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PantryPath Research · Child Poverty Atlas

Child Poverty in
Iowa

Iowa's child poverty rate is 13.0% across 99 counties, meaning 93K children under 18 live in households below the federal poverty line. Use the interactive map below to see how poverty varies within the state.

13.0%

Child poverty rate (0–17)

93K

Children in poverty

11.1%

All-ages poverty

$71,662

Median income

Iowa by county

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Toggle between five SAIPE metrics to see how poverty varies within Iowa. Hover a county for its exact rate.

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Lower
Higher

Iowa at a glance

Children in poverty

93K

Ages 0–17

Child poverty rate

13.0%

Ages 0–17

5–17 poverty rate

12.0%

Title I allocator

All-ages poverty

11.1%

Entire population

Concentration

1.17×

Child ÷ all-ages

Median income

$71,662

Inflation-adjusted

County-level hotspots

Five-county rankings across 99 counties in Iowa.

Highest child poverty

Ages 0–17, rate

  1. 1 Decatur County 25.7%
  2. 2 Van Buren County 22.3%
  3. 3 Wayne County 22.1%
  4. 4 Appanoose County 21.4%
  5. 5 Lucas County 21.1%

Lowest child poverty

Ages 0–17, rate

  1. 1 Dallas County 5.4%
  2. 2 Warren County 5.7%
  3. 3 Grundy County 6.4%
  4. 4 Sioux County 6.4%
  5. 5 Bremer County 6.6%

Most children in poverty

Absolute count, ages 0–17

  1. 1 Polk County 18K
  2. 2 Linn County 6K
  3. 3 Scott County 5K
  4. 4 Woodbury County 4K
  5. 5 Black Hawk County 4K

Every county in Iowa

All 99 counties across the five SAIPE metrics plus median income.

