Poverty and mental distress
Counties with higher poverty rates report more adults with frequent mental distress.
Counties with higher Poverty Rate tend to have higher Adults with Frequent Mental Distress.
Strong link: a correlation of 0.61 across 2,916 counties.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
Frequent mental distress means 14 or more days of poor mental health in the past month. It is more common where more people live in poverty.
Each dot in the chart is one of 2,916 counties. The correlation between Poverty Rate and Adults with Frequent Mental Distress is 0.61, a strong relationship: about 38% of the differences in Adults with Frequent Mental Distress from place to place line up with Poverty Rate. Ranked instead of measured, the link is 0.65.
The highest Adults with Frequent Mental Distress is in Mingo County, WV (26.6%), McDowell County, WV (26.0%) and Hancock County, TN (25.7%); the lowest is in Fairfax County, VA (12.7%), Montgomery County, MD (12.8%) and Aleutians East Borough, AK (13.0%). The median place has 18.6% for Adults with Frequent Mental Distress and 13.1% for Poverty Rate.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Wayne County, WV, Logan County, WV and Roane County, WV have a much higher Adults with Frequent Mental Distress than their Poverty Rate would predict, while Aleutians East Borough, AK, District of Columbia, DC and Aleutians West Census Area, AK have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Poverty Rate is from 2024 and Adults with Frequent Mental Distress from 2023.
Highest Adults with Frequent Mental Distress
| Place | Adults with Frequent Mental Distress | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mingo County, WV | 26.6% | 32.4% |
| McDowell County, WV | 26.0% | 34.2% |
| Hancock County, TN | 25.7% | 32.2% |
| Calhoun County, WV | 25.7% | 32.9% |
| Logan County, WV | 25.4% | 21.8% |
Lowest Adults with Frequent Mental Distress
| Place | Adults with Frequent Mental Distress | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County, VA | 12.7% | 5.94% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 12.8% | 7.45% |
| Aleutians East Borough, AK | 13.0% | 13.2% |
| Aleutians West Census Area, AK | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Falls Church city, VA | 13.0% | 4.02% |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Poverty Rate
- Full ranking and sources for Adults with Frequent Mental Distress