
| 38 | Montana | 10.2% | 11.7% | −1.5 pts |
| 39 | Wyoming | 10.1% | 11.3% | −1.2 pts |
| 40 | Hawaii | 10.0% | 10.1% | −0.1 pts |
| 41 | Washington | 9.9% | 10.3% | −0.4 pts |
| 42 | Massachusetts | 9.7% | 10.4% | −0.7 pts |
| 43 | Virginia | 9.7% | 10.2% | −0.5 pts |
| 44 | Colorado | 9.6% | 9.3% | +0.3 pts |
| 45 | Delaware | 9.6% | 10.5% | −0.9 pts |
| 46 | Minnesota | 9.3% | 9.3% | +0.0 pts |
| 47 | New Jersey | 9.2% | 9.7% | −0.5 pts |
| 48 | Maryland | 9.1% | 9.5% | −0.4 pts |
| 49 | Vermont | 9.0% | 9.7% | −0.7 pts |
| 50 | Utah | 8.3% | 9.0% | −0.7 pts |
| 51 | New Hampshire | 7.2% | 7.2% | +0.0 pts |
What changed from 2023 to 2024
The U.S. figure moved from 12.5% in 2023 to 12.1% in 2024. 8 jurisdictions rose and 38 fell. Largest increases: District of Columbia (+3.3 pts), Rhode Island (+1.4 pts) and North Dakota (+1.3 pts). Largest decreases: Montana (−1.5 pts), New Mexico (−1.4 pts) and South Dakota (−1.4 pts). Changes for small states are often within the survey's margin of error, so treat a move of one or two ranks as noise.
How to read these numbers
- Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military barracks or college dorms.
- ACS figures are survey estimates with sampling error. Neighboring ranks are often statistically tied.
- The ACS counts people where they usually live, including the household population only for some measures.
Common questions
What is the poorest state in the US?
By official poverty rate, Louisiana (18.7%), followed by Mississippi and West Virginia.
Which state has the lowest poverty rate?
New Hampshire (7.2%).
What is the US poverty rate?
12.1% in the 2024 ACS.
Does the poverty rate account for cost of living?
No. The official threshold is the same nationwide (except Alaska and Hawaii for some programs). The Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure adjusts for housing costs and ranks states differently.
Sources
Figures computed by CompareTheData.com from the official files below; the raw downloads are archived with the build. Where D.C. is included it is ranked alongside the states.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2024 and 2023 (summary file table S1701). 2024 1-year release, September 2025.