AkashicWhere poverty is highest
Of the 100 counties most defined by poverty rate, 54 voted Republican and 46 Democratic in 2024 — a median of R+4.2, and as a group they shifted −5.9 points toward Republicans from 2020 to 2024.
Does poverty rate move the vote?
Every U.S. county, plotted by how much of the community lives there against its 2024 presidential margin — the demographic dial on one axis, the political one on the other.
Across every county, poverty rate barely moves the vote either way — little relationship (r = −0.01).
| Poverty rate range | Counties | Median margin |
|---|---|---|
| 5.4% – 6.9% | 161 | R+24.1 |
| 6.9% – 8.4% | 214 | R+30.2 |
| 8.4% – 10.0% | 294 | R+37.9 |
| 10.0% – 11.5% | 302 | R+34.1 |
| 11.5% – 13.0% | 372 | R+39.3 |
| 13.0% – 14.5% | 302 | R+40.4 |
| 14.5% – 16.1% | 247 | R+43.9 |
| 16.1% – 17.6% | 242 | R+50.2 |
| 17.6% – 19.1% | 188 | R+44.5 |
| 19.1% – 20.6% | 131 | R+43.2 |
| 20.6% – 22.2% | 111 | R+38.8 |
| 22.2% – 23.7% | 78 | R+37.4 |
| 23.7% – 25.2% | 58 | R+38.2 |
| 25.2% – 26.8% | 27 | R+26.8 |
| 26.8% – 28.3% | 24 | R+18.5 |
| 28.3% – 29.8% | 74 | D+0.6 |
Where poverty rate concentrates
Every county shaded by poverty rate — deep where the community clusters, pale at the other end. Counties below 5,000 population are suppressed.
The leaderboard
Ranked most to least by poverty rate. Filter by region or state, switch the column lens, cap the list, and sort on any figure.
| # | 2008–24 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oglala Lakota County, SD | 57.6% | D D+70.6 | −8.6 | 3,062 | |
| 2 | Todd County, SD | 48.4% | D D+50.5 | −5.9 | 2,126 | |
| 3 | Dimmit County, TX | 41.1% | D D+3.3 | −20.7 | 3,427 | |
| 4 | Greene County, AL | 40.1% | D D+55.7 | −7.4 | 4,039 | |
| 5 | Lee County, AR | 39.4% | D D+3.5 | −1.3 | 2,520 | |
| 6 | McCreary County, KY | 38.9% | R R+78.7 | −2.0 | 6,212 | |
| 7 | Zapata County, TX | 38.4% | R R+22.4 | −17.1 | 4,871 | |
| 8 | Magoffin County, KY | 38.2% | R R+64.1 | −9.7 | 5,274 | |
| 9 | Wolfe County, KY | 37.7% | R R+50.6 | −8.3 | 2,915 | |
| 10 | Knox County, KY | 36.9% | R R+71.1 | −4.1 | 13,156 | |
| 11 | Holmes County, MS | 36.4% | D D+62.1 | −2.2 | 6,730 | |
| 12 | Coahoma County, MS | 35.5% | D D+39.8 | −3.1 | 6,790 | |
| 13 | East Carroll Parish, LA | 35.2% | D D+17.6 | −9.4 | 2,306 | |
| 14 | Madison Parish, LA | 34.5% | D D+6.2 | −9.3 | 3,992 | |
| 15 | McDowell County, WV | 34.2% | R R+60.4 | −1.9 | 5,425 | |
| 16 | Zavala County, TX | 33.9% | D D+14.4 | −17.0 | 3,492 | |
| 17 | Starr County, TX | 33.5% | R R+16.0 | −21.0 | 16,421 | |
| 18 | Bullock County, AL | 33.3% | D D+45.8 | −4.1 | 4,111 | |
| 19 | Terrell County, GA | 33.3% | D D+4.1 | −4.3 | 4,341 | |
| 20 | Duval County, TX | 33.3% | R R+9.8 | −12.4 | 4,461 | |
| 21 | Martin County, KY | 33.2% | R R+83.6 | −4.9 | 3,655 | |
| 22 | McKinley County, NM | 33.2% | D D+24.5 | −14.1 | 25,867 | |
