According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau — namely, the 2019 American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates — the U.S. poverty rate nationally is 13.4%. This means that 13.4% of the national population lives below the poverty line. This is equal to more than approximately 42.5 million Americans living below the poverty line.
Mississippi: 20.3% of population lives below the poverty line
Louisiana: 19.2% of population lives below the poverty line
New Mexico: 19.1% of population lives below the poverty line
West Virginia: 17.6% of population lives below the poverty line
Kentucky: 17.3% of population lives below the poverty line
Arkansas: 17.0% of population lives below the poverty line
Alabama: 16.7% of population lives below the poverty line
Oklahoma: 15.7% of population lives below the poverty line
Tennessee: 15.2% of population lives below the poverty line
South Carolina: 15.2% of population lives below the poverty line
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2021/11/04/us-poverty-rate-by-state-in-2021/?sh=31580b251b38