States with the Highest and Lowest Poverty Rates
Published April 15, 2026 · Census ACS 2023
Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico have the highest state-level poverty rates in America, each with roughly one in six residents living below the federal poverty threshold. At the other end, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Utah keep poverty below 10%, a testament to strong regional economies and relatively high median household incomes.
Highest Poverty Rates
| # | State | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 14.3% |
| 2 | Louisiana | 14.2% |
| 3 | New Mexico | 13.7% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 11.9% |
| 5 | Kentucky | 11.8% |
| 6 | Arkansas | 11.5% |
| 7 | Alabama | 11.3% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 11.1% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 10.7% |
| 10 | Texas | 10.5% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 10.1% |
| 12 | Georgia | 9.9% |
Lowest Poverty Rates
| # | State | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 4.4% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5.5% |
| 3 | Utah | 5.7% |
| 4 | Vermont | 5.7% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5.9% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 6.2% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6.3% |
| 8 | Washington | 6.4% |
| 9 | Maine | 6.5% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6.6% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 6.6% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 6.7% |
What the Official Threshold Captures
The official poverty threshold is set nationally based on a multiple of the cost of a minimum food budget, adjusted for family size. It does not vary by state or metropolitan area. That means $31,000 for a family of four counts as "not in poverty" whether the household lives in rural Mississippi or coastal California, even though the same income affords a very different standard of living in each place.
The Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, released alongside the official measure, does adjust for housing costs and for non-cash benefits like SNAP. It consistently shows higher poverty in high-cost-of-living states, especially California, New York, and Hawaii, and lower poverty in states with low housing costs.
The Geography of Concentrated Poverty
The highest-poverty states cluster in two regions. The Deep South, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas, has combined historically low wages, lower education rates, and persistent rural poverty. The Southwest, especially New Mexico and parts of Arizona, faces different pressures around reservation communities, isolated border regions, and resource-extraction economies with boom-bust cycles.
Within states, poverty is also concentrated. Rural counties, urban cores, and reservation communities frequently post poverty rates two or three times the state average. County-level data, available on every county page on this site, reveals those patterns.
Related
Compare with the richest states by median income. See the full lowest poverty ranking. For the same data by county, visit the counties directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mississippi has the highest poverty rate of any US state at 14.3%.
New Hampshire has the lowest poverty rate of any US state at 4.4%.
The Census Bureau uses the federal poverty threshold, which varies by family size and composition. In 2024, the poverty threshold for a family of four was roughly $31,000. People living in households below their applicable threshold are counted as in poverty.
The official poverty threshold does not adjust for regional cost of living. The Supplemental Poverty Measure, published separately by the Census, does include housing costs and produces different state rankings, particularly raising California's measured poverty.
Poverty rate from ACS 5-Year estimates using the official federal poverty thresholds. The Supplemental Poverty Measure, which adjusts for cost of living, shows a different pattern and is not used here.