Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

Poverty Scorecard 2009

Here is an alphabetical list of every U.S. state's average score and ranking in this year's Poverty Scorecard.

Click on any state name to learn more.

StatePopulationPoverty rateAverage scoreRanking
Alabama4,708,70815.7%40%41
Alaska698,4738.4%61%31
Arizona6,595,77814.7%50%38
Arkansas2,889,45017.3%77%17
California36,961,66413.3%70%23
Colorado5,024,74811.4%77%17
Connecticut3,518,2889.3%96%5
Delaware885,12210.0%80%14
Florida18,537,96913.2%60%33
Georgia9,829,21114.7%43%39
Hawaii1,295,1789.1%100%1
Idaho1,545,80112.6%32%47
Illinois12,910,40912.2%77%17
Indiana6,423,11313.1%63%29
Iowa3,007,85611.5%65%28
Kansas2,818,74711.3%32%47
Kentucky4,314,11317.3%39%44
Louisiana4,492,07617.3%40%41
Maine1,318,30112.3%82%11
Maryland5,699,4788.1%90%8
Massachusetts6,593,58710.0%100%1
Michigan9,969,72714.4%73%22
Minnesota5,266,2149.6%70%23
Mississippi2,951,99621.2%54%36
Missouri5,987,58013.4%55%35
Montana974,98914.8%61%31
Nebraska1,796,61910.8%40%41
Nevada2,643,08511.3%67%26
New Hampshire1,324,5757.6%80%14
New Jersey8,707,7398.7%81%12
New Mexico2,009,67117.1%95%6
New York19,541,45313.6%94%7
North Carolina9,380,88414.6%63%29
North Dakota646,84412.0%85%9
Ohio11,542,64513.4%67%26
Oklahoma3,687,05015.9%26%49
Oregon3,825,65713.6%85%9
Pennsylvania12,604,76712.1%76%20
Rhode Island1,053,20911.7%100%1
South Carolina4,561,24215.7%35%45
South Dakota812,38312.5%58%34
Tennessee6,296,25415.5%53%37
Texas24,782,30215.8%43%39
Utah2,784,5729.6%33%46
Vermont621,76010.6%98%4
Virginia7,882,59010.2%70%23
Washington6,664,19511.3%81%12
West Virginia1,819,77717.0%79%16
Wisconsin5,654,77410.4%74%21
Wyoming544,2709.4%16%50