Census ACS 5-Year · 51 states
States With Lowest Poverty Rates
The poverty rate measures the percentage of residents living below the federal poverty threshold, which varies by household size and composition. New Hampshire, Utah, and Minnesota consistently have the lowest poverty rates, benefiting from strong employment markets, educated workforces, and relatively low costs of living in many areas. Low poverty rates correlate strongly with high employment, educational attainment, and two-parent households. States with the lowest poverty tend to have robust manufacturing or technology sectors, strong K-12 education systems, and effective social safety nets. Conversely, states in the Deep South and parts of Appalachia face persistent poverty driven by historical underinvestment in education, limited industry diversification, and geographic isolation. The poverty rate is a crucial metric for policymakers because it directly affects demand for public assistance, Medicaid enrollment, and federal funding allocations.
Key Findings
- 1New Hampshire leads with a poverty rate of 4.4%, followed by Minnesota (5.5%) and Utah (5.7%).
- 2The gap between #1 New Hampshire and #51 Mississippi (14.3%) is 9.9 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 7.7% (Kansas at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, Vermont, Colorado, North Dakota, Maryland, Washington, Maine, Massachusetts.
Full Ranking: States With Lowest Poverty Rates
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Poverty Rate | Median Income | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 7.1% | $74,815 | 2.4% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 6.6% | $75,670 | 2.2% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 11.9% | $57,917 | 3.1% |
| 4 | Washington | 6.4% | $94,952 | 3.2% |
| 5 | Virginia | 6.8% | $90,974 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Vermont | 5.7% | $78,024 | 2.4% |
| 7 | Utah | 5.7% | $91,750 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Texas | 10.5% | $76,292 | 3.3% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 9.9% | $67,097 | 2.9% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 7.4% | $72,421 | 2.0% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 10.1% | $66,818 | 3.0% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 7.0% | $86,372 | 3.7% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 8.1% | $76,081 | 3.3% |
| 14 | Oregon | 7.3% | $80,426 | 3.3% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 11.1% | $63,603 | 3.0% |
| 16 | Ohio | 9.2% | $69,680 | 3.1% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 6.2% | $75,949 | 1.9% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 9.4% | $69,904 | 3.0% |
| 19 | New York | 9.8% | $84,578 | 3.9% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 13.7% | $62,125 | 3.4% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 7.0% | $101,050 | 4.1% |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 4.4% | $95,628 | 2.2% |
| 23 | Nevada | 9.0% | $75,561 | 4.3% |
| 24 | Nebraska | 6.7% | $74,985 | 2.0% |
| 25 | Montana | 7.1% | $69,922 | 2.3% |
| 26 | Missouri | 8.4% | $68,920 | 2.6% |
| 27 | Mississippi | 14.3% | $54,915 | 3.4% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 5.5% | $87,556 | 2.7% |
| 29 | Michigan | 8.8% | $71,149 | 3.6% |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 6.6% | $101,341 | 3.5% |
| 31 | Maryland | 6.3% | $101,652 | 3.3% |
| 32 | Maine | 6.5% | $71,773 | 2.4% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 14.2% | $60,023 | 3.7% |
| 34 | Kentucky | 11.8% | $62,417 | 2.9% |
| 35 | Kansas | 7.7% | $72,639 | 2.6% |
| 36 | Iowa | 6.9% | $73,147 | 2.4% |
| 37 | Indiana | 8.4% | $70,051 | 2.7% |
| 38 | Illinois | 8.2% | $81,702 | 3.8% |
| 39 | Idaho | 7.0% | $74,636 | 2.3% |
| 40 | Hawaii | 6.9% | $98,317 | 3.0% |
| 41 | Georgia | 9.9% | $74,664 | 3.2% |
| 42 | Florida | 8.9% | $71,711 | 2.8% |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 10.7% | $106,287 | 4.6% |
| 44 | Delaware | 7.3% | $82,855 | 3.1% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 6.8% | $93,760 | 3.7% |
| 46 | Colorado | 5.9% | $92,470 | 3.0% |
| 47 | California | 8.4% | $96,334 | 4.1% |
| 48 | Arkansas | 11.5% | $58,773 | 3.0% |
| 49 | Arizona | 8.9% | $76,872 | 3.1% |
| 50 | Alaska | 6.8% | $89,336 | 3.6% |
| 51 | Alabama | 11.3% | $62,027 | 2.8% |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
New Hampshire has the highest poverty rate at 4.4%, according to latest Census ACS data. Minnesota and Utah round out the top three.
Mississippi has the lowest poverty rate at 14.3%. Louisiana is second-lowest at 14.2%.
The median across all 51 states is 7.7%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.