24/7 Wall St. has identified the worst county to live in for all 50 states, using a custom data-based ranking methodology.
Counties and county equivalents are ranked on a combination of three measures – average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree, and the poverty rate.
Can you guess the “winner” of this not-so-glamorous title in your state? Read on to find out!
Why Is This Important?
Poverty is ever-present and not going away; discussing this topic keeps it at the forefront of minds. Health risks, social risks, and human rights violations are some of the many consequences for those living in it. Children who experience and grow up in poverty face many roadblocks and often continue the cycle as they reach adulthood.
Alabama: Perry County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 70.8 years (State: 74.8 years)
- Poverty rate: 32.8% (State: 15.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.2% (State: 27.2%)
- Median household income: $32,332 (State: $59,609)
- Population: 8,479
- County seat: Marion
- Counties considered in the state: 67
Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 67.7 years (State: 78.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 34.3% (State: 10.5%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 4.6% (State: 30.7%)
- Median household income: $42,663 (State: $86,370)
- Population: 8,372
- County seat: None
- County equivalents considered in the state: 24
Arizona: Apache County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 70.1 years (State: 79.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 32.5% (State: 13.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.8% (State: 31.8%)
- Median household income: $37,483 (State: $72,581)
- Population: 66,054
- County seat: St. Johns
- Counties considered in the state: 15
Arkansas: Lee County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.6 years (State: 75.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 27.6% (State: 16.2%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 7.7% (State: 24.7%)
- Median household income: $33,801 (State: $56,335)
- Population: 8,666
- County seat: Marianna
- Counties considered in the state: 75
California: Trinity County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 74.6 years (State: 81.0 years)
- Poverty rate: 22.0% (State: 12.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.2% (State: 35.9%)
- Median household income: $47,317 (State: $91,905)
- Population: 15,889
- County seat: Weaverville
- Counties considered in the state: 57
Colorado: Bent County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 74.0 years (State: 80.0 years)
- Poverty rate: 27.1% (State: 9.6%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.5% (State: 43.7%)
- Median household income: $45,776 (State: $87,598)
- Population: 5,561
- County seat: Las Animas
- Counties considered in the state: 59
Connecticut: Windham County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.0 years (State: 80.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 11.3% (State: 10.0%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.4% (State: 40.6%)
- Median household income: $71,418 (State: $83,572)
- Population: 116,503
- County seat: None
- Counties considered in the state: 8
Delaware: Kent County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.1 years (State: 78.0 years)
- Poverty rate: 12.3% (State: 11.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.3% (State: 34.5%)
- Median household income: $69,278 (State: $79,325)
- Population: 182,400
- County seat: Dover
- Counties considered in the state: 3
Florida: Hamilton County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 75.4 years (State: 79.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 26.4% (State: 12.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.2% (State: 32.3%)
- Median household income: $47,668 (State: $67,917)
- Population: 13,492
- County seat: Jasper
- Counties considered in the state: 67
Georgia: Clinch County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.6 years (State: 77.3 years)
- Poverty rate: 32.5% (State: 13.5%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.9% (State: 33.6%)
- Median household income: $53,350 (State: $71,355)
- Population: 6,713
- County seat: Homerville
- Counties considered in the state: 158
Hawaii: Hawaii County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.0 years (State: 82.3 years)
- Poverty rate: 14.1% (State: 9.6%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 30.7% (State: 34.7%)
- Median household income: $74,238 (State: $94,814)
- Population: 202,163
- County seat: Hilo
- Counties considered in the state: 4
Idaho: Butte County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.1 years (State: 79.2 years)
- Poverty rate: 22.1% (State: 11.0%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.2% (State: 30.2%)
- Median household income: $37,358 (State: $70,214)
- Population: 2,605
- County seat: Arco
- Counties considered in the state: 42
Illinois: Alexander County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 70.5 years (State: 78.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 21.4% (State: 11.8%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 10.3% (State: 36.7%)
- Median household income: $40,365 (State: $78,433)
- Population: 5,261
- County seat: Cairo
- Counties considered in the state: 102
Indiana: Crawford County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 74.2 years (State: 76.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 21.9% (State: 12.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.2% (State: 28.2%)
- Median household income: $46,706 (State: $67,173)
- Population: 10,511
- County seat: English
- Counties considered in the state: 92
Iowa: Clarke County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.0 years (State: 78.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 16.9% (State: 11.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.2% (State: 30.3%)
- Median household income: $63,120 (State: $70,571)
- Population: 9,737
- County seat: Osceola
- Counties considered in the state: 99
Kansas: Edwards County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 64.7 years (State: 77.8 years)
