Data Editor
Evan BrooksData Editor
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While debates about education funding often focus on whether "more money matters," the counties at the bottom of the spending distribution raise a more specific data question: what school-finance signals appear alongside low operating budgets?
We identified the 25 counties with the lowest per-pupil expenditure. The national average is $13,239. These counties average $4,423, far below the national figure.
The 25 Counties with the Lowest County-Level Per-Pupil Spending
Ranked by per-pupil expenditure from lowest to highest.
Rank
1
County
- State
- Alabama
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $3,173
- Graduation Rate
- 85.3%
- School Score
- 12.9
Rank
2
County
- State
- Oregon
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $3,289
- Graduation Rate
- 83.6%
- School Score
- 9.7
Rank
3
- State
- Alaska
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $3,314
- Graduation Rate
- 66.3%
- School Score
- 0.5
Rank
4
County
- State
- Oregon
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $3,412
- Graduation Rate
- 88.1%
- School Score
- 20.2
Rank
5
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,034
- Graduation Rate
- 92.0%
- School Score
- 33.8
Rank
6
County
- State
- Florida
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,060
- Graduation Rate
- 90.0%
- School Score
- 25.8
Rank
7
County
- State
- Arizona
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,266
- Graduation Rate
- 88.7%
- School Score
- 21.6
Rank
8
County
- State
- Utah
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,312
- Graduation Rate
- 96.2%
- School Score
- 47
Rank
9
County
- State
- Indiana
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,410
- Graduation Rate
- 77.2%
- School Score
- 4
Rank
10
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,493
- Graduation Rate
- 91.9%
- School Score
- 32
Rank
11
County
- State
- Kentucky
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,566
- Graduation Rate
- 92.0%
- School Score
- 33.9
Rank
12
County
- State
- Indiana
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,568
- Graduation Rate
- 92.0%
- School Score
- 33.9
Rank
13
County
- State
- Nevada
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,661
- Graduation Rate
- 84.0%
- School Score
- 10.6
Rank
14
County
- State
- Indiana
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,752
- Graduation Rate
- 97.0%
- School Score
- 48.8
Rank
15
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,790
- Graduation Rate
- 86.8%
- School Score
- 15.9
Rank
16
County
- State
- Arizona
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,792
- Graduation Rate
- 78.0%
- School Score
- 4.3
Rank
17
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,796
- Graduation Rate
- 85.0%
- School Score
- 12.6
Rank
18
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,827
- Graduation Rate
- 84.1%
- School Score
- 11.1
Rank
19
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,848
- Graduation Rate
- 80.0%
- School Score
- 5.8
Rank
20
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,849
- Graduation Rate
- 83.9%
- School Score
- 10.3
Rank
21
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,863
- Graduation Rate
- 89.4%
- School Score
- 23.8
Rank
22
County
- State
- Oregon
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,865
- Graduation Rate
- 33.6%
- School Score
- 0.4
Rank
23
County
- State
- Arizona
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,869
- Graduation Rate
- 90.2%
- School Score
- 27.5
Rank
24
County
- State
- Florida
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,882
- Graduation Rate
- 91.0%
- School Score
- 29.5
Rank
25
County
- State
- Idaho
- Per-Pupil Spending
- $4,883
- Graduation Rate
- 65.3%
- School Score
- 0.9
| Rank | County | State | Per-Pupil Spending | Graduation Rate | School Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbour County | Alabama | $3,173 | 85.3% | 12.9 |
| 2 | Baker County | Oregon | $3,289 | 83.6% | 9.7 |
| 3 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Alaska | $3,314 | 66.3% | 0.5 |
| 4 | Harney County | Oregon | $3,412 | 88.1% | 20.2 |
| 5 | Oneida County | Idaho | $4,034 | 92.0% | 33.8 |
| 6 | Hendry County | Florida | $4,060 | 90.0% | 25.8 |
| 7 | Yuma County | Arizona | $4,266 | 88.7% | 21.6 |
| 8 | Juab County | Utah | $4,312 | 96.2% | 47 |
| 9 | Randolph County | Indiana | $4,410 | 77.2% | 4 |
| 10 | Madison County | Idaho | $4,493 | 91.9% | 32 |
| 11 | Nicholas County | Kentucky | $4,566 | 92.0% | 33.9 |
| 12 | Switzerland County | Indiana | $4,568 | 92.0% | 33.9 |
| 13 | Carson City | Nevada | $4,661 | 84.0% | 10.6 |
| 14 | Miami County | Indiana | $4,752 | 97.0% | 48.8 |
| 15 | Franklin County | Idaho | $4,790 | 86.8% | 15.9 |
| 16 | Pinal County | Arizona | $4,792 | 78.0% | 4.3 |
| 17 | Cassia County | Idaho | $4,796 | 85.0% | 12.6 |
| 18 | Bonneville County | Idaho | $4,827 | 84.1% | 11.1 |
| 19 | Minidoka County | Idaho | $4,848 | 80.0% | 5.8 |
| 20 | Twin Falls County | Idaho | $4,849 | 83.9% | 10.3 |
| 21 | Jefferson County | Idaho | $4,863 | 89.4% | 23.8 |
| 22 | Wheeler County | Oregon | $4,865 | 33.6% | 0.4 |
| 23 | Santa Cruz County | Arizona | $4,869 | 90.2% | 27.5 |
| 24 | Levy County | Florida | $4,882 | 91.0% | 29.5 |
| 25 | Elmore County | Idaho | $4,883 | 65.3% | 0.9 |
Ranking Data Profile
Within this lowest per-pupil spending list, values run from $3,173 to $4,883, with a median of $4,661. This range matters because counties near the middle of the table can be closer to each other than the rank numbers suggest.