| 23 | Socorro County, NM | 33.2% | R R+3.7 | −10.2 | 7,233 | |
| 24 | Breathitt County, KY | 33.1% | R R+59.3 | −7.0 | 5,113 | |
| 25 | Dewey County, SD | 33.0% | D D+12.8 | −4.6 | 1,871 | |
| 26 | Calhoun County, WV | 32.9% | R R+64.8 | −4.4 | 2,936 | |
| 27 | Wheeler County, GA | 32.7% | R R+45.1 | −6.0 | 2,276 | |
| 28 | Bolivar County, MS | 32.6% | D D+23.7 | −7.1 | 10,435 | |
| 29 | Jefferson County, MS | 32.5% | D D+66.3 | −5.3 | 3,299 | |
| 30 | Kusilvak Census Area, AK | 32.4% | D D+16.8 | −16.8 | 1,562 | |
| 31 | Clay County, KY | 32.4% | R R+80.3 | −3.3 | 7,517 | |
| 32 | St. Helena Parish, LA | 32.4% | D D+0.8 | −9.5 | 5,745 | |
| 33 | Mingo County, WV | 32.4% | R R+73.8 | −2.5 | 8,490 | |
| 34 | Hancock County, TN | 32.2% | R R+76.5 | +0.8 | 2,908 | |
| 35 | Lake County, TN | 32.2% | R R+54.9 | −7.4 | 1,939 | |
| 36 | Taylor County, GA | 32.1% | R R+31.0 | −4.1 | 3,982 | |
| 37 | Claiborne Parish, LA | 32.0% | R R+22.1 | −6.3 | 5,816 | |
| 38 | Presidio County, TX | 32.0% | D D+30.2 | −3.2 | 1,994 | |
| 39 | Concordia Parish, LA | 31.8% | R R+29.3 | −2.5 | 7,755 | |
| 40 | Leflore County, MS | 31.5% | D D+38.4 | −3.0 | 9,421 | |
| 41 | Perry County, AL | 31.4% | D D+42.7 | −5.5 | 4,465 | |
| 42 | Lincoln Parish, LA | 31.2% | R R+25.5 | −6.0 | 18,157 | |
| 43 | Tunica County, MS | 31.1% | D D+38.9 | −10.3 | 2,668 | |
| 44 | Glacier County, MT | 31.1% | D D+19.6 | −11.2 | 5,078 | |
| 45 | Galax city, VA | 31.1% | R R+43.8 | −3.6 | 2,721 | |
| 46 | Dallas County, AL | 31.0% | D D+32.5 | −5.1 | 15,547 | |
| 47 | Yazoo County, MS | 30.8% | R R+2.4 | −8.8 | 8,971 | |
| 48 | Claiborne County, MS | 30.7% | D D+67.6 | −3.7 | 3,541 | |
| 49 | Hancock County, GA | 30.6% | D D+35.4 | −8.5 | 4,240 | |
| 50 | Apache County, AZ | 30.5% | D D+19.0 | −14.6 | 32,019 | |
| 51 | Roosevelt County, MT | 30.4% | R R+9.6 | −7.4 | 3,914 | |
| 52 | Leslie County, KY | 30.3% | R R+80.9 | −0.4 | 4,357 | |
| 53 | Swisher County, TX | 30.1% | R R+63.4 | −5.4 | 2,265 | |
| 54 | Randolph County, GA | 30.0% | D D+7.6 | −1.5 | 2,990 | |
| 55 | Marion County, SC | 30.0% | D D+10.5 | −11.0 | 13,388 | |
| 56 | Lowndes County, AL | 29.9% | D D+37.3 | −8.6 | 5,655 | |
| 57 | Caldwell Parish, LA | 29.8% | R R+72.5 | −4.7 | 4,334 | |
| 58 | Quitman County, MS | 29.6% | D D+30.7 | −4.1 | 2,677 | |
| 59 | Pemiscot County, MO | 29.6% | R R+49.1 | −4.4 | 5,270 | |
| 60 | Union Parish, LA | 29.4% | R R+57.0 | −5.6 | 10,475 | |
| 61 | Phillips County, AR | 29.3% | D D+13.3 | −6.0 | 4,938 | |
| 62 | Morehouse Parish, LA | 29.3% | R R+19.3 | −5.8 | 10,097 | |
| 63 | Bienville Parish, LA | 29.2% | R R+18.0 | −6.4 | 6,256 | |
| 64 | Sunflower County, MS | 28.9% | D D+35.5 | −5.6 | 7,876 | |
| 65 | Bell County, KY | 28.8% | R R+68.7 | −5.4 | 9,340 | |
| 66 | Lee County, VA | 28.8% | R R+72.0 | −2.8 | 10,122 | |
