You might think people across the nation love where they live. After all, you wouldn’t spend your life somewhere you truly didn’t love. Right?
Wrong.
In fact, almost half of Americans would rather live somewhere else than they do now. If you’re in one of the counties we’re about to highlight, we don’t blame you for wanting to move.
After analyzing all 3,134 counties in the United States using Saturday Night Science, we came up with this set of the ten worst counties in our nation with a population over 100,000. It turns out Duval County, TX is the worst county to live in the country.
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is the United States’s statewide median.
the United States statewide median: 5.2%
the United States statewide median: $332,700
the United States statewide median: $80,734
Saturday Night Science
How We Determined The Worst Counties In The US
To rank the worst counties in America, we had to determine what criteria is normally associated with a bad place to live. Things like low prices indicate that demand is low and high unemployment rates mean finding a job is hard.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to research Census data. The following is the criteria we used:
We ranked each county on these criteria, from worst to best.
- High Poverty Rates
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low Median Income
- Low Housing Costs
- High Drop Out Rates Among Adults
- Low Insurance Rates
We updated this report for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the worst counties in America. This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment — don’t freak out.
The full list
Worst Counties To Live In The United States
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duval County, TX | 9,742 | 11.0% | $80,806 | $49,038 |
| 2 | Starr County, TX | 66,067 | 10.4% | $142,778 | $37,639 |
| 3 | Todd County, SD | 9,244 | 18.7% | $66,411 | $42,075 |
| 4 | Zapata County, TX | 13,841 | 7.3% | $130,978 | $39,239 |
| 5 | Noxubee County, MS | 10,025 | 8.6% | $108,870 | $33,833 |
| 6 | Jim Hogg County, TX | 4,727 | 6.3% | $86,453 | $42,211 |
| 7 | Macon County, GA | 11,864 | 7.2% | $113,422 | $41,031 |
| 8 | Sharkey County, MS | 3,872 | 9.1% | $120,584 | $40,000 |
| 9 | Marlboro County, SC | 25,975 | 9.9% | $83,302 | $34,301 |
| 10 | Quitman County, MS | 5,774 | 12.4% | $79,071 | $32,412 |
| 11 | Leflore County, MS | 27,141 | 11.6% | $79,439 | $35,277 |
| 12 | Harmon County, OK | 2,406 | 7.2% | $65,631 | $43,333 |
| 13 | Dimmit County, TX | 8,380 | 8.4% | $132,467 | $38,808 |
| 14 | Tallahatchie County, MS | 11,764 | 10.2% | $109,214 | $37,466 |
| 15 | Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | 19.9% | $78,219 | $47,764 |
| 16 | Claiborne County, MS | 8,582 | 6.9% | $94,521 | $31,897 |
| 17 | Allendale County, SC | 7,661 | 8.5% | $71,542 | $32,328 |
| 18 | Sunflower County, MS | 24,333 | 11.2% | $100,505 | $39,956 |
| 19 | Mellette County, SD | 1,943 | 12.5% | $103,621 | $54,076 |
| 20 | Yazoo County, MS | 24,835 | 9.7% | $113,234 | $39,295 |
| 21 | Stewart County, GA | 4,869 | 5.5% | $88,692 | $33,250 |
| 22 | Coahoma County, MS | 20,540 | 9.9% | $47,484 | $37,461 |
| 23 | Hudspeth County, TX | 3,403 | 8.0% | $67,869 | $48,600 |
| 24 | Pemiscot County, MO | 14,958 | 9.7% | $84,449 | $40,089 |