County Children 0–17 Ages 5–17 All ages Concentration Child count Median income
Adair County 13.3% 12.4% 9.8% 1.36× 220 $67,873
Adams County 15.3% 14.7% 11.6% 1.32× 116 $63,399
Allamakee County 17.0% 17.2% 11.1% 1.53× 575 $65,586
Appanoose County 21.4% 20.0% 16.1% 1.33× 560 $54,629
Audubon County 13.7% 13.2% 10.2% 1.34× 162 $64,977
Benton County 9.1% 8.9% 8.0% 1.14× 527 $86,364
Black Hawk County 15.1% 13.6% 14.2% 1.06× 4,248 $61,558
Boone County 9.5% 8.5% 8.2% 1.16× 496 $77,381
Bremer County 6.6% 6.0% 7.8% 0.85× 366 $79,410
Buchanan County 12.4% 12.0% 8.8% 1.41× 638 $80,402
Buena Vista County 16.6% 15.8% 12.2% 1.36× 878 $65,671
Butler County 9.3% 8.7% 7.9% 1.18× 284 $73,033
Calhoun County 14.4% 13.7% 11.6% 1.24× 303 $63,597
Carroll County 8.6% 8.3% 9.3% 0.92× 422 $61,806
Cass County 18.4% 17.4% 14.8% 1.24× 545 $59,509
Cedar County 9.3% 8.6% 7.9% 1.18× 352 $77,777
Cerro Gordo County 13.1% 12.3% 10.7% 1.22× 1,142 $63,161
Cherokee County 12.9% 12.1% 9.9% 1.30× 335 $70,197
Chickasaw County 9.0% 8.5% 8.8% 1.02× 237 $73,547
Clarke County 15.3% 14.5% 10.5% 1.46× 371 $65,162
Clay County 14.9% 12.9% 10.5% 1.42× 545 $72,021
Clayton County 12.8% 11.4% 10.5% 1.22× 459 $65,814
Clinton County 18.0% 16.5% 13.3% 1.35× 1,846 $67,095
Crawford County 13.6% 13.1% 11.2% 1.21× 525 $64,170
Dallas County 5.4% 5.0% 6.0% 0.90× 1,564 $102,189
Davis County 15.6% 15.3% 11.6% 1.34× 419 $66,410
Decatur County 25.7% 21.9% 18.3% 1.40× 451 $54,409
Delaware County 9.7% 9.5% 8.7% 1.11× 387 $69,339
Des Moines County 20.9% 17.7% 14.3% 1.46× 1,734 $60,599
Dickinson County 8.7% 7.9% 7.9% 1.10× 296 $80,922
Dubuque County 10.2% 9.7% 9.6% 1.06× 2,208 $72,749
Emmet County 14.8% 15.4% 9.8% 1.51× 258 $61,500
Fayette County 17.1% 16.3% 13.9% 1.23× 688 $62,103
Floyd County 16.5% 15.3% 11.5% 1.43× 573 $67,582
Franklin County 15.6% 14.6% 11.3% 1.38× 373 $71,041
Fremont County 14.9% 13.8% 9.8% 1.52× 204 $72,129
Greene County 15.5% 14.1% 10.7% 1.45× 293 $63,082
Grundy County 6.4% 6.4% 6.7% 0.96× 185 $81,093
Guthrie County 12.7% 11.6% 9.9% 1.28× 283 $78,027
Hamilton County 11.4% 11.0% 8.5% 1.34× 386 $71,731
Hancock County 10.7% 10.5% 9.9% 1.08× 241 $67,979
Hardin County 13.9% 13.4% 10.4% 1.34× 408 $67,903
Harrison County 12.6% 11.7% 9.8% 1.29× 427 $63,139
Henry County 15.9% 14.8% 12.7% 1.25× 643 $65,627
Howard County 12.3% 11.8% 9.9% 1.24× 284 $67,552
Humboldt County 11.9% 11.0% 9.6% 1.24× 262 $72,307
Ida County 12.9% 12.4% 9.4% 1.37× 214 $71,238
Iowa County 8.2% 7.5% 7.6% 1.08× 305 $75,419
Jackson County 13.0% 11.4% 9.3% 1.40× 543 $74,910
Jasper County 11.8% 11.2% 9.6% 1.23× 971 $72,394
Jefferson County 18.6% 18.2% 14.1% 1.32× 466 $58,146
Johnson County 10.5% 10.2% 15.5% 0.68× 3,131 $74,665
Jones County 11.9% 10.8% 10.3% 1.16× 490 $74,193
Keokuk County 14.9% 14.7% 11.1% 1.34× 324 $65,656
Kossuth County 12.3% 11.5% 10.2% 1.21× 386 $66,667
Lee County 18.5% 17.7% 14.4% 1.28× 1,260 $60,053
Linn County 11.5% 10.5% 9.9% 1.16× 5,763 $73,079
Louisa County 13.1% 11.7% 9.8% 1.34× 286 $76,120
Lucas County 21.1% 20.8% 13.7% 1.54× 429 $59,540
Lyon County 8.7% 8.0% 7.8% 1.12× 295 $74,790
Madison County 6.7% 6.3% 7.0% 0.96× 275 $84,509
Mahaska County 14.3% 13.8% 11.7% 1.22× 726 $71,332
Marion County 8.2% 7.8% 8.0% 1.02× 635 $79,709
Marshall County 15.7% 15.1% 12.0% 1.31× 1,564 $64,005
Mills County 10.1% 9.2% 8.5% 1.19× 327 $82,260
Mitchell County 13.0% 12.5% 9.2% 1.41× 322 $74,249
Monona County 17.0% 15.4% 12.6% 1.35× 317 $59,814
Monroe County 14.2% 13.9% 10.2% 1.39× 240 $65,959
Montgomery County 17.8% 16.3% 13.0% 1.37× 396 $60,487
Muscatine County 14.0% 12.6% 11.7% 1.20× 1,367 $66,309
O'Brien County 10.5% 10.0% 9.1% 1.15× 354 $69,914
Osceola County 16.0% 15.6% 10.5% 1.52× 210 $72,569
Page County 16.9% 15.6% 13.8% 1.22× 438 $60,695
Palo Alto County 13.4% 12.3% 10.7% 1.25× 268 $64,952
Plymouth County 10.9% 10.8% 8.7% 1.25× 680 $74,765
Pocahontas County 15.5% 15.0% 11.1% 1.40× 246 $68,654
Polk County 15.3% 13.4% 11.5% 1.33× 18,250 $79,509
Pottawattamie County 15.4% 14.4% 11.6% 1.33× 3,192 $70,768
Poweshiek County 11.0% 9.6% 10.3% 1.07× 387 $73,434
Ringgold County 20.4% 19.1% 14.1% 1.45× 213 $61,463
Sac County 13.7% 12.6% 10.0% 1.37× 295 $72,395
Scott County 12.9% 12.0% 11.0% 1.17× 5,056 $77,100
Shelby County 10.1% 9.3% 8.8% 1.15× 266 $68,695
Sioux County 6.4% 6.3% 6.9% 0.93× 627 $85,985
Story County 9.2% 7.9% 14.9% 0.62× 1,467 $71,539
Tama County 16.1% 15.7% 12.3% 1.31× 636 $66,288
Taylor County 14.8% 14.2% 13.0% 1.14× 206 $59,116
Union County 17.7% 16.3% 13.7% 1.29× 452 $59,066
Van Buren County 22.3% 22.3% 14.8% 1.51× 383 $57,666
Wapello County 16.9% 17.1% 13.8% 1.22× 1,355 $61,642
Warren County 5.7% 5.2% 5.8% 0.98× 760 $92,695
Washington County 12.9% 12.6% 9.5% 1.36× 706 $75,136
Wayne County 22.1% 22.1% 14.7% 1.50× 372 $59,904
Webster County 17.2% 15.0% 14.0% 1.23× 1,315 $63,557
Winnebago County 14.6% 14.2% 11.4% 1.28× 331 $65,086
Winneshiek County 7.6% 7.4% 7.9% 0.96× 277 $80,932
Woodbury County 16.1% 15.3% 12.9% 1.25× 4,271 $65,984
Worth County 12.6% 12.5% 9.2% 1.37× 192 $75,449
Wright County 15.7% 15.3% 11.0% 1.43× 514 $74,189

Help for families in Iowa

Free meals, WIC, SNAP, and nutrition help for children in low-income households.

Families & children guide

Iowa SNAP benefits

State-by-state SNAP eligibility, apply online, benefit amounts, and coverage gaps.

Iowa SNAP guide

Find a food pantry

Search Iowa's verified pantries — by ZIP, city, or county.

Iowa food pantries