These are the fifty rural counties that were found to have the lowest personal incomes in 2006:
| Rank | County | State | Income 2005 | Income 2006 | $ Change | % Change |
| 1 | Loup | NE | $10,172 | $9,140 | -$1,032 | -10.1% |
| 2 | Ziebach | SD | $16,314 | $11,381 | -$4,933 | -30.2% |
| 3 | Buffalo | SD | $15,073 | $12,471 | -$2,602 | -17.3% |
| 4 | Starr | TX | $12,364 | $12,971 | $607 | 4.9% |
| 5 | Slope | ND | $24,640 | $13,885 | -$10,755 | -43.6% |
| 6 | Grant | NE | $14,461 | $14,158 | -$303 | -2.1% |
| 7 | Zavala | TX | $14,799 | $14,607 | -$192 | -1.3% |
| 8 | Todd | SD | $15,715 | $15,066 | -$649 | -4.1% |
| 9 | Madison | ID | $14,638 | $15,166 | $528 | 3.6% |
| 10 | Maverick | TX | $14,999 | $15,667 | $668 | 4.5% |
| 11 | Shannon | SD | $16,176 | $15,759 | -$417 | -2.6% |
| 12 | Lafayette | FL | $15,887 | $15,791 | -$96 | -0.6% |
| 13 | Hancock | TN | $15,376 | $15,795 | $419 | 2.7% |
| 14 | Jackson | SD | $19,509 | $15,846 | -$3,663 | -18.8% |
| 15 | Jackson | KY | $15,696 | $16,034 | $338 | 2.2% |
| 16 | Elliott | KY | $16,062 | $16,439 | $377 | 2.3% |
| 17 | Jefferson | MS | $15,838 | $16,518 | $680 | 4.3% |
| 18 | Presidio | TX | $15,585 | $16,534 | $949 | 6.1% |
| 19 | San Juan | UT | $16,062 | $16,569 | $507 | 3.2% |
| 20 | Zapata | TX | $15,222 | $16,598 | $1,376 | 9.0% |
| 21 | Hamilton | FL | $15,927 | $16,614 | $687 | 4.3% |
| 22 | Wade Hampt | AK | $16,303 | $16,677 | $374 | 2.3% |
| 23 | Crowley | CO | $15,905 | $16,859 | $954 | 6.0% |
| 24 | Union | FL | $15,830 | $16,950 | $1,120 | 7.1% |
| 25 | Hudspeth | TX | $15,168 | $17,007 | $1,839 | 12.1% |
| 26 | Lewis | KY | $16,286 | $17,015 | $729 | 4.5% |
| 27 | Guadalupe | NM | $16,004 | $17,047 | $1,043 | 6.5% |
| 28 | Lake | TN | $16,558 | $17,085 | $527 | 3.2% |
| 29 | McCreary | KY | $16,667 | $17,239 | $572 | 3.4% |
| 30 | Menifee | KY | $16,654 | $17,262 | $608 | 3.7% |
| 31 | Sioux | NE | $18,491 | $17,387 | -$1,104 | -6.0% |
| 32 | Clay | KY | $16,643 | $17,413 | $770 | 4.6% |
| 33 | Morgan | KY | $16,725 | $17,467 | $742 | 4.4% |
| 34 | Wheeler | GA | $17,469 | $17,483 | $14 | 0.1% |
| 35 | Bent | CO | $17,609 | $17,590 | -$19 | -0.1% |
| 36 | Mitchell | TX | $17,133 | $17,640 | $507 | 3.0% |
| 37 | Sioux | ND | $18,525 | $17,642 | -$883 | -4.8% |
| 38 | Concho | TX | $18,251 | $17,770 | -$481 | -2.6% |
| 39 | Harding | NM | $19,571 | $17,849 | -$1,722 | -8.8% |
| 40 | Childress | TX | $18,278 | $17,885 | -$393 | -2.2% |
| 41 | Mora | NM | $17,291 | $18,037 | $746 | 4.3% |
| 42 | Wilkinson | MS | $17,545 | $18,212 | $667 | 3.8% |
| 43 | Issaquena | MS | $19,669 | $18,266 | -$1,403 | -7.1% |
| 44 | Noble | OH | $17,973 | $18,366 | $393 | 2.2% |
| 45 | Pecos | TX | $17,780 | $18,462 | $682 | 3.8% |
| 46 | Benton | MS | $18,103 | $18,478 | $375 | 2.1% |
| 47 | Telfair | GA | $17,934 | $18,523 | $589 | 3.3% |
| 48 | Wayne | TN | $17,989 | $18,575 | $586 | 3.3% |
| 49 | Hancock | GA | $17,621 | $18,585 | $964 | 5.5% |
| 50 | Calhoun | GA | $18,602 | $18,606 | $4 | 0.0% |