The latest Missouri Poverty Facts
Missouri Poverty Rate by County
The 2023 Missouri statewide poverty rate is 12.6%—a decrease from 15.5% in 2013. This map shows the Missouri poverty rate by county from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey Poverty Estimates released in 202024. The poverty represents the percentage of individuals at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. For more information on poverty in Missouri, download the 2025 Missouri Poverty Report.
Measuring Poverty
Official Poverty Measure
The current official poverty measure was developed in 1963 and is based on the cost of the minimum food diet for various family sizes in today’s prices multiplied by 3. This official poverty calculation does not take into account the value of federal benefits, such as those provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing and energy assistance. Neither does it account for typical household expenses such as work expenses or child care.
Supplemental Poverty Measure
The Supplemental Poverty Measure considers family resources, such as income, along with benefits including SNAP, subsidized housing, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
2020 Poverty Guidelines
The poverty guidelines are determined by the Department of Health and Human Services and updated annually. The amounts are based on number of persons in a family per household. For families or households with more than 8 persons, $4,480 is added for each additional person. For 2020, poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and Washington DC are:
Persons/Household Gross Income
1…………………………………………$15,650
2…………………………………………$21,150
3…………………………………………$26,650
4…………………………………………$32,150
5…………………………………………$37,650
6…………………………………………$43,150
US Department of Health and Human Services
Poverty at a Glance
12.6% of Missourians live below the federal poverty line.
US Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey
Five Elements of Poverty
Missouri CAN has identified five key factors that impact poverty—economic and family security, education, food and nutrition, health, and housing and energy. We call these the five elements of poverty. When there is struggle in one of these areas, the other areas in a person’s life suffer. Together these elements highlight poverty’s interconnected nature and the need for multi-dimensional solutions.
Economic and Family Security
Minimum Wage in Missouri
As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in Missouri is $13.75. Over the past 10 years, the minimum wage increased by $6.10, from $7.65 in 2013. Washington DC has the highest minimum wage in the US at $17.50, and several state have enacted gradual minimum wage increases to take effect over the next several years. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Household Income
The median income of households in Missouri was $68,545 in 2023. An estimated 15.7% of Missouri households had income below $25,000 a year and more than 15.5% had income over $200,000.
US Census Bureau American Community Survey
Median Income
The median income for men in Missouri is $9,766 higher than for women. According to this data, median income for women is 81% of the median income for men. US Census Bureau American Community Survey
Living wage in Missouri is $26.24 for a family of four with two working adults.
MIT Living Wage Calculator
Education
Educational Attainment
In 2016, 7.9% of Missourians had educational attainment less than a high school diploma, and 29.4% had a high school diploma. With each level of education completed and more skills developed, the more access a person has to higher paying occupations. The percentage of Missourians with less than a bachelor’s degree was 66.8%. US Census Bureau
Food and Nutrition
Food Insecurity: The state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
13.5% National Food Insecurity Rate
USDA Economic Research Service
12.7% Missouri’s Food Insecurity Rate
USDA Economic Research Service
779,000 Missourians were food insecure in 2023.
Food Research & Action Center
Health
Poverty Impacts Health
Poverty is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Individuals living in poverty tend to die younger than those with higher incomes. Research shows that living in poverty for ten years carries a higher mortality risk than many common health conditions, including obesity or dementia.
Missourians with the lowest incomes live an average of 8 years less compared to those with the highest incomes. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Housing and Energy
What happens when your housing is unaffordable, affordable housing does not exist, or you face the choice between rent and food? What if you’re one paycheck or emergency away from eviction? In the worst case, you could be homeless. In many other cases, you will likely have to settle for substandard housing, including a home that is energy-inefficient.
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Rural and Urban
There are differences in rural and urban communities as it relates to poverty. For one, over half of Missouri residents in rural areas of the state lack access to broadband at speeds of 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. In an ever-evolving digital age, access to broadband is necessary infrastructure for businesses and economic growth, as well as access for children to do homework and for families to manage life online.
But broadband access isn’t the only distinction between rural and urban counties. Food access, food security, access to medical care, and transportation are all influenced by location, particularly urban and rural places.
Considering the differences between urban and rural poverty is imperative when working toward developing solutions that empower individuals and families forward and out of poverty. No two circumstances are the same, and geography plays a role in a family’s circumstance just as much as their background and family composition.
What’s Already Working?
Many programs and services are already in place to help Missourians in need. These are a few of the programs and services helping Missourians:
9,015 Families receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
US Department of Health and Human Services
476,000 Recipients of Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Internal Revenue Service
46.3% of three-and four-year-olds enrolled in preschool (public or private) in 2018
US Census Bureau American Community Survey
260,185 Households receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
US Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
106,773 Missouri women and children received Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in FY2019
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
840,260 Total Number of Medicare beneficiaries in Missouri 2018.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
833,914 Children enrolled in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
176,800 People in 97,000 Missouri households use federal rental assistance to afford modest housing
Center on Budget and Public Priorities
123,733 Missouri households received Low Income Home Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assistance
US Department of Health and Human Services