Special Report
The Metros Where The Fewest People Live Below The Poverty Line
Published:
Since COVID-19 reached the United States in early 2020, the financial situation of millions of Americans has deteriorated, even as a number of the nation’s wealthiest saw their fortunes increase by billions of dollars.
When census data covering the period affected by the pandemic is released, the U.S. poverty rate, which was 12.3% in 2019, would likely be higher. In some historically impoverished metropolitan areas that were reportedly affected disproportionately by the virus, the poverty rate is likely to rise even more. This may also mean that wealthier cities may have weathered the crisis better than the nation as a whole and would not see as significant an increase, if at all, in their poverty rates.
To determine the metros with the lowest poverty rates in the nation, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed one-year estimates of the percentage of people who live below the poverty line in each metropolitan area from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
For reference, the Department of Health and Human services sets the official poverty threshold at an annual income of no more than approximately $26,000 for a family of four.
In comparison to the 12.3% national poverty rate in 2019, the 50 metros on this list have poverty rates of less than 10% and as low as 5.2%.
The metro areas with the lowest poverty can be found all across the country. The 50 metros on this list with the lowest poverty rate are in 23 different states. Wisconsin and California are tied in having the most metro areas on this list, with six each.
While poverty rates do not correspond perfectly with median incomes, counties with higher poverty rates tend to have lower incomes. They also tend to have higher shares of residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps.
Click here to see the metros where the fewest people live below the poverty line.
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
50. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
> Poverty rate: 9.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 258,075 — 25th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.6% — 178th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $83,160 — 20th highest of 370 metros (tied)
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49. York-Hanover, PA
> Poverty rate: 9.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 41,394 — 165th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.6% — 178th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $69,172 — 77th highest of 370 metros
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48. Eau Claire, WI
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 15,110 — 45th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.6% — 38th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $63,460 — 116th highest of 370 metros
47. Midland, MI
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,657 — 6th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.6% — 178th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $69,872 — 72nd highest of 370 metros
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46. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 76,252 — 93rd highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.7% — 155th highest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $70,793 — 66th highest of 370 metros
45. Naples-Marco Island, FL
> Poverty rate: 9.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 35,342 — 185th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.5% — 35th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $76,025 — 42nd highest of 370 metros
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44. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
> Poverty rate: 9.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 26,414 — 145th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.1% — 140th highest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $78,512 — 32nd highest of 370 metros
43. Elkhart-Goshen, IN
> Poverty rate: 9.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 18,484 — 86th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.3% — 33rd lowest of 370 metros
> Median household income: $54,531 — 114th lowest of 370 metros
42. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
> Poverty rate: 9.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 75,727 — 94th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.6% — 38th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $65,526 — 102nd highest of 370 metros
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41. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
> Poverty rate: 9.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 51,192 — 134th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.5% — 104th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $67,069 — 91st highest of 370 metros
40. Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
> Poverty rate: 9.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 84,979 — 84th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.9% — 81st lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $70,373 — 69th highest of 370 metros
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39. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
> Poverty rate: 9.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 84,006 — 86th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.3% — 95th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $97,053 — 4th highest of 370 metros
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38. Madison, WI
> Poverty rate: 8.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 57,854 — 119th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.4% — 17th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $75,545 — 47th highest of 370 metros
37. Port St. Lucie, FL
> Poverty rate: 8.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 43,064 — 156th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.9% — 179th highest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $62,608 — 126th highest of 370 metros
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36. Raleigh-Cary, NC
> Poverty rate: 8.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 121,022 — 58th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.3% — 58th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $80,096 — 26th highest of 370 metros
35. Vallejo, CA
> Poverty rate: 8.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 38,543 — 176th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.2% — 29th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $86,652 — 13th highest of 370 metros
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34. Lewiston-Auburn, ME
> Poverty rate: 8.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,266 — 10th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.4% — 104th highest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $63,813 — 111th highest of 370 metros
33. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
> Poverty rate: 8.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 51,942 — 132nd highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.6% — 107th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $57,305 — 156th lowest of 370 metros
32. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
> Poverty rate: 8.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 59,509 — 114th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.6% — 139th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $71,164 — 61st highest of 370 metros
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31. Salt Lake City, UT
> Poverty rate: 8.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 104,645 — 67th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 4.9% — 7th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $80,196 — 25th highest of 370 metros
30. Winchester, VA-WV
> Poverty rate: 8.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 11,669 — 17th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.0% — 52nd lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $76,583 — 39th highest of 370 metros
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29. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Poverty rate: 8.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 403,821 — 13th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.0% — 117th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $94,430 — 5th highest of 370 metros
28. Idaho Falls, ID
> Poverty rate: 8.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 12,845 — 26th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.0% — 85th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $63,616 — 113th highest of 370 metros
27. Colorado Springs, CO
> Poverty rate: 8.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 61,364 — 113th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.4% — 100th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $72,633 — 53rd highest of 370 metros
