Top 10 Poorest States in the U.S. | Friends Committee On National Legislation (2024)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national poverty rate was 12.4% in 2022, up from 11.2% in 2021. These states have the highest percentages of poverty in the country: Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and New York.

As a Quaker organization, FCNL seeks to eliminate poverty at home and abroad through economic policies that expand opportunities for all people.

For the states with the highest rates of hunger, click here.

Top 10 Poorest States in the U.S. | Friends Committee On National Legislation (2024)

FAQs

Top 10 Poorest States in the U.S. | Friends Committee On National Legislation? ›

These states have the highest percentages of poverty in the country: Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and New York.

What is the 10 poorest state in the United States? ›

  1. Mississippi. Mississippi stands out as one of the poorest states in America. ...
  2. West Virginia. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey, West Virginia had a median household income of $48,850, well below the national median of $68,700. ...
  3. Arkansas. ...
  4. New Mexico. ...
  5. Louisiana. ...
  6. Kentucky. ...
  7. Alabama. ...
  8. Oklahoma.
Apr 15, 2024

What are the most deprived US states? ›

Poorest States in the US
  • Mississippi – 18.70%
  • Louisiana – 17.80%
  • New Mexico – 16.80%
  • West Virginia – 15.80%
  • Arkansas – 15.20%
  • Alabama – 14.90%
  • Kentucky – 14.90%
  • Oklahoma – 14%

What is the poorest place in the United States? ›

Places (2013—2017 American Community Survey)
RankPlacePopulation (2013-2017 ACS estimates)
1Little River CDP82
2Villanueva CDP111
3Nottoway Court House CDP137
4Lower Santan Village CDP395
86 more rows

Which US state has the lowest poverty rate currently? ›

  • New Hampshire. #1 in Low Poverty Rate. #2 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Utah. #2 in Low Poverty Rate. #1 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Delaware. #3 in Low Poverty Rate. ...
  • Colorado. #4 in Low Poverty Rate. ...
  • Maryland. #5 in Low Poverty Rate. ...
  • Minnesota. #6 in Low Poverty Rate. ...
  • New Jersey. #7 in Low Poverty Rate. ...
  • Connecticut. #8 in Low Poverty Rate.

What's the best state to live in financially? ›

5 Best States To Live In If You Want To Get Rich
  • Texas. Texas has no state income tax for individuals, although property taxes tend to be higher than average. ...
  • Kansas. ...
  • Minnesota. ...
  • Colorado. ...
  • Oklahoma.
Mar 4, 2024

What race is the poorest in the United States? ›

41% Native American or American Indian. 32% Asian. 38% Black or African American.

What state helps the poor the most? ›

Vermont ranks as the most generous state with the average low-income person receiving about $26,000 in benefits.

What is the poorest zip code in America? ›

10 poorest zip codes in America
  • Zip code: 44702 │ Canton, Ohio. ...
  • Zip code: 62523 │ Decatur, Illinois. ...
  • Zip code: 16501 │ Erie, Pennsylvania. ...
  • Zip code: 86029 │ Sun Valley, Arizona. ...
  • Zip code: 44503 │ Youngstown, Ohio. ...
  • Zip code: 97414 │ Broadbent, Oregon. ...
  • Zip code: 15929 │ East Wheatfield, Pennsylvania.
Jul 18, 2019

What is the poorest city in Florida? ›

According to the data, Florida's poorest city is hom*osassa Springs. Located in Citrus County, over 14,000 people live in this community. The median household income is $46,047, compared to the statewide median of $67,917. Roughly 19.5% of the population lives in poverty.

What is the poorest nation in America? ›

1. Haiti. The poorest country in North America, Haiti is experiencing rapid population growth, which is outpacing the country's ability to provide for its citizens.

What is officially the poorest U.S. state? ›

Poverty rates were highest in the states of New Mexico (18.2%), Mississippi (17.8%), Louisiana (16.9%), Arkansas (15.9%), Kentucky (15.8%), Oklahoma (15.8%), and West Virginia (15.6%) and they were lowest in the states of New Hampshire (7.42%), Maryland (9.02%), Utah (9.13%), Hawaii (9.26%).

What is the most poverty ridden state? ›

In terms of poverty, Mississippi is the poorest state in America with a poverty rate of 18.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau – followed by Louisiana at second, and New Mexico at third. On the other hand, New Hampshire has only 5.6% of its population living below the poverty line.

Which U.S. city has the least poverty? ›

The metropolitan areas in the U.S. with the lowest percentage of households living below the national poverty line are the San Jose metro area at 12.31%, Provo-Orem in Utah at 12.52%, and the Washington D.C. metropolitan area at 12.89%.

What state in the U.S. has the lowest income? ›

Median annual income in the U.S. in 2023

Mississippi has the lowest-earning population in the U.S. with a median annual wage of just $37,500, according to the BLS.

Where is poverty the worst? ›

In 2018, Puerto Rico had a poverty rate of 43.1%. In 2017, American Samoa had a poverty rate of 65% — the highest poverty rate of any state or territory in the United States.

What is the least developed state in the United States? ›

Alaska has the most undeveloped land. Texas, Montana, and Wyoming have large sparsely populated areas. Qualitatively, though, people are least developed in states like Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, etc. They have not gone far in school (on average) and absorbed less in the schooling they have received.

What is the best state to live in? ›

According to the survey, health care and education were ranked highest, and had the most weight in determining the best states to live. Utah once again topped the list, followed by New Hampshire, Nebraska, Minnesota and Idaho rounding out the top five.

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