Poverty among adults 65 and older by state (2024)

Poverty among adults 65 and older by state

Louisiana has the highest estimate (14.9%); Utah has the lowest (7.7%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT1703

50 ranked states; DC and Puerto Rico appear as reference rows where the source supplies them. Highest does not mean best. Ranks reflect point estimates; close values may not differ statistically.

State distribution and comparisons

The middle of the 50-state distribution is 10.3%: the average of the 25th and 26th ordered state estimates. This treats each state equally, so it answers a different question from a population-weighted national estimate.

2 other states are statistically tied with Louisiana at 90% confidence: Mississippi and New Mexico. This is not a confidence interval for rank, and testing multiple pairs increases false-positive risk.

See the top ten estimates with their 90% margins of error

Shared axis spans the complete 50-state estimate ± MOE range. Intervals describe individual estimates; overlapping intervals alone are not our significance test.

How does this compare with poverty rate?

These states’ ranks change the most between poverty among adults 65 and older and poverty rate. These comparisons identify different questions worth investigating; a rank gap does not measure a causal effect or a statistical difference between unlike units.

State	Poverty among adults 65 and older	Poverty rate
Massachusetts	10.8% · #19	9.7% · #41
Maryland	10.0% · #27	9.1% · #47
Iowa	8.3% · #47	11.3% · #27

Poverty among adults 65 and older · 2024 · Percent
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	Louisiana	14.9%	± 0.7%	Highest estimate
2	Mississippi	14.4%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	New Mexico	14.0%	± 1.0%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	New York	14.0%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
5	Alabama	13.0%	± 0.6%	Different at 90%
5	Kentucky	13.0%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
7	West Virginia	12.9%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	Georgia	12.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	Texas	12.3%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
10	Arkansas	12.2%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	Florida	12.0%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
12	Oklahoma	11.9%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	California	11.8%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Rhode Island	11.2%	± 1.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	Illinois	11.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	North Carolina	11.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	South Carolina	11.1%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
18	Missouri	11.0%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
19	Massachusetts	10.8%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
19	Michigan	10.8%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
19	Oregon	10.8%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
22	Tennessee	10.7%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Nevada	10.6%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Arizona	10.5%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Ohio	10.4%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
26	Pennsylvania	10.2%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
27	Maryland	10.0%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	North Dakota	9.9%	± 1.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	Wisconsin	9.9%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Delaware	9.8%	± 1.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Nebraska	9.8%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	Indiana	9.7%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	New Jersey	9.7%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	South Dakota	9.7%	± 1.0%	Not distinguishable at 90%
35	Montana	9.6%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
36	Maine	9.5%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
37	Virginia	9.4%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
38	Connecticut	9.3%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
38	Hawaii	9.3%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
40	Minnesota	9.1%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
40	Washington	9.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
42	Kansas	9.0%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
42	Wyoming	9.0%	± 1.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
44	Colorado	8.8%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
44	Idaho	8.8%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
46	Alaska	8.4%	± 1.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
47	Iowa	8.3%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
48	Vermont	8.2%	± 1.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
49	New Hampshire	7.8%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
50	Utah	7.7%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	18.2%	± 2.7%	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	38.7%	± 1.1%	Reference jurisdiction

Poverty among adults 65 and older · 2024 · Percent

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

Louisiana

14.9%

± 0.7%

Highest estimate

Mississippi

14.4%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Mexico

14.0%

± 1.0%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New York

14.0%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

13.0%

± 0.6%

Different at 90%

Kentucky

13.0%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

West Virginia

12.9%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Georgia

12.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Texas

12.3%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arkansas

12.2%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Florida

12.0%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oklahoma

11.9%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

California

11.8%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

11.2%

± 1.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Illinois

11.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

11.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

11.1%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Missouri

11.0%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Massachusetts

10.8%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

10.8%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oregon

10.8%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Tennessee

10.7%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nevada

10.6%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

10.5%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ohio

10.4%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Pennsylvania

10.2%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maryland

10.0%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

9.9%

± 1.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

9.9%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

9.8%

± 1.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

9.8%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Indiana

9.7%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Jersey

9.7%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Dakota

9.7%

± 1.0%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Montana

9.6%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maine

9.5%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Virginia

9.4%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Connecticut

9.3%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Hawaii

9.3%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Minnesota

9.1%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Washington

9.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

9.0%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wyoming

9.0%

± 1.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Colorado

8.8%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

8.8%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alaska

8.4%

± 1.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

8.3%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Vermont

8.2%

± 1.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Hampshire

7.8%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Utah

7.7%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

18.2%

± 2.7%

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

38.7%

± 1.1%

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

People age 65 and older below the official poverty threshold.

This describes income poverty, not assets, retirement savings, or access to care.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 7.2 percentage points. The U.S. benchmark is 11.2%. It is not a simple average of the states.

13 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 36 below it, with 1 equal to it. These counts do not establish statistical significance.

How much should you read into a rank?

Each estimate has a 90% margin of error published by the Census Bureau. For two different states, we flag a difference only when its absolute size exceeds the square root of the sum of their squared margins of error. The comparison tool applies this check to every selected pair.

Non-significance is not proof of equality. These pairwise tests are not adjusted for multiple comparisons and do not form ranking confidence intervals. Statistical method and limitations.

Ranks use the full precision of the source file, so only truly equal values share a rank (1, 2, 2, 4).

Keep exploring

How income definitions change a ranking.

Explore the same states in a side-by-side comparison, or combine this measure with others in the custom ranking tool.

Source and method

Producer: U.S. Census Bureau
Product / file: ACS 1-year · GCT1703
Period: 2024
Unit: Percent
Calculation: Published estimate; no transformation of the value. Rank = 1 + number of eligible jurisdictions with a higher value.
Coverage: The 50 states are ranked. Washington, D.C., can be added with the toggle above the table; Puerto Rico is shown for reference only, where the source covers it.
Cadence: Annual. 2025 ACS 1-year estimates scheduled for October 29, 2026 (Census ACS updates page); adoption follows editorial review.
Independence: Rank the States is independent. The agencies that produce the source data do not endorse these rankings.

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Rank the States. Poverty among adults 65 and older, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT1703; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/older-adult-poverty.csv

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Updates and corrections

Last updated Oct. 23, 2026. Earlier editions stay available on the data page, and every change is listed in the update log. If a number or definition looks wrong, report an error with the state, value, and source you checked.

Poverty among adults 65 and older by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with poverty rate?

The state-by-state view

What this ranking measures

The size of the gap

How much should you read into a rank?

Keep exploring

Source and method

Download, cite, or embed

Updates and corrections

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Richest and poorest states (household income)

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