While debates about education funding often focus on whether "more money matters," the counties at the bottom of the spending distribution face a more immediate question: can they provide adequate education with the resources they have?
We identified the 25 counties with the lowest per-pupil expenditure. The national average is $13,239. These counties average just $4,423 — barely half the national figure.
The 25 Lowest-Funded School Districts by County
Ranked by per-pupil expenditure from lowest to highest.
| 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 |
Low Funding and Low Outcomes Often Go Together
The correlation between spending and outcomes is not perfect — some low-spending counties achieve decent graduation rates through community engagement and efficient resource use. But the general pattern is clear: counties spending under $9,000 per pupil struggle to offer competitive teacher salaries, maintain modern facilities, and provide the support services that help at-risk students succeed.
These counties are concentrated in the Southeast (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee) and the Mountain West (Utah, Idaho, Arizona). In many cases, state funding formulas and weak property tax bases combine to create structural underfunding that local districts cannot solve on their own.
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.
Data sources: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.