What share of people live in poverty in each state?
In the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 survey, 12.5% of people in the U.S. lived below the official poverty line. Louisiana and Mississippi had the highest rates, 18.9%, and New Hampshire the lowest, 7.2%. The official poverty line is the same across the country, so it doesn't reflect higher living costs in some states.
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
The value axis starts at zero. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read exact values. These are survey estimates: the thin lines and the ± figures show each one's margin of error, and the true value is likely (90% confidence) within that range. Where ranges overlap, the difference may not be real.
Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| State | Percent of people below the poverty line | Margin of error (±) |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 18.9 | ±0.3 |
| Mississippi | 18.9 | ±0.3 |
| New Mexico | 17.8 | ±0.4 |
| West Virginia | 16.7 | ±0.4 |
| Kentucky | 16.1 | ±0.3 |
| Arkansas | 16 | ±0.2 |
| Alabama | 15.6 | ±0.2 |
| District of Columbia | 15.4 | ±0.7 |
| Oklahoma | 15.3 | ±0.2 |
| South Carolina | 14.1 | ±0.2 |
| New York | 14 | ±0.2 |
| Tennessee | 13.8 | ±0.2 |
| Texas | 13.8 | ±0.1 |
| Georgia | 13.4 | ±0.2 |
| Ohio | 13.3 | ±0.2 |
| Michigan | 13.2 | ±0.2 |
| North Carolina | 13 | ±0.2 |
| Florida | 12.6 | ±0.1 |
| Missouri | 12.6 | ±0.2 |
| Arizona | 12.5 | ±0.2 |
| United States | 12.5 | ±0.1 |
| Nevada | 12.4 | ±0.3 |
| Indiana | 12.3 | ±0.2 |
| California | 12 | ±0.1 |
| Oregon | 11.9 | ±0.2 |
| South Dakota | 11.9 | ±0.4 |
| Illinois | 11.8 | ±0.1 |
| Pennsylvania | 11.7 | ±0.1 |
| Montana | 11.5 | ±0.3 |
| Kansas | 11.3 | ±0.2 |
| Rhode Island | 11.2 | ±0.4 |
| Iowa | 11.1 | ±0.2 |
| North Dakota | 10.8 | ±0.4 |
| Maine | 10.7 | ±0.3 |
| Idaho | 10.6 | ±0.3 |
| Nebraska | 10.6 | ±0.3 |
| Wisconsin | 10.6 | ±0.1 |
| Wyoming | 10.5 | ±0.6 |
| Delaware | 10.4 | ±0.4 |
| Alaska | 10.1 | ±0.4 |
| Vermont | 10.1 | ±0.4 |
| Connecticut | 10 | ±0.2 |
| Hawaii | 10 | ±0.3 |
| Massachusetts | 10 | ±0.1 |
| Virginia | 9.9 | ±0.2 |
| Washington | 9.9 | ±0.2 |
| New Jersey | 9.7 | ±0.2 |
| Colorado | 9.4 | ±0.2 |
| Maryland | 9.4 | ±0.2 |
| Minnesota | 9.3 | ±0.2 |
| Utah | 8.5 | ±0.2 |
| New Hampshire | 7.2 | ±0.3 |