| 67 | Jefferson Davis County, MS | 28.7% | D D+13.7 | −3.4 | 5,378 | |
| 68 | Radford city, VA | 28.7% | D D+0.5 | −8.5 | 6,583 | |
| 69 | Luna County, NM | 28.6% | R R+18.9 | −8.5 | 8,056 | |
| 70 | St. Francis County, AR | 28.5% | D D+0.7 | −4.4 | 5,979 | |
| 71 | Marlboro County, SC | 28.5% | D D+2.4 | −8.5 | 10,152 | |
| 72 | Bent County, CO | 28.4% | R R+38.9 | −5.0 | 2,189 | |
| 73 | Cibola County, NM | 28.4% | D D+1.5 | −7.1 | 8,977 | |
| 74 | Desha County, AR | 28.3% | R R+4.8 | −7.0 | 3,505 | |
| 75 | Wilcox County, AL | 28.2% | D D+31.5 | −6.1 | 5,263 | |
| 76 | Allendale County, SC | 28.2% | D D+44.7 | −7.7 | 3,023 | |
| 77 | Kleberg County, TX | 28.1% | R R+12.7 | −11.0 | 10,014 | |
| 78 | Floyd County, KY | 28.0% | R R+59.2 | −8.0 | 15,652 | |
| 79 | Gadsden County, FL | 27.9% | D D+30.7 | −5.9 | 21,868 | |
| 80 | Conecuh County, AL | 27.8% | R R+13.9 | −6.5 | 6,051 | |
| 81 | Avoyelles Parish, LA | 27.8% | R R+43.1 | −2.4 | 16,037 | |
| 82 | Bronx County, NY | 27.8% | D D+45.1 | −22.5 | 362,890 | |
| 83 | Dillon County, SC | 27.7% | R R+10.8 | −9.7 | 11,861 | |
| 84 | Amite County, MS | 27.6% | R R+32.8 | −6.7 | 6,815 | |
| 85 | Metcalfe County, KY | 27.5% | R R+64.6 | −5.1 | 5,127 | |
| 86 | Harlan County, KY | 27.4% | R R+76.1 | −4.4 | 10,388 | |
| 87 | Lee County, KY | 27.4% | R R+67.7 | −3.7 | 2,690 | |
| 88 | Wilkinson County, MS | 27.4% | D D+25.3 | −9.2 | 2,931 | |
| 89 | Robeson County, NC | 27.2% | R R+27.6 | −9.0 | 46,770 | |
| 90 | Pike County, MS | 27.1% | R R+3.5 | −4.5 | 15,485 | |
| 91 | Quay County, NM | 27.1% | R R+40.9 | −3.1 | 3,704 | |
| 92 | San Augustine County, TX | 27.1% | R R+56.3 | −5.6 | 3,747 | |
| 93 | Adams County, MS | 27.0% | D D+13.9 | −2.2 | 11,928 | |
| 94 | Humphreys County, MS | 27.0% | D D+41.9 | −3.4 | 3,468 | |
| 95 | Menifee County, KY | 26.9% | R R+57.7 | −7.3 | 3,294 | |
| 96 | Winston County, MS | 26.9% | R R+18.2 | −6.6 | 8,384 | |
| 97 | Perry County, KY | 26.8% | R R+59.5 | −5.2 | 9,992 | |
| 98 | St. Landry Parish, LA | 26.8% | R R+18.8 | −4.7 | 37,043 | |
| 99 | Hidalgo County, TX | 26.7% | R R+2.9 | −19.9 | 217,265 | |
| 100 | Sumter County, AL | 26.5% | D D+41.1 | −7.3 | 5,307 |
Source. Demographics — U.S. Census American Community Survey 2024 5-year (ancestry B04006, language C16001, income B19013/B19001, education S1501, poverty S1701); adherence — 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB); density — Census TIGER land area · counties and cities ≥ 5,000 population, ranked by poverty rate; the medians are taken across the 100 top counties; the correlation is over all 2,825 eligible counties. Presidential results are two-party margins (MIT Election Lab); city results are precinct-derived for 2008–2024. A place can be demographically homogeneous and politically split — which is exactly what these tables are built to show. Real returns — nothing estimated.