About one in eight Americans lives below the federal poverty line — but that national average hides a wide gap. In the lowest-poverty states, the rate is around 7%; in the highest, it approaches 19%, more than double. This guide maps the poverty rate for every state, ranks them from highest to lowest, and explains both what drives the regional differences and how the poverty line itself is defined.
What is the U.S. poverty rate?
The national poverty rate is around 12% — roughly one in eight people. It measures the share of Americans whose household income falls below the federal poverty threshold, a dollar figure that varies by family size. The map above shades each state by its rate, revealing a clear geography: poverty is concentrated in the South and parts of the Southwest, and lowest across the Northeast and Upper Midwest.
Which states have the highest poverty?
The highest poverty rates are in the Deep South — Mississippi, Louisiana, and their neighbors — along with New Mexico, where rates approach or exceed 17–19%. The lowest are in New Hampshire and other Northeastern and Upper-Midwestern states, near 7%. The ranking below lists every state, with bars colored green where poverty is below the national rate and red where it's above.
Why poverty varies so much by state
State poverty rates reflect differences in wages, education, industry mix, and the cost of living. States with lower-wage economies, less education, and weaker job markets tend to have higher poverty. History and policy matter too — the same Deep South states that rank high on poverty also tend to rank low on median income and life expectancy, a cluster of outcomes rooted in long-running economic patterns rather than any single cause.
How is the poverty line defined?
The official poverty threshold is an income cutoff set by the federal government and adjusted each year for inflation and family size. It's the same nationwide, which is both a strength and a weakness: it allows clean comparisons between states, but it doesn't account for the fact that a given income stretches much further in a low-cost state than in an expensive one. That's why some analysts prefer a "supplemental" poverty measure that factors in local costs and government benefits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the U.S. poverty rate?
About 12% — roughly one in eight Americans lives below the federal poverty line. The exact latest figure is shown above.
Which state has the highest poverty rate?
States in the Deep South, such as Mississippi and Louisiana, along with New Mexico, typically have the highest rates, approaching 17–19%.
Which state has the lowest poverty rate?
New Hampshire is usually the lowest, around 7%, along with other Northeastern and Upper-Midwestern states.
How is the poverty line defined?
It's a federal income threshold that varies by family size and is adjusted yearly for inflation. The same cutoff applies nationwide, regardless of local cost of living.
Why does poverty vary by state?
Differences in wages, education, industry, and job markets drive it. High-poverty states also tend to have lower median incomes, reflecting long-running economic patterns.