- Poverty rate: 13.6% (State: 11.6%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 17.9% (State: 34.7%)
- Median household income: $52,750 (State: $69,747)
- Population: 2,849
- County seat: Kinsley
- Counties considered in the state: 102
Kentucky: Wolfe County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 68.0 years (State: 75.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 36.8% (State: 16.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 7.0% (State: 26.5%)
- Median household income: $28,666 (State: $60,183)
- Population: 6,573
- County seat: Campton
- Counties considered in the state: 120
Louisiana: East Carroll Parish
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.3 years (State: 75.2 years)
- Poverty rate: 40.3% (State: 18.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.8% (State: 26.1%)
- Median household income: $30,856 (State: $57,852)
- Population: 7,371
- Parish seat: Lake Providence
- Parishes considered in the state: 64
Maine: Somerset County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.6 years (State: 78.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 16.8% (State: 10.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.7% (State: 34.1%)
- Median household income: $53,527 (State: $68,251)
- Population: 50,656
- County seat: Skowhegan
- Counties considered in the state: 16
Maryland: Somerset County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 75.8 years (State: 78.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 19.8% (State: 9.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.8% (State: 42.2%)
- Median household income: $52,149 (State: $98,461)
- Population: 24,672
- County seat: Princess Anne
- Counties considered in the state: 24
Massachusetts: Hampden County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years (State: 80.2 years)
- Poverty rate: 15.8% (State: 9.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.6% (State: 45.9%)
- Median household income: $66,619 (State: $96,505)
- Population: 464,575
- County seat: Springfield
- Counties considered in the state: 14
Michigan: Clare County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 74.3 years (State: 77.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 22.1% (State: 13.1%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.2% (State: 31.1%)
- Median household income: $47,816 (State: $68,505)
- Population: 30,998
- County seat: Harrison
- Counties considered in the state: 83
Minnesota: Mahnomen County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.0 years (State: 80.4 years)
- Poverty rate: 20.6% (State: 9.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.7% (State: 38.2%)
- Median household income: $52,739 (State: $84,313)
- Population: 5,389
- County seat: Mahnomen
- Counties considered in the state: 87
Mississippi: Holmes County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 69.0 years (State: 73.9 years)
- Poverty rate: 35.0% (State: 19.2%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.7% (State: 23.9%)
- Median household income: $28,818 (State: $52,985)
- Population: 16,848
- County seat: Lexington
- Counties considered in the state: 81
Missouri: Pemiscot County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 69.1 years (State: 76.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 29.3% (State: 12.8%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.6% (State: 31.2%)
- Median household income: $37,426 (State: $65,920)
- Population: 15,555
- County seat: Caruthersville
- Counties considered in the state: 115
Montana: Roosevelt County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 64.5 years (State: 78.4 years)
- Poverty rate: 31.5% (State: 12.4%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.8% (State: 34.0%)
- Median household income: $51,038 (State: $66,341)
- Population: 10,799
- County seat: Wolf Point
- Counties considered in the state: 48
Nebraska: Thurston County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 66.6 years (State: 79.0 years)
- Poverty rate: 19.0% (State: 10.4%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.8% (State: 33.5%)
- Median household income: $63,459 (State: $71,722)
- Population: 6,716
- County seat: Pender
- Counties considered in the state: 79
Nevada: Mineral County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.6 years (State: 78.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 18.5% (State: 12.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.6% (State: 26.5%)
- Median household income: $46,625 (State: $71,646)
- Population: 4,568
- County seat: Hawthorne
- Counties considered in the state: 16
New Hampshire: Coos County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.2 years (State: 79.6 years)
- Poverty rate: 11.6% (State: 7.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.4% (State: 39.0%)
- Median household income: $55,247 (State: $90,845)
- Population: 31,430
- County seat: Lancaster
- Counties considered in the state: 10
New Jersey: Cumberland County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 74.6 years (State: 79.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 15.5% (State: 9.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 17.3% (State: 42.3%)
- Median household income: $62,310 (State: $97,126)
- Population: 153,588
- County seat: Bridgeton
- Counties considered in the state: 21
New Mexico: McKinley County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 67.9 years (State: 76.9 years)
- Poverty rate: 33.6% (State: 18.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.4% (State: 29.1%)
- Median household income: $44,029 (State: $58,722)
- Population: 72,073
- County seat: Gallup
- Counties considered in the state: 32
New York: Bronx County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.0 years (State: 80.3 years)
- Poverty rate: 26.9% (State: 13.6%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 21.2% (State: 38.8%)
- Median household income: $47,036 (State: $81,386)
- Population: 1,443,229
- County seat: None
- Counties considered in the state: 62
North Carolina: Robeson County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.7 years (State: 77.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 27.1% (State: 13.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.6% (State: 33.9%)