| 25 | Holmes County, MS | 16,191 | 9.5% | $76,673 | $32,538 |
| 26 | Bullock County, AL | 10,058 | 7.2% | $125,153 | $31,310 |
| 27 | Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | 9.0% | $109,966 | $46,605 |
| 28 | Wilkinson County, MS | 8,162 | 13.4% | $121,394 | $35,311 |
| 29 | Bamberg County, SC | 13,042 | 15.0% | $127,290 | $44,370 |
| 30 | Humphreys County, MS | 7,395 | 12.5% | $86,252 | $33,731 |
| 31 | Sioux County, ND | 3,740 | 17.0% | $97,079 | $42,083 |
| 32 | Tunica County, MS | 9,475 | 13.3% | $155,893 | $39,364 |
| 33 | Jeff Davis County, GA | 14,924 | 6.7% | $149,322 | $40,283 |
| 34 | Crosby County, TX | 5,041 | 8.2% | $85,702 | $52,188 |
| 34 | Turner County, GA | 8,939 | 12.2% | $144,328 | $36,799 |
| 36 | Cochran County, TX | 2,550 | 4.8% | $52,442 | $45,313 |
| 37 | Emanuel County, GA | 23,026 | 8.9% | $132,675 | $52,772 |
| 38 | Kemper County, MS | 8,729 | 10.8% | $134,992 | $46,431 |
| 39 | Mcdowell County, WV | 17,943 | 8.2% | $40,889 | $31,559 |
| 40 | Dewey County, SD | 5,205 | 13.9% | $85,756 | $54,104 |
| 41 | Lawrence County, MS | 11,786 | 9.2% | $118,729 | $43,531 |
| 42 | Calhoun County, GA | 5,498 | 6.0% | $93,527 | $46,940 |
| 43 | Washington County, MS | 42,765 | 6.3% | $62,040 | $42,165 |
| 44 | Lake County, TN | 6,579 | 4.9% | $112,424 | $28,814 |
| 45 | Wayne County, MO | 10,862 | 7.3% | $130,335 | $47,226 |
| 46 | Richmond County, NC | 42,344 | 9.8% | $132,397 | $44,883 |
| 46 | Chicot County, AR | 9,765 | 9.1% | $99,829 | $39,045 |
| 48 | Johnson County, GA | 9,190 | 7.4% | $133,890 | $51,028 |
| 49 | Atkinson County, GA | 8,337 | 4.8% | $123,217 | $42,347 |
| 50 | Jefferson Davis County, MS | 11,117 | 9.6% | $96,084 | $38,548 |
| 51 | Robeson County, NC | 116,902 | 6.0% | $135,502 | $41,978 |
| 52 | Dawson County, TX | 12,134 | 6.4% | $111,267 | $54,360 |
| 53 | Casey County, KY | 15,914 | 8.9% | $153,838 | $45,510 |
| 54 | Concordia Parish, LA | 18,174 | 11.7% | $110,271 | $39,943 |
| 55 | Buffalo County, SD | 1,808 | 10.8% | $145,144 | $47,045 |
| 56 | Phillips County, AR | 15,450 | 14.5% | $50,141 | $40,134 |
| 57 | Crisp County, GA | 19,790 | 7.5% | $133,709 | $45,105 |
| 58 | Evangeline Parish, LA | 32,060 | 9.8% | $97,740 | $41,915 |
| 59 | Jim Wells County, TX | 38,850 | 6.1% | $141,456 | $51,896 |
| 60 | Calhoun County, WV | 6,048 | 8.9% | $100,693 | $43,980 |
| 61 | Telfair County, GA | 11,831 | 5.2% | $111,142 | $50,929 |
| 62 | Swisher County, TX | 6,937 | 4.3% | $100,348 | $36,165 |
| 63 | Quitman County, GA | 2,264 | 28.6% | $118,768 | $40,179 |
| 64 | Marion County, SC | 28,664 | 7.2% | $137,378 | $36,301 |
| 65 | Dougherty County, GA | 83,091 | 10.2% | $123,037 | $49,044 |
| 66 | Wheeler County, GA | 7,335 | 5.0% | $156,636 | $40,539 |
| 67 | Desoto County, FL | 35,386 | 9.5% | $182,180 | $54,417 |
| 68 | Union County, SC | 26,885 | 7.9% | $129,393 | $41,621 |
| 69 | Glacier County, MT | 13,637 | 10.0% | $178,024 | $46,875 |
| 70 | Desha County, AR | 10,786 | 8.0% | $94,489 | $37,662 |
| 71 | Newton County, TX | 12,093 | 8.3% | $150,262 | $42,618 |
| 72 | Pike County, MS | 39,602 | 5.8% | $105,338 | $43,814 |
| 73 | Mingo County, WV | 22,542 | 11.5% | $80,927 | $38,119 |
| 74 | Presidio County, TX | 5,930 | 6.7% | $228,167 | $43,802 |
| 75 | Ziebach County, SD | 2,377 | 23.5% | $122,719 | $53,958 |
| 76 | Hidalgo County, TX | 891,977 | 7.6% | $193,561 | $54,338 |
