U.S. States Ranked by Percentage of Persons Under 18 in Poverty, 1999 Source: 2000 Census of Population, Profile Sample Data, Poverty of Individuals for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Census Table DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics . Calculations and ranking by Children's Defense Fund. Rankings are out of 50 states and the District of Columbia. (Note: Figures for persons under 18 for whom poverty status is determined differ slightly from published figures on "related children under 18.") Persons Rank Under 18 Number Poverty (1= Total Poor Rate lowest) United States 70,925,261 11,746,858 16.6 -- Alabama 1,108,727 237,881 21.5 45 Alaska 186,793 22,041 11.8 11 Arizona 1,337,519 257,710 19.3 39 Arkansas 669,721 146,321 21.8 46 California 9,032,977 1,757,100 19.5 40 Colorado 1,080,022 121,614 11.3 9 Connecticut 828,171 85,908 10.4 4 Delaware 190,810 23,405 12.3 15 District of Columbia 111,535 35,367 31.7 51 Florida 3,566,615 627,997 17.6 35 Georgia 2,132,401 365,406 17.1 33 Hawaii 288,057 40,542 14.1 23 Idaho 362,632 51,868 14.3 24 Illinois 3,187,490 456,901 14.3 24 Indiana 1,543,014 187,801 12.2 14 Iowa 720,127 79,247 11 6 Kansas 701,255 83,957 12 12 Kentucky 978,235 203,547 20.8 44 Louisiana 1,200,361 319,670 26.6 49 Maine 294,132 40,171 13.7 18 Maryland 1,330,780 141,877 10.7 5 Massachusetts 1,474,716 177,383 12 12 Michigan 2,545,394 352,935 13.9 20 Minnesota 1,266,622 121,691 9.6 2 Mississippi 763,754 206,450 27 50 Missouri 1,400,833 220,556 15.7 30 Montana 225,512 42,912 19 38 Nebraska 441,774 54,477 12.3 15 Nevada 499,268 69,777 14 21 New Hampshire 303,380 23,635 7.8 1 New Jersey 2,055,089 227,754 11.1 7 New Mexico 500,345 125,218 25 48 New York 4,581,111 915,710 20 42 North Carolina 1,932,359 311,053 16.1 31 North Dakota 158,651 22,163 14 21 Ohio 2,838,338 408,685 14.4 26 Oklahoma 875,348 171,929 19.6 41 Oregon 825,945 121,460 14.7 28 Pennsylvania 2,869,781 421,745 14.7 28 Rhode Island 243,838 41,162 16.9 32 South Carolina 994,348 187,275 18.8 37 South Dakota 198,003 33,965 17.2 34 Tennessee 1,375,510 247,397 18 36 Texas 5,797,203 1,189,935 20.5 43 Utah 708,295 71,765 10.1 3 Vermont 145,248 16,595 11.4 10 Virginia 1,707,909 209,532 12.3 15 Washington 1,481,680 202,891 13.7 18 West Virginia 394,818 96,096 24.3 47 Wisconsin 1,342,950 150,166 11.2 8 Wyoming 125,865 18,215 14.5 27