Poverty Rates Across America

Check it out.  Wisconsin's poverty rate was 12.4% with 683,408 Wisconsinites living in poverty.  This is a bit under the United States average of 14.3%.  The highest rate was 21.9% in Mississippi while New Hampshire has the lowest poverty rate with 8.5%.  I found it interesting that, with the exception of Michigan, the high-poverty states were all southern states.  Any thoughts?