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26. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
> Poverty rate: 8.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 292,422 — 20th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.9% — 46th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $83,698 — 18th highest of 370 metros
25. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
> Poverty rate: 8.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 380,982 — 15th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 4.8% — 6th lowest of 370 metros
> Median household income: $114,696 — 2nd highest of 370 metros
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24. Urban Honolulu, HI
> Poverty rate: 8.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 76,644 — 92nd highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.0% — 117th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $87,470 — 12th highest of 370 metros
23. Sheboygan, WI
> Poverty rate: 8.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,991 — 8th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.5% — 104th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $60,706 — 164th highest of 370 metros (tied)
22. Wausau-Weston, WI
> Poverty rate: 8.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 12,837 — 25th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.9% — 46th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $65,094 — 105th highest of 370 metros
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21. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
> Poverty rate: 7.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 66,011 — 108th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.5% — 35th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $92,236 — 8th highest of 370 metros
20. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
> Poverty rate: 7.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 232,135 — 32nd highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.6% — 21st lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $85,641 — 14th highest of 370 metros
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19. Greeley, CO
> Poverty rate: 7.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 24,966 — 137th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.2% — 11th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $78,615 — 31st highest of 370 metros
18. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Poverty rate: 7.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 305,079 — 19th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.7% — 110th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $94,027 — 6th highest of 370 metros
17. Sioux Falls, SD
> Poverty rate: 7.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 20,123 — 100th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.1% — 124th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $65,566 — 101st highest of 370 metros
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16. Portland-South Portland, ME
> Poverty rate: 7.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 40,468 — 168th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 8.3% — 95th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $71,913 — 57th highest of 370 metros
15. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Poverty rate: 7.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 465,533 — 12th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.2% — 29th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $105,659 — 3rd highest of 370 metros
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14. Staunton, VA
> Poverty rate: 7.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,530 — 7th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.0% — 159th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $57,844 — 168th lowest of 370 metros
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13. Manchester-Nashua, NH
> Poverty rate: 7.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 29,991 — 161st lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.2% — 29th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $83,626 — 19th highest of 370 metros
12. Norwich-New London, CT
> Poverty rate: 7.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 18,349 — 83rd lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.9% — 179th highest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $75,633 — 46th highest of 370 metros
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11. Appleton, WI
> Poverty rate: 7.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,847 — 67th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.8% — 23rd lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $68,335 — 80th highest of 370 metros
10. Gettysburg, PA
> Poverty rate: 7.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,066 — 3rd lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.9% — 46th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $67,715 — 84th highest of 370 metros
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9. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
> Poverty rate: 6.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 18,090 — 79th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.8% — 76th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $79,624 — 27th highest of 370 metros
8. Rochester, MN
> Poverty rate: 6.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 15,066 — 44th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.2% — 29th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $75,926 — 43rd highest of 370 metros
7. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
> Poverty rate: 6.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 33,007 — 173rd lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 4.9% — 7th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $87,828 — 11th highest of 370 metros
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6. Napa, CA
> Poverty rate: 6.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,088 — 9th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 1.7% — 1st lowest of 370 metros
> Median household income: $92,769 — 7th highest of 370 metros
5. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
> Poverty rate: 6.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 123,477 — 57th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 3.9% — 2nd lowest of 370 metros
> Median household income: $130,865 — 1st highest of 370 metros
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4. Fond du Lac, WI
> Poverty rate: 6.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 6,191 — 1st lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 7.2% — 56th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $65,329 — 103rd highest of 370 metros
3. Bismarck, ND
> Poverty rate: 5.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,395 — 4th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.2% — 11th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $70,979 — 62nd highest of 370 metros
2. Ogden-Clearfield, UT
> Poverty rate: 5.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 37,708 — 179th highest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.8% — 23rd lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $79,251 — 29th highest of 370 metros
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1. Barnstable Town, MA
> Poverty rate: 5.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 10,948 — 13th lowest of 370 metros
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 5.2% — 11th lowest of 370 metros (tied)
> Median household income: $85,042 — 16th highest of 370 metros
Methodology
To determine the metros with the lowest poverty rates in the nation, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed one-year estimates of the percentages of people living below the poverty line from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
We used the 384 metropolitan statistical areas as delineated by the United States Office of Management and Budget and used by the Census Bureau as our definition of metros.
Metros were excluded if the sampling error associated with a metro’s data was deemed too high.
The sampling error was defined as too high if the coefficient of variation — a statistical assessment of how reliable an estimate is — for a metro’s poverty rate was above 15% and greater than two standard deviations above the mean CV for all metros’ poverty rates. We similarly excluded metros that had a sampling error too high for their population for which poverty status had been determined, using the same definition.
The remaining 370 metros were ranked based on their poverty rates. Additional information on the number of people living below the poverty line, median household income, and the share of households receiving SNAP benefits are also one-year estimates from the 2019 ACS.
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