Poverty rates, total population, and the number of people in poverty for the 10 poorest states, 1995-2007
Year State Poverty Rate Total Population Number of Persons in Poverty
1995New Mexico25.30%1,682,417425,652
Mississippi23.50%2,690,788632,335
Alabama20.10%4,262,731856,808
South Carolina19.90%3,699,943736,289
Louisiana19.70%4,327,978852,612
Texas17.40%18,679,7063,250,269
Oklahoma17.10%3,265,547558,409
West Virginia16.70%1,820,560304,034
California16.70%31,493,5255,259,419
New York16.50%18,150,9282,994,903
 
2000Arkansas17.80%2,678,217476,723
Louisiana17.30%4,468,879773,116
New Mexico16.80%1,820,704305,878
Montana15.70%903,283141,815
Oklahoma15.40%3,453,861531,895
Tennessee14.70%5,703,094838,355
Texas14.70%20,946,0493,079,069
Alabama14.40%4,451,687641,043
West Virginia14.00%1,806,977252,977
New York13.40%18,998,4292,545,789
 
2005Mississippi20.10%2,898,209582,540
Lousiana18.30%4,495,627822,700
New Mexico17.90%1,912,884342,399
Alabama16.70%4,537,299757,729
Texas16.20%22,811,1283,695,403
Oklahoma15.60%3,530,087550,694
West Virginia15.40%1,804,020277,819
Arizona15.20%5,961,239906,108
South Carolina15%4,249,385637,408
Tennessee14.90%5,983,211891,498
 
2007Mississippi22.60%2,921,030660,153
Texas16.50%23,843,4323,934,166
Louisiana16.10%4,373,310704,103
Kentucky15.50%4,236,308656,628
North Carolina15.50%9,041,5941,401,447
Tennessee14.80%6,149,116910,069
Alabama14.50%4,626,595670,856
New York14.50%19,429,3162,817,251
Arizona14.30%6,353,421908,539
South Carolina14.10%4,404,914621,093
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