Best states for those in poverty

SmileHub - With 35.9 million people living in poverty in the U.S., the non-profit organization SmileHub today released new reports on the Best Charities for Reducing Poverty and the Best States for People in Poverty in 2026.

To highlight the states most supportive of people in poverty and the ones that need to improve the most, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 20 key metrics. The data set ranges from the food insecurity rate to the number of charities for reducing poverty per capita to income inequality.

Best States	States in Need of Improvement
1. Massachusetts	41. West Virginia
2. Minnesota	42. Oklahoma
3. Washington	43. Florida
4. New Jersey	44. Louisiana
5. Maryland	45. Arkansas
6. Rhode Island	46. Alabama
7. New York	47. South Carolina
8. Illinois	48. Georgia
9. Colorado	49. Texas
10. California	50. Mississippi

Key Stats

• Massachusetts has the most federal rental assistance per capita – 7.9 times more than Idaho, which has the least federal rental assistance.
• New York has the most public school spending per student – 3.2 times more than Utah, which has the least public school spending.
• Washington has the highest minimum wage – 2.3 times higher than Alabama, which is amongst the states with the lowest minimum wage.

To view the full report and your state’s rank