Short Answer
Poverty in the United States remains sharply uneven across states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey and Current Population Survey data released in September 2025. The national official poverty rate was 10.6 percent, but state-level rates ranged from under 8 percent in several states to nearly 20 percent in Louisiana. The highest poverty rates are concentrated in the South and parts of the Southwest, while the Northeast and Upper Midwest generally report lower rates. These state rankings matter for federal funding, policy planning, and understanding regional economic disparities.
Key Numbers
- National official poverty rate (2024): 10.6%
- Supplemental Poverty Measure (2024): 12.9%
- Highest state poverty rate: Louisiana, 19.6% (883,236 people)
- Second-highest state poverty rate: Mississippi, 19.4% (554,152 people)
- Third-highest state poverty rate: New Mexico, 18.4% (382,798 people)
- Largest population in poverty: California, 4,733,036 people (12.3%)
- Second-largest population in poverty: Texas, 4,122,538 people (14.2%)
- SPM vs official poverty gap: 2.3 percentage points higher
Explanation
The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose family income falls below a set of federal poverty thresholds. The official poverty measure uses pre-tax cash income and thresholds that vary by family size and composition. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) is a broader metric that accounts for noncash benefits, taxes, and geographic differences in housing costs. In 2024, the national official poverty rate was 10.6%, while the SPM was 12.9% — a gap of 2.3 percentage points that reflects the expiration of pandemic-era assistance programs.
State poverty rates differ because of local labor markets, industry mix, educational attainment, cost of living, and demographic factors. Southern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico have historically reported higher poverty rates, while many Northeastern and Upper Midwestern states have lower rates. These differences are not just statistical; they influence federal funding formulas, eligibility for assistance programs, and state policy decisions.
The 2024 data come from two Census Bureau sources: the American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates and the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). The ACS provides detailed state and metropolitan area estimates, while the CPS ASEC is used for national poverty rates and the Supplemental Poverty Measure. Together, they offer a comprehensive view of poverty across the United States.
Definition
The poverty rate is calculated by dividing the number of people living in poverty by the total population for whom poverty status is determined. A person is considered poor if their family’s pre-tax cash income is below the official poverty threshold for their family size and composition. For example, in 2024, the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children was approximately $31,200 in annual income. The Supplemental Poverty Measure expands this definition by including in-kind benefits such as food assistance and housing subsidies, while subtracting necessary expenses like taxes, child care, and medical costs.
State Comparison
State poverty rates in 2024 show a clear regional pattern. The highest rates are concentrated in the South and Southwest, with Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas all reporting rates above 14 percent. The District of Columbia, though not a state, had a poverty rate of 16.5 percent. In contrast, many states in the Northeast and Upper Midwest have poverty rates below 9 percent, though exact figures for the lowest states are not shown in the available source table. The large population states of California, Texas, New York, and Florida account for a substantial share of the nation’s total people in poverty, even when their rates are not the highest.
Ranking Table
The table below shows the ten states with the highest poverty rates in 2024, based on American Community Survey data as compiled by World Population Review from U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The District of Columbia is excluded from this state ranking but would rank among the highest if included.
| Rank | State | Poverty Rate | Population Below Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | 19.6% | 883,236 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 19.4% | 554,152 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 18.4% | 382,798 |
| 4 | West Virginia | 16.8% | 291,930 |
| 5 | Kentucky | 16.5% | 721,878 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 16.3% | 480,153 |
| 7 | Alabama | 16.1% | 794,326 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 15.6% | 606,782 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 14.6% | 741,652 |
| 10 | Texas | 14.2% | 4,122,538 |
Year-over-Year Change
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey brief compares poverty rates for calendar year 2024 with 2023. While national changes were relatively modest, the end of pandemic-era benefits had a measurable effect on the Supplemental Poverty Measure. According to the Census Bureau, the three-year SPM rates from 2022 to 2024 were higher than the official poverty rate for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift reflects the expiration of expanded child tax credits, enhanced unemployment benefits, and other temporary assistance programs that had previously reduced poverty under the SPM.
Why It Matters
State poverty rates are more than just rankings. They help determine the allocation of federal funds for programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Title I education grants. Communities with higher poverty rates may qualify for additional resources, while policymakers use these figures to evaluate economic conditions and target interventions. For researchers and journalists, state poverty comparisons reveal long-standing regional inequalities and the impact of state-level policies on economic well-being.
