If you’ve ever wondered how Florida stacks up when it comes to helping people living in poverty, a new report has some eye-opening results.
The nonprofit SmileHub has released its 2026 Best States for People in Poverty report. With 35.9 million people in the U.S. currently living in poverty, the organization wanted to find out which states are doing the most to support residents and which ones still have work to do.
To come up with the rankings, SmileHub compared all 50 states across 20 different factors, including food insecurity, income inequality, Medicaid spending, affordable housing, public school funding, and the number of charities that help reduce poverty.
Unfortunately, Florida didn’t score very well. The Sunshine State ranked 43rd overall, making it one of the 10 states that SmileHub says needs the most improvement.
Florida struggled the most when it came to housing, healthcare, and food, where it ranked 48th. The report also found Florida ranks 46th in Medicaid spending per person, another reason it finished near the bottom of the list.
So, which states are leading the way? According to SmileHub, the top five are:
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Washington
- New Jersey
- Maryland
While no state has completely solved poverty, the report shines a light on the policies and resources that can make a real difference and where states like Florida still have room to improve.