| 77 | Bolivar County, MS | 29,534 | 7.1% | $124,660 | $39,585 |
| 78 | Hall County, TX | 2,820 | 9.0% | $82,552 | $48,459 |
| 79 | Wayne County, MS | 19,718 | 7.0% | $143,318 | $37,619 |
| 80 | Willacy County, TX | 20,139 | 7.5% | $187,296 | $54,180 |
| 81 | Wilcox County, AL | 10,172 | 11.8% | $140,996 | $40,640 |
| 82 | Halifax County, NC | 47,675 | 9.3% | $103,624 | $45,590 |
| 83 | Hale County, TX | 32,131 | 5.3% | $118,884 | $51,897 |
| 84 | Corson County, SD | 3,806 | 23.5% | $175,444 | $46,406 |
| 85 | Lee County, AR | 8,359 | 19.1% | $100,713 | $34,375 |
| 86 | San Augustine County, TX | 7,874 | 9.5% | $193,045 | $50,408 |
| 87 | Knox County, KY | 29,865 | 8.1% | $154,303 | $32,527 |
| 88 | Coal County, OK | 5,320 | 7.5% | $131,718 | $50,423 |
| 89 | Washington County, NC | 10,812 | 13.0% | $106,837 | $41,813 |
| 90 | Barnwell County, SC | 20,521 | 7.0% | $149,829 | $46,626 |
| 91 | Zavala County, TX | 9,412 | 4.0% | $91,026 | $36,749 |
| 92 | Lee County, SC | 16,166 | 6.7% | $134,515 | $44,760 |
| 93 | Scotland County, NC | 33,590 | 10.9% | $145,231 | $45,730 |
| 94 | Madison Parish, LA | 9,513 | 5.5% | $77,571 | $35,456 |
| 95 | Marion County, MS | 24,193 | 7.5% | $137,754 | $45,110 |
| 96 | Scott County, TN | 22,113 | 7.5% | $179,780 | $44,711 |
| 97 | Ware County, GA | 35,976 | 5.9% | $144,548 | $47,448 |
| 98 | Floyd County, TX | 5,216 | 6.0% | $86,543 | $58,462 |
| 99 | Scott County, MS | 27,718 | 5.5% | $123,939 | $48,786 |
| 100 | Adams County, MS | 28,803 | 6.4% | $116,583 | $43,644 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS. US counties with populations over 100,000.
Summary
There You Have It — The Worst Counties In The US
We looked at Census data to find the worst counties in America for 2026, scoring each on poverty, unemployment, income, home value, education, and insurance.
The worst counties in the United States are Duval County, TX, Starr County, TX, Todd County, SD, Zapata County, TX, Noxubee County, MS, Jim Hogg County, TX, Macon County, GA, Sharkey County, MS, Marlboro County, SC, and Quitman County, MS.
Questions and answers
Worst Counties In America FAQs
What is the worst county in America?
Duval County, TX ranks as the worst county in America for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Starr County and Todd County are next on the list.
What are the worst counties in the US?
The worst-ranked counties in America are Duval County, TX, Starr County, TX, Todd County, SD, Zapata County, TX, Noxubee County, MS, Jim Hogg County, TX, Macon County, GA, Sharkey County, MS, Marlboro County, SC, and Quitman County, MS. We ranked US counties with more than 100,000 people on poverty, unemployment, income, home value, education, and insurance.
Why does Duval County rank as the worst county?
Duval County posts the roughest combined numbers across the six measures we track, including a median household income of $49,038 and a median home value of $80,806. It is the pile-up, not one stat.
What is the best county on this list?
Los Alamos County, NM lands at the opposite end of this ranking. Our separate best counties rankings handle the good news properly.
Do small counties count?
No — only counties with more than 100,000 people qualify, which keeps one bad year in a tiny county from swinging the ranking. 3,134 counties cleared that bar.