Idaho contributes 9 of the 25 counties in this table. State clustering can point to funding formulas, reporting practices, district geography, or regional enrollment patterns that deserve local review.
0 ranked counties lack a reported graduation-rate value in this table, and 0 lack a reported per-pupil spending value. Missing companion fields are shown as not reported rather than estimated.
Regional Pattern in This Ranking
The most represented states are Idaho (9), Arizona (3), and Indiana (3), together accounting for 15 of 25 counties in the table. County school metrics are shaped by state finance rules, state graduation reporting, district boundaries, enrollment scale, and regional labor markets.
For a lowest per-pupil spending list, state clustering is a research cue rather than an explanation. Compare counties inside the same state first, then use national comparisons once the state baseline is clear.
Notable Counties in the Table
The ranking rows are linked to county profiles so each record can be checked against school lists, district context, and local source notes. These rows show the range inside the table:
- Barbour County, AL ranks #1 with $3,173 per-pupil spending; related signals show 85.3% graduation rate and School Score 12.9.
- Baker County, OR ranks #2 with $3,289 per-pupil spending; related signals show 83.6% graduation rate and School Score 9.7.
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK ranks #3 with $3,314 per-pupil spending; related signals show 66.3% graduation rate and School Score 0.5.
- Harney County, OR ranks #4 with $3,412 per-pupil spending; related signals show 88.1% graduation rate and School Score 20.2.
- Oneida County, ID ranks #5 with $4,034 per-pupil spending; related signals show 92.0% graduation rate and School Score 33.8.
How to Use This Ranking
Rankings are useful when they help you decide where to look next. They are weaker when treated as a final verdict on a county or school system.
- Treat the lowest per-pupil spending rank as a finance signal, not a complete measure of classroom quality.
- Compare spending against the state average and local cost context. Labor costs, transportation, enrollment scale, and special programs can all move the number.
- Read spending beside graduation rate and School Score. Similar finance levels can appear alongside very different completion outcomes.
Data Caveats for Per-Pupil Spending Rankings
A lowest spending rank reflects current operating expenditure per fall enrollment. It excludes capital outlays and debt service, and it is not adjusted for regional cost of living.
Very high spending can reflect remote transportation or high labor costs, while very low spending can reflect state formulas, enrollment scale, or local revenue limits. The rank identifies a budget signal, not the cause.
Low Funding and Low Outcomes Often Go Together
The correlation between spending and outcomes is not perfect. Some low-spending counties report graduation rates near or above national benchmarks, while others report weaker completion. The general pattern is descriptive: counties spending under $9,000 per pupil often have less operating room for staffing, transportation, facilities, and support services.
These counties are concentrated in the Southeast (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee) and the Mountain West (Utah, Idaho, Arizona). In many cases, state funding formulas and local property tax bases help explain persistent spending gaps.
Methodology
Per-pupil expenditure data comes from the NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), aggregated to the county level. Figures reflect current spending per fall enrollment, excluding capital outlays and debt service. The national average of $13,239 is derived from the most recent NCES release.
Sources and Review
Data vintage: NCES 2022-23 public school and school-finance releases. Data sources are selected for this article's metric focus. County figures are informational estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology, aggregation, suppression, or reporting-year differences. Last editorial review checked source links, data vintage, visible caveats, and county-profile links.
Continue the Research
Use this article as a starting point, then verify county-level signals against official district and state records.