RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 99 SHOWN OF 99

Most residents in poverty, Iowa counties · 2020

Iowa counties with the most residents living below the poverty line, as of the 2020 American Community Survey. Ranked by number of people, not the poverty rate. This list covers the 99 counties in Iowa that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

IowaAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDHighest median household income Lowest median household income Highest per-capita income Lowest poverty rate Highest poverty rate Most six-figure households

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPRESIDENTS IN POVERTYVS 2000

01Polk County, IAIA516,54650,993+72%

02Johnson County, IAIA160,04426,292+58%

03Linn County, IAIA232,02821,618+73%

04Scott County, IAIA175,25920,754+25%

05Black Hawk County, IAIA131,53220,304+21%

06Story County, IAIA101,29119,707+75%

07Woodbury County, IAIA106,64913,133+23%

08Dubuque County, IAIA99,3819,871+43%

09Pottawattamie County, IAIA92,9969,662+31%

10Clinton County, IAIA46,0026,348+24%

11Wapello County, IAIA35,2105,899+24%

12Des Moines County, IAIA38,0775,783+28%

13Webster County, IAIA36,8385,292+32%

14Dallas County, IAIA118,4575,153+126%

15Marshall County, IAIA39,8904,669+16%

16Lee County, IAIA32,3064,156+13%

17Muscatine County, IAIA41,8534,142+12%

18Cerro Gordo County, IAIA42,3724,113+4%

19Warren County, IAIA57,3313,518+71%

20Jasper County, IAIA38,1533,426+42%

21Crawford County, IAIA16,2373,095+65%

22Mahaska County, IAIA21,8802,826+29%

23Appanoose County, IAIA12,0772,423+21%

24Marion County, IAIA34,1922,423−1%

25Fayette County, IAIA19,0472,347−1%

26Jackson County, IAIA19,2882,323+11%

27Buena Vista County, IAIA20,4492,264+6%

28Benton County, IAIA26,0042,252+46%

29Henry County, IAIA19,3492,196+23%

30Tama County, IAIA16,7962,153+13%

31Clayton County, IAIA16,8452,097+31%

32Jefferson County, IAIA15,2912,070+17%

33Poweshiek County, IAIA18,3682,035+10%

34Sioux County, IAIA36,7741,965−3%

35Jones County, IAIA21,2531,955+13%

36Floyd County, IAIA14,9011,952+24%

37Boone County, IAIA26,7991,913−4%

38Page County, IAIA14,8561,886−11%

39Washington County, IAIA22,6671,861+19%

40Plymouth County, IAIA25,6971,851+24%

41Bremer County, IAIA25,2961,778+50%

42Winneshiek County, IAIA19,7331,760+4%

43Wright County, IAIA12,8011,728+71%

44Clay County, IAIA16,2021,699+19%

45Clarke County, IAIA9,5741,693+117%

46Kossuth County, IAIA14,3221,680−4%

47Hardin County, IAIA16,4551,625+9%

48Allamakee County, IAIA14,2381,604+14%

49Butler County, IAIA14,0491,597+30%

50Franklin County, IAIA9,8681,588+86%

51O'Brien County, IAIA14,2201,572+43%

52Carroll County, IAIA20,3031,542+11%

53Delaware County, IAIA17,6741,518+4%

54Buchanan County, IAIA20,8831,513−24%

55Cass County, IAIA12,9601,472−9%

56Union County, IAIA11,8291,441+3%

57Iowa County, IAIA16,5041,400+79%

58Cherokee County, IAIA11,3691,377+45%

59Cedar County, IAIA18,3591,363+35%

60Dickinson County, IAIA18,0771,332+36%

61Humboldt County, IAIA9,4091,308+52%

62Montgomery County, IAIA10,0021,294+21%

63Harrison County, IAIA14,6231,268+13%

64Lucas County, IAIA8,8471,240−4%

65Keokuk County, IAIA9,7971,239+8%

66Decatur County, IAIA7,6551,210−10%

67Hancock County, IAIA10,5281,183+62%

68Calhoun County, IAIA9,5621,147+3%

69Hamilton County, IAIA14,9441,128+10%

70Monona County, IAIA8,5391,117+18%

71Shelby County, IAIA11,6891,046+32%

72Wayne County, IAIA6,7381,037+10%

73Sac County, IAIA9,5251,028−10%

74Mills County, IAIA14,7931,005−16%

75Monroe County, IAIA7,406998+38%

76Louisa County, IAIA10,416984−14%

77Guthrie County, IAIA10,782970+6%

78Madison County, IAIA17,270966+2%

79Davis County, IAIA9,230947−7%

80Van Buren County, IAIA7,131945−5%

81Emmet County, IAIA9,107938+4%

82Chickasaw County, IAIA11,663935−14%

83Howard County, IAIA9,415848−8%

84Adair County, IAIA7,403832+32%

85Ida County, IAIA6,777811+18%

86Pocahontas County, IAIA6,819793+1%

87Greene County, IAIA8,658792−5%

88Osceola County, IAIA5,980754+53%

89Winnebago County, IAIA10,251739−25%

90Mitchell County, IAIA10,650704−40%

91Audubon County, IAIA5,509642+22%

92Grundy County, IAIA12,361635+11%

93Lyon County, IAIA12,354565−32%

94Fremont County, IAIA6,522536−29%

95Palo Alto County, IAIA8,899512−52%

96Adams County, IAIA3,617495+19%

97Ringgold County, IAIA4,642468−40%

98Taylor County, IAIA5,835420−50%

99Worth County, IAIA7,338398−40%

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UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS