Income
Alabama vs California: Poverty Rate
California has a lower poverty rate than Alabama.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for poverty rate.
Alabama
#43 · 15.6%
California
#27 · 12.0%
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Poverty Rate
Lower is better
#1
New Hampshire
7.2%
New Hampshire
#2
Utah
9.0%
Utah
#3
Colorado
9.3%
Colorado
#4
Minnesota
9.3%
Minnesota
#5
Maryland
9.5%
Maryland
#6
New Jersey
9.7%
New Jersey
#7
Vermont
9.7%
Vermont
#8
North Dakota
9.8%
North Dakota
#9
Hawaii
10.1%
Hawaii
#10
Idaho
10.1%
Idaho
Selected states
#43
Alabama
15.6%
Alabama
#27
California
12.0%
California
Alabama ranks 43rd and California ranks 27th nationally for poverty rate.
Related context
Poverty in Context
Poverty reflects wages, jobs, local costs, and access to public programs — rarely just one factor.
MetricAlabamaCalifornia
Median Household Income
$54,943
$84,097
Unemployment Rate
2.7%
5.5%
Cost of Living Index
88.6
138.5
Uninsured Rate
8.5%
6.4%
Life Expectancy
73.2 yrs
79.2 yrs
What this means
Alabama vs California: Poverty Rate in context
California's poverty rate is 12.0%, compared with 15.6% in Alabama. Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).
Alabama
15.6%
California
12.0%
Difference
3.60 percentage points
People also ask
Alabama vs California Poverty Rate — common questions
QWhat is Alabama's poverty rate?
Alabama's poverty rate is 15.6%.
QWhat is California's poverty rate?
California's poverty rate is 12.0%.
QWhich state has a lower poverty rate — Alabama or California?
California has a lower poverty rate than Alabama.
More comparisons: Alabama vs California
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
ACS 2023 estimates
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
State values or ratios calculated from ACS fields.