Otero ranks the poorest of Colorado counties
Otero was ranked the poorest county in Colorado in a Wall St. 24/7 analysis of the least affluent regions in all 50 states.
Otero recorded a median household income of $35,051 annually, based on 2017 U.S. Census Bureau data. That compares to a statewide median household income of $65,458 per year, according to the analysis.
Otero’s poverty rate was pegged at 22.9 percent, and its October 2018 jobless rate was 4.4.
With the exception of Connecticut, each state’s poorest jurisdiction has a median annual household income under the national average of $57,652, according to Wall St. 24/7. And in most states, households in the poorest counties earned less than $40,000 annually, the analysis concluded.
The poorest counties in each state also had similar characteristics, including their tendency to be mostly rural, with decreasing populations and a lack of employment opportunities, according to the study.
Poorest Counties by State
State | County / Jurisdiction | County Median Household Income | State Median Household Income | County Poverty Rate | October 2018 Jobless Rate |
Alabama | Sumter County | $21,663 | $46,472 | 36.0% | 5.3% |
Alaska | Kusilvak Census Area | $36,468 | $76,114 | 39.1% | N/A |
Arizona | Apache County | $32,360 | $53,510 | 35.9% | 9.4% |
Arkansas | Phillips County | $26,652 | $43,813 | 33.0% | 5.1% |
California | Lake County | $40,446 | $67,169 | 22.8% | 4.7% |
Colorado | Otero County | $35,051 | $65,458 | 22.9% | 4.4% |
Connecticut | Windham County | $62,553 | $73,781 | 11.1% | 4.1% |
Delaware | Kent County | $57,647 | $63,036 | 13.0% | 3.8% |
Florida | Madison County | $31,816 | $50,883 | 31.9% | 3.3% |
Georgia | Telfair County | $28,044 | $52,977 | 27.7% | 5.8% |
Hawaii | Hawaii County | $56,395 | $74,923 | 17.4% | 3.5% |
Idaho | Madison County | $33,620 | $50,985 | 31.8% | 1.4% |
Illinois | Alexander County | $31,014 | $61,229 | 33.4% | 6.5% |
Indiana | Crawford County | $40,067 | $52,182 | 17.8% | 4.5% |
Iowa | Appanoose County | $40,377 | $56,570 | 17.1% | 2.6% |
Kansas | Crawford County | $38,017 | $55,477 | 21.1% | 3.5% |
Kentucky | McCreary County | $19,264 | $46,535 | 41.0% | 5.9% |
Louisiana | Claiborne Parish | $26,877 | $46,710 | 29.9% | 4.9% |
Maine | Piscataquis County | $38,797 | $53,024 | 18.7% | 3.6% |
Maryland | Allegany County | $42,771 | $78,916 | 16.8% | 4.8% |
Massachusetts | Hampden County | $52,205 | $74,167 | 17.2% | 4.0% |
Michigan | Lake County | $32,309 | $52,668 | 25.0% | 4.8% |
Minnesota | Mahnomen County | $42,439 | $65,699 | 22.7% | 3.2% |
Mississippi | Holmes County | $20,330 | $42,009 | 46.5% | 7.7% |
Missouri | Shannon County | $31,202 | $51,542 | 30.5% | 3.9% |
Montana | Blaine County | $35,506 | $50,801 | 32.7% | 3.6% |
Nebraska | Sheridan County | $41,209 | $56,675 | 15.8% | 2.3% |
Nevada | Nye County | $44,225 | $55,434 | 17.3% | 5.5% |
New Hampshire | Coos County | $45,386 | $71,305 | 13.3% | 2.4% |
New Jersey | Cumberland County | $50,000 | $76,475 | 18.8% | 5.1% |
New Mexico | Quay County | $26,663 | $46,718 | 21.6% | 4.7% |
New York | Bronx County | $36,593 | $62,765 | 29.7% | 5.3% |
North Carolina | Bertie County | $31,287 | $50,320 | 22.0% | 4.2% |
North Dakota | Rolette County | $36,170 | $61,285 | 32.4% | 6.2% |
Ohio | Adams County | $36,320 | $52,407 | 23.8% | 6.5% |
Oklahoma | Choctaw County | $30,298 | $49,767 | 31.0% | 4.2% |
Oregon | Malheur County | $37,112 | $56,119 | 25.2% | 4.1% |
Pennsylvania | Forest County | $37,106 | $56,951 | 14.1% | 5.0% |
Rhode Island | Providence County | $52,530 | $61,043 | 16.7% | 3.4% |
South Carolina | Allendale County | $23,331 | $48,781 | 30.4% | 5.6% |
South Dakota | Mellette County | $31,165 | $54,126 | 42.6% | 4.1% |
Tennessee | Scott County | $31,875 | $48,708 | 26.2% | 4.8% |
Texas | Starr County | $27,133 | $57,051 | 35.0% | 7.9% |
Utah | Wayne County | $42,444 | $65,325 | 9.2% | 2.9% |
Vermont | Essex County | $38,767 | $57,808 | 15.5% | 2.3% |
Virginia | Buchanan County | $30,828 | $68,766 | 26.5% | 5.1% |
Washington | Pacific County | $39,895 | $66,174 | 18.6% | 6.1% |
West Virginia | McDowell County | $25,595 | $44,061 | 34.9% | 8.6% |
Wisconsin | Menominee County | $38,080 | $56,759 | 35.8% | 4.4% |
Wyoming | Albany County | $45,816 | $60,938 | 23.0% | 2.9% |
Source: Wall St. 24/7
