List of U.S. States and territories by poverty rate - wikipedia List of U.S. States and territories by poverty rate Map of poverty rate in the United States in 2014. Legend : < 6 % 6 % - 7.5 % 7.5 % - 9 % 9 % - 10.5 % 10.5 % - 12 % 12 % - 13.5 % 13.5 % - 15 % 15 % - 16.5 % > 16.5 % Map of estimated poverty rates in the United States by county, 2008. Legend : < 5 % < 10 % < 15 % < 20 % < 25 % < 30 % < 35 % < 40 % > 40 % This article is a list of U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia ordered by poverty rate. 2014 statistics are not identical to official poverty rates because they include children not counted in the official numbers ( see Revised Tables link below ). Supplemental Poverty Measure takes into account differences in cost of living between states ( i.e. housing costs appreciably higher / lower than the national average ) as well as taxes and the value of government assistance programs. All data are from the United States Census Bureau. The lowest poverty rate was in New Hampshire, and the highest poverty rate was in American Samoa ( the highest poverty rate among the states was in Mississippi ). Contents 1 States and territories 2 Notes 3 See also 4 References 5 External links States and territories Rank State Poverty Rate ( by Household Income ) People in Poverty by Household Income ( in thousands ) 2014 Poverty Rates ( includes unrelated children ) Supplemental Poverty Measure ( 2010 - 2014 average ) ( Geographically Adjusted ) - United States 14.8 % 45,950 16.0 % New Hampshire 9.2 % 117 9.5 % 15.5 % Maryland 10.4 % 604 9.6 % 10.1 % Wyoming 10.6 % 54 9.3 % 9.3 % Connecticut 10.8 % 376 10.6 % 12.5 % 5 North Dakota 11.1 % 79 11.0 % 9.2 % 6 New Jersey 11.1 % 972 13.7 % 13.9 % 7 Minnesota 11.4 % 607 12.1 % 9.7 % 8 Alaska 11.4 % 81 12.1 % 12.5 % 9 Hawaii 11.5 % 158 12.6 % 17.3 % 10 Massachusetts 11.7 % 760 10.9 % 13.8 % 11 Virginia 11.8 % 955 10.8 % 13.3 % 12 Utah 11.8 % 341 9.8 % 11.6 % 13 Colorado 12.1 % 632 12.4 % 13.7 % 14 Vermont 12.2 % 72 9.7 % 13.4 % 15 Nebraska 12.3 % 167 10.0 % 9.8 % 16 Iowa 12.3 % 368 10.9 % 8.6 % 17 Delaware 13.0 % 118 12.4 % 13.9 % 18 Wisconsin 13.2 % 737 11.1 % 10.8 % 19 Washington 13.2 % 913 11.9 % 12.2 % 20 Kansas 13.5 % 381 13.9 % 11.5 % 21 Pennsylvania 13.6 % 1,679 11.2 % 12.6 % 22 Maine 14.0 % 181 11.6 % 11.2 % 23 South Dakota 14.1 % 115 14.3 % 10.6 % 24 Illinois 14.3 % 1,802 13.3 % 15.2 % 25 Rhode Island 14.8 % 149 13.2 % 13.6 % 26 Idaho 14.8 % 237 13.9 % 11.8 % 27 Montana 15.2 % 151 13.5 % 12.1 % 28 Indiana 15.2 % 968 16.4 % 14.2 % 29 Nevada 15.4 % 430 13.1 % 19.8 % 30 Missouri 15.5 % 908 15.6 % 12.4 % 31 Ohio 15.8 % 1,778 13.5 % 13.2 % 32 New York 15.9 % 2,760 15.9 % 18.1 % 33 Michigan 16.2 % 1,567 27.6 % 13.5 % 34 Oregon 16.4 % 637 7.11 % 10.3 % 35 California 16.4 % 6,253 15.5 % 23.8 % 36 Oklahoma 16.6 % 623 13.0 % 13.4 % 37 Florida 16.6 % 3,231 14.6 % 19.5 % 38 Texas 17.2 % 4,519 17.4 % 16.4 % 39 North Carolina 17.2 % 1,663 17.0 % 14.2 % 40 South Carolina 17.9 % 838 13.8 % 15.8 % 41 Tennessee 18.2 % 1,165 16.7 % 15.5 % 42 Arizona 18.2 % 1,195 21.3 % 18.8 % 43 West Virginia 18.3 % 328 16.0 % 12.9 % 44 Georgia 18.4 % 1,298 18.5 % 18.2 % 45 District of Columbia 18.4 % 114 18.0 % 22.7 % 46 Arkansas 18.7 % 539 19.1 % 16.5 % 47 Kentucky 19.0 % 812 17.1 % 13.6 % 48 Alabama 19.2 % 905 16.8 % 13.5 % 49 Louisiana 19.9 % 898 14.3 % 18.5 % 50 New Mexico 20.6 % 347 19.6 % 16.1 % 51 Mississippi 21.9 % 634 23.2 % 16.1 % 52 U.S. Virgin Islands 22.4 % 23.6 -- -- 53 Guam 22.9 % 35.8 -- -- 54 Puerto Rico 43.5 % 1,451.6 -- -- 55 Northern Mariana Islands 52.3 % 27.9 -- -- 56 American Samoa 57.8 % 31.8 -- -- Notes A. 57.8 % figure is from 2009. In 2017 the governor of American Samoa said that the poverty rate in American Samoa is now 65 % ( as of 2017 ). See also List of US states by Gini coefficient List of lowest - income places in the United States Thank God for Mississippi References Jump up ^ `` Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S. : 2014 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates - Interactive Data and Mapping - U.S. Census Bureau ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Connecticut 2015 Report ''. Talkpoverty.org. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Jump up ^ `` The Supplemental Poverty Measure : 2013 '' ( PDF ). Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates : July 1, 2016 ''. Census.gov. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Jump up ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_VISF_PBG76&prodType=table Census.gov. American Factfinder. U.S. Virgin Islands. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Jump up ^ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_GUSF_PBG82&prodType=table Census.gov. American Factfinder. Guam. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Jump up ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/PR Census.gov. Quick Facts. Puerto Rico. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Jump up ^ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_MPSF_PBG82&prodType=table Census.gov. American Factfinder. Northern Mariana Islands. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Jump up ^ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_ASSF_PBG82&prodType=table Census.gov. American Factfinder. American Samoa. Poverty Status in 2009 by Age. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Jump up ^ http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/03/02/american-samoa-governor-says-small-economies-cannot-afford-any-reduction Pireport.org. American Samoa Governor Says Small Economies ' Cannot Afford Any Reduction In Medicaid. Fili Sagapolutele. 03 / 02 / 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018. External links Find more aboutpovertyat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Learning resources from Wikiversity Total Number of People Living in Poverty based on Household Income ( In Thousands ), 2005. State Health Facts. December 14, 2007. Poverty Rate based on Household Income, 2005. State Health Facts. December 14, 2007. Geographic Adjustments of Supplemental Poverty Measure Thresholds : Using the American Community Survey Five - Year Data on Housing Costs Accessed November 27, 2012. The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure Accessed June 5, 2014. 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Question: which geographical area of the u.s. has the highest rate of poverty
Answer: American Samoa