- Median household income: $39,393 (State: $66,186)
- Population: 117,573
- County seat: Lumberton
- Counties considered in the state: 100
North Dakota: Sioux County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 65.2 years (State: 78.8 years)
- Poverty rate: 39.7% (State: 10.8%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.5% (State: 31.4%)
- Median household income: $41,201 (State: $73,959)
- Population: 3,896
- County seat: Fort Yates
- Counties considered in the state: 50
Ohio: Scioto County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 70.8 years (State: 76.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 23.8% (State: 13.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 17.6% (State: 30.4%)
- Median household income: $46,360 (State: $66,990)
- Population: 73,716
- County seat: Portsmouth
- Counties considered in the state: 88
Oklahoma: Okfuskee County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 69.2 years (State: 75.5 years)
- Poverty rate: 26.7% (State: 15.2%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.5% (State: 27.3%)
- Median household income: $45,429 (State: $61,364)
- Population: 11,349
- County seat: Okemah
- Counties considered in the state: 77
Oregon: Malheur County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years (State: 79.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 18.9% (State: 11.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.6% (State: 35.5%)
- Median household income: $48,371 (State: $76,632)
- Population: 31,538
- County seat: Vale
- Counties considered in the state: 35
Pennsylvania: Forest County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.2 years (State: 78.0 years)
- Poverty rate: 19.2% (State: 11.8%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.6% (State: 33.8%)
- Median household income: $46,188 (State: $73,170)
- Population: 6,959
- County seat: Tionesta
- Counties considered in the state: 67
Rhode Island: Providence County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.7 years (State: 79.4 years)
- Poverty rate: 13.6% (State: 11.2%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.2% (State: 36.3%)
- Median household income: $72,579 (State: $81,370)
- Population: 657,984
- County seat: Providence
- Counties considered in the state: 5
South Carolina: Dillon County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 70.6 years (State: 76.4 years)
- Poverty rate: 31.6% (State: 14.4%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.9% (State: 30.6%)
- Median household income: $42,454 (State: $63,623)
- Population: 28,255
- County seat: Dillon
- Counties considered in the state: 46
South Dakota: Oglala Lakota County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 62.8 years (State: 78.2 years)
- Poverty rate: 55.8% (State: 12.3%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 8.1% (State: 30.4%)
- Median household income: $32,279 (State: $69,457)
- Population: 13,695
- County seat: None
- Counties considered in the state: 61
Tennessee: Hancock County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.8 years (State: 75.3 years)
- Poverty rate: 32.3% (State: 14.0%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.9% (State: 29.7%)
- Median household income: $31,809 (State: $64,035)
- Population: 6,726
- County seat: Sneedville
- Counties considered in the state: 95
Texas: Dimmit County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.6 years (State: 78.4 years)
- Poverty rate: 43.6% (State: 13.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.6% (State: 32.3%)
- Median household income: $27,374 (State: $73,035)
- Population: 8,672
- County seat: Carrizo Springs
- Counties considered in the state: 237
Utah: San Juan County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 75.2 years (State: 79.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 20.7% (State: 8.5%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.1% (State: 36.1%)
- Median household income: $52,108 (State: $86,833)
- Population: 14,524
- County seat: Monticello
- Counties considered in the state: 27
Vermont: Essex County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.8 years (State: 79.7 years)
- Poverty rate: 13.2% (State: 10.4%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.2% (State: 41.7%)
- Median household income: $55,247 (State: $74,014)
- Population: 5,976
- County seat: Guildhall
- Counties considered in the state: 14
Virginia: Norton (independent city)
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 71.3 years (State: 79.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 29.1% (State: 10.0%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.4% (State: 41.0%)
- Median household income: $36,974 (State: $87,249)
- Population: 3,668
- County seat: None
- Counties and county equivalents considered in the state: 133
Washington: Adams County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years (State: 80.2 years)
- Poverty rate: 20.9% (State: 9.9%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.7% (State: 38.0%)
- Median household income: $63,105 (State: $90,325)
- Population: 20,557
- County seat: Ritzville
- Counties considered in the state: 39
West Virginia: McDowell County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 67.7 years (State: 74.3 years)
- Poverty rate: 33.3% (State: 16.8%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 6.6% (State: 22.7%)
- Median household income: $28,235 (State: $55,217)
- Population: 18,911
- County seat: Welch
- Counties considered in the state: 55
Wisconsin: Menominee County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 69.5 years (State: 78.9 years)
- Poverty rate: 20.0% (State: 10.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 18.9% (State: 32.0%)
- Median household income: $62,194 (State: $72,458)
- Population: 4,279
- County seat: Keshena
- Counties considered in the state: 72
Wyoming: Niobrara County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.7 years (State: 78.1 years)
- Poverty rate: 18.3% (State: 10.7%)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.0% (State: 29.0%)
- Median household income: $54,375 (State: $72,495)
- Population: 2,460
- County seat: Lusk
- Counties considered in the state: 23
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