Poverty in the United States was falling prior to the pandemic — the share of the population with incomes below the federal poverty rate fell from 13.1% in 2018 to 12.3% in 2019, the most recent year of data available. Of course, since COVID-19 reached the United States in early 2020, the financial situation of millions of Americans has deteriorated, even as a number of the nation’s wealthiest saw their fortunes increase by billions of dollars.
Many Americans owe months of back rent, and many still face an unstable job situation or ongoing unemployment. According to a survey conducted between late May and early June by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 27% of Americans surveyed said that it was somewhat difficult or very difficult to afford their usual expenses. Even before COVID-19 hit, the national poverty rate ignored the fact that financial hardship varies widely across the United States, with people in some parts of the country much more likely to have poverty-level incomes compared to others.
To determine the states with the highest and lowest poverty rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed one-year estimates of the percentage of people in each state who live below the poverty line from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
While poverty rates do not correspond perfectly with median incomes, states with higher poverty rates tend to have lower incomes. They of course also tend to have higher shares of residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps.
Click here to see the states where most people live below the poverty line.
Click here to read our detailed methodology.
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50. New Hampshire
> Poverty rate: 7.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 95,711 (5th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.0% (3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $77,933 (8th highest)
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49. Utah
> Poverty rate: 8.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 281,279 (15th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.5% (2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $75,780 (11th highest)
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48. Minnesota
> Poverty rate: 9.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 494,683 (23rd lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.4% (7th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $74,593 (13th highest)
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47. Maryland
> Poverty rate: 9.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 532,241 (25th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.8% (19th lowest)
> Median household income: $86,738 (the highest)
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46. New Jersey
> Poverty rate: 9.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 798,262 (15th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.4% (7th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $85,751 (3rd highest)
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45. Hawaii
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 128,722 (9th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.4% (25th lowest)
> Median household income: $83,102 (4th highest)
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44. Colorado
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 526,979 (24th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.9% (4th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $77,127 (9th highest)
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43. Massachusetts
> Poverty rate: 9.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 625,763 (22nd highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.2% (19th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $85,843 (2nd highest)
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42. Washington
> Poverty rate: 9.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 730,240 (19th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.6% (24th highest)
> Median household income: $78,687 (7th highest)
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41. Nebraska
> Poverty rate: 9.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 185,761 (12th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.6% (9th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,229 (25th highest)
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40. Virginia
> Poverty rate: 9.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 822,775 (14th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.8% (10th lowest)
> Median household income: $76,456 (10th highest)
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39. Connecticut
> Poverty rate: 10.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 347,149 (18th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.1% (21st highest)
> Median household income: $78,833 (6th highest)
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38. Alaska
> Poverty rate: 10.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 71,938 (3rd lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.3% (24th lowest)
> Median household income: $75,463 (12th highest)
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37. Wyoming
> Poverty rate: 10.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 56,945 (the lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 4.7% (the lowest)
> Median household income: $65,003 (19th highest)
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36. Vermont
> Poverty rate: 10.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 60,897 (2nd lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.0% (21st lowest)
> Median household income: $63,001 (25th lowest)
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35. Wisconsin
> Poverty rate: 10.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 591,486 (23rd highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.4% (16th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $64,168 (21st highest)
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34. North Dakota
> Poverty rate: 10.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 78,112 (4th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.9% (4th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $64,577 (20th highest)
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33. Rhode Island
> Poverty rate: 10.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 110,244 (8th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 14.5% (3rd highest)
> Median household income: $71,169 (15th highest)
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
32. Maine
> Poverty rate: 10.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 141,803 (11th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.3% (10th highest)
> Median household income: $58,924 (16th lowest)
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31. Iowa
> Poverty rate: 11.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 341,613 (17th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.5% (18th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,691 (21st lowest)
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30. Idaho
> Poverty rate: 11.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 195,984 (13th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.3% (11th lowest)
> Median household income: $60,999 (20th lowest)
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29. Delaware
> Poverty rate: 11.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 106,383 (7th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.1% (22nd lowest)
> Median household income: $70,176 (16th highest)
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28. Oregon
> Poverty rate: 11.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 470,643 (21st lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.4% (8th highest)
> Median household income: $67,058 (18th highest)
