Incomes are growing rapidly in the U.S. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the national median household income will increase from about $69,700 in 2021 to about $75,000 in 2022. The 7.2% increase was the largest year-over-year increase since at least the mid-1990s.

The typical American household is earning more than ever before, but it's not growing fast enough to offset inflation. Through 2022, inflation is expected to average 8%, a 40-year high, four times the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Taking into account rising costs of living, real income in the U.S. fell by nearly 5% between 2019 and 2022.

No one is immune to rising prices, but lower-income Americans are hit hardest. During periods of inflation, higher-income Americans can cut back on their spending and mitigate the impact of rising prices, whereas lower-income Americans, who spend a large portion of their income on necessities like food, housing, and gasoline, cannot.

The median household income in Arizona is $72,581. However, in many parts of the state, the typical household earns much less than the statewide median.

24/7 Wall St. used five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey to identify the 12 poorest counties in Arizona. Counties in the state are ranked based on median household income. Population, poverty and unemployment rate data are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.

In the counties on this list, the median household income is approximately $5,300 to $35,100 lower than the statewide median. Poverty is widespread in many of these counties, highlighting the level of economic hardship. All but one of the counties on this list has a percentage of residents living below the poverty line that is higher than the statewide poverty rate of 13.1%.

These are the poorest counties in Arizona.