Factors Behind the Trend
Several factors contribute to the persistent state-level differences in poverty rates:
- Labor market and industry mix: States with a high concentration of low-wage service jobs or declining manufacturing often have higher poverty rates.
- Educational attainment: Lower levels of college completion are associated with higher poverty, particularly in parts of the South and Appalachia.
- Cost of living and wages: The official poverty measure does not adjust for regional cost differences, but the SPM does, which can change state rankings.
- Demographics and family structure: States with larger shares of single-parent households, children, and historically disadvantaged groups tend to have higher poverty rates.
- Policy and safety net: State decisions on Medicaid expansion, minimum wage, and tax credits affect the share of residents living in poverty.
How the Statistic Is Calculated
The official poverty rate is based on pre-tax cash income, including earnings, unemployment compensation, Social Security, and public assistance, but excluding noncash benefits such as food stamps and housing subsidies. The Census Bureau compares this income to poverty thresholds that vary by family size, number of children, and age of householder. The Supplemental Poverty Measure uses a more complex calculation: it adds noncash benefits, subtracts taxes and work expenses, and adjusts thresholds for geographic housing costs. Because of these differences, the SPM often produces a higher national poverty rate than the official measure, as seen in 2024.
Limitations of the Data
State poverty estimates from the ACS 1-year sample carry margins of error, especially for smaller states or subgroups. Rankings can shift from year to year due to sampling variability. The official poverty measure has long been criticized for not accounting for regional cost-of-living differences or noncash benefits. Additionally, the Census Bureau issued a data user note indicating that the Bureau of Labor Statistics re-released SPM thresholds for 2019–2024 after discovering coding errors, and revised SPM poverty rates will be published later. Users should treat SPM comparisons with caution until those revisions are released.
Data user note: On July 17, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics re-released SPM thresholds for 2019–2024 following the discovery of coding errors. The U.S. Census Bureau will publish revised SPM poverty rates using these updated thresholds prior to the release of the annual poverty report in September.
Historical Data
Poverty rates have fluctuated with economic cycles and policy changes. The national official poverty rate was 10.6% in 2024, while the Supplemental Poverty Measure was 12.9%. The South has historically reported higher poverty rates than other regions, a pattern that continued in 2024. The end of pandemic-era benefits contributed to higher SPM rates from 2022 to 2024 compared to the official rate, marking a shift from the pandemic period when expanded assistance temporarily reduced poverty under the SPM.
Methodology
The state poverty rates in this article are based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates and the Current Population Survey 2025 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The ACS provides state-level poverty rates and populations below poverty, while the CPS ASEC is used for national official and Supplemental Poverty Measure rates. World Population Review compiles state rankings from these Census Bureau data. The data year is 2024, with release dates in September 2025.
Source & Data Date
Primary sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Poverty in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024, American Community Survey Brief ACSBR-026, released September 2025; U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 CPS Poverty Table: POV-11, Poverty Status by State, data for 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, End of Pandemic-Era Benefits Resulted in Higher Three-Year Supplemental Poverty Rates From 2022 to 2024 Compared to the Official Poverty Rate, published September 9, 2025; and World Population Review, Poverty Rate by State 2026, accessed September 10, 2026, which compiles Census Bureau estimates.
FAQ
What is the poverty rate in the United States in 2024?
The national official poverty rate was 10.6% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Supplemental Poverty Measure, which accounts for noncash benefits and geographic cost differences, was 12.9%.
Which state has the highest poverty rate?
Louisiana had the highest state poverty rate in 2024 at 19.6%, followed by Mississippi at 19.4% and New Mexico at 18.4%.
What is the difference between the official poverty measure and the Supplemental Poverty Measure?
The official poverty measure uses pre-tax cash income and thresholds based on family size. The Supplemental Poverty Measure includes noncash benefits like food assistance, subtracts taxes and work expenses, and adjusts for geographic housing costs, often resulting in a higher poverty rate.
Why are poverty rates higher in Southern states?
Southern states often have lower educational attainment, a higher concentration of low-wage jobs, and different demographic and family structures. State policies on minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and tax credits also influence poverty rates.
How often is state poverty data released?
The U.S. Census Bureau releases state poverty estimates annually through the American Community Survey 1-year estimates and the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, typically in September.
Leave a Reply