Understanding the spatial distribution characteristics of protected areas is the basis to balance the conservation and regional development. With the increasing number and area of protected areas, China has also made decisive progress in the fight against poverty. However, the spatial distribution characteristics of various types of protected areas in poor counties in China are still unclear and lacking further analysis on the differences compared to non-poor counties. Here, we first integrated the spatial distribution data of 8133 protected areas in China and overlaid them with 832 poor counties. Then we explored the spatial distribution characteristics of protected areas and the relationship with socio-economic and natural environment in poor and non-poor counties. The results showed that the area coverage of nature reserves in poor counties in China was significantly higher than that in non-poor counties (p < 0.001), while the area coverage of natural parks in non-poor counties was significantly higher than that in poor counties (p < 0.05). The area coverages of protected areas in poor counties in Northeast (p < 0.05), Southwest (p < 0.001), Central (p < 0.05), and East China (p < 0.01) were significantly higher than that in non-poor counties. Furthermore, the area coverage of nature reserves in poor counties was significantly positively correlated with mean elevation (p < 0.001), and the area coverage of natural parks in non-poor counties was significantly positively correlated with road network density (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with the proportion of farmland (p < 0.001). This study can provide a reference to help China and other similar countries in the establishment of protected area systems to balance the conservation and poverty eradication for regional sustainable development.

National parks play a crucial role in promoting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have become one of the key topics of global concern and discussion. However, it is still unclear whether national park development can effectively enhance the level of sustainable development in local communities related to social and economic dimensions of SDGs. In this study, we constructed an evaluation system based on the SDG assessment indicator framework, to evaluate the sustainable development level of local communities within Hunan Nanshan National Park (NSNP), China. We assessed the development level of various SDG indicators through field visits and structured surveys of local communities inside and around HNNP. We used the entropy method to determine the weight of each indicator and calculated the integrated development index of different communities within and around NSNP. The results indicate the following: (1) The integrated development index of communities within NSNP is generally lower than that of the surrounding communities, but it scores higher in the dimensions of SDG1 and SDG10. (2) The integrated development index within NSNP shows the highest in communities within original natural park, but the lowest in communities within original nature reserve. (3) The structured questionnaire surveys reveal that the primary cause of income decline of residents within NSNP is the restriction on land-use and resource exploitation, while ecological compensation and employment opportunities related to national park management can help improve local livelihoods and thereby promote development level of local communities. This study provides a technical framework for assessing the sustainable development of local communities in Chinese national parks and supports regional planning. It also offers a scientific basis for balancing national park conservation with local community development.