These Are The 9 Poorest Counties In Iowa

It's always interesting to see where the richest people live in Iowa, but the sad reality is that poverty is a real thing in the state. While most residents in the poorest counties in Iowa aren't living in poverty, they are living on a household income that's below the median. 

Only In Your State created a list of the richest counties in Iowa and now they have created a list of the poorest counties in the state too.

How To Find The Poorest Counties in Iowa

With the 2020 U.S. Census, we have a little more updated information about how poor and wealthy can be in each state and all the way down to counties and cities.

Only In Your State looked at data from the U.S. Census, similar to what they did to find the richest counties, to look at the poorest based on median household income.

The U.S. Justice Department says Iowa's median household income for one earner in 2022 is $54,155. Iowa households with two earners typically bring in $75,139. America's household median income is $70,784, according to the Census.

Iowa's Poorest County

After determining which counties in Iowa have the lowest median household income, Only In Your State found that a county in southern Iowa is the poorest.

Decatur County was named the poorest county in Iowa. With a median household income of just $36,326, residents in Decatur County make almost less than $20,000 than a typical household with just one earner.

Iowa's Poorest Counties

Even though Decatur County landed at #1 on this list, there are 8 other really poor counties in Iowa.

There are the 10 poorest counties in Iowa according to Only In Your State:

1. Decatur County
2. Appanoose County
3. Wayne County
4. Wapello County
5. Webster County
6. Monona County
7. Des Moines County
8. Page County
9. Clarke County