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27. Kansas
> Poverty rate: 11.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 323,189 (16th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.0% (6th lowest)
> Median household income: $62,087 (24th lowest)
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26. Illinois
> Poverty rate: 11.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,420,542 (7th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.8% (14th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $69,187 (17th highest)
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25. California
> Poverty rate: 11.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 4,552,837 (the highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.4% (12th lowest)
> Median household income: $80,440 (5th highest)
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24. Indiana
> Poverty rate: 11.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 775,823 (16th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.5% (13th lowest)
> Median household income: $57,603 (14th lowest)
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23. South Dakota
> Poverty rate: 11.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 101,946 (6th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.7% (14th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $59,533 (18th lowest)
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22. Pennsylvania
> Poverty rate: 12.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,489,333 (5th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.5% (6th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $63,463 (23rd highest)
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21. Nevada
> Poverty rate: 12.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 379,564 (20th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.5% (25th highest)
> Median household income: $63,276 (24th highest)
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20. Montana
> Poverty rate: 12.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 131,882 (10th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.7% (14th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $57,153 (11th lowest)
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19. Florida
> Poverty rate: 12.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 2,664,772 (3rd highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.8% (14th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $59,227 (17th lowest)
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18. Missouri
> Poverty rate: 12.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 770,175 (17th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.2% (23rd lowest)
> Median household income: $57,409 (13th lowest)
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17. Michigan
> Poverty rate: 13.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,269,062 (10th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.7% (16th highest)
> Median household income: $59,584 (19th lowest)
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16. New York
> Poverty rate: 13.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 2,467,006 (4th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 14.1% (5th highest)
> Median household income: $72,108 (14th highest)
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15. Ohio
> Poverty rate: 13.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,484,862 (6th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.0% (11th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $58,642 (15th lowest)
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14. Georgia
> Poverty rate: 13.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,373,909 (9th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.2% (19th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $61,980 (22nd lowest)
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13. Arizona
> Poverty rate: 13.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 958,442 (11th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.4% (16th lowest — tied)
> Median household income: $62,055 (23rd lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
12. North Carolina
> Poverty rate: 13.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 1,386,122 (8th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.6% (17th highest)
> Median household income: $57,341 (12th lowest)
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11. Texas
> Poverty rate: 13.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 3,865,010 (2nd highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.8% (23rd highest)
> Median household income: $64,034 (22nd highest)
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
10. South Carolina
> Poverty rate: 13.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 692,744 (21st highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.9% (20th lowest)
> Median household income: $56,227 (10th lowest)
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9. Tennessee
> Poverty rate: 13.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 922,176 (12th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.4% (18th highest)
> Median household income: $56,071 (9th lowest)
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8. Oklahoma
> Poverty rate: 15.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 583,029 (24th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.0% (11th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $54,449 (8th lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
7. Alabama
> Poverty rate: 15.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 739,108 (18th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.0% (9th highest)
> Median household income: $51,734 (5th lowest)
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6. West Virginia
> Poverty rate: 16.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 278,734 (14th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 16.9% (the highest)
> Median household income: $48,850 (2nd lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
5. Arkansas
> Poverty rate: 16.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 474,739 (22nd lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.0% (22nd highest)
> Median household income: $48,952 (3rd lowest)
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4. Kentucky
> Poverty rate: 16.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 703,627 (20th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.9% (13th highest)
> Median household income: $52,295 (7th lowest)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
3. New Mexico
> Poverty rate: 18.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 373,230 (19th lowest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 16.4% (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $51,945 (6th lowest)
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2. Louisiana
> Poverty rate: 19.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 857,894 (13th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 14.4% (4th highest)
> Median household income: $51,073 (4th lowest)
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1. Mississippi
> Poverty rate: 19.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 564,192 (25th highest)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.5% (6th highest — tied)
> Median household income: $45,792 (the lowest)
Methodology
To determine the states with the highest and lowest poverty rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed one-year estimates of the percentage of people in each state whose status was determined as living below the poverty line from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
Additional information on the number of people living below the poverty line, median household income, and the share of households receiving SNAP benefits are also one-year estimates from the 2019 ACS.
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