Are you finding it hard to pay the bills right now? We are not joking when we say that we feel you on a spiritual level. However, it makes even more sense if you happen to live in the cities on this list. Even before the pandemic started, people from different parts of the United States have struggled with income inequality. It is simply not fair that the wealthiest areas are much richer than the ones at the bottom. Those in the poor areas suffer from generational poverty and lack of opportunities. The data from the 2019 American Community Survey has been assessed by 24/7 Wall Street. This list is all about the cities that are considered the worst off in the country. It has excluded cities that have a population of less than 61,000. This is why Wyoming, West Virginia, and Vermont were not taken into consideration in the study!
Check Out This List Of The Poorest Cities Across The United States
Anchorage, Alaska
The poorest city in Alaska happens to be Anchorage, but it is only by default. After all, it is the only city in the Last Frontier that was a part of the study in question. While its poverty rate matches the one for the state at 10.1 percent, its median household income is much higher than its state median. In the city, the median household income is $82,716, while that of the state is $75,463. The oil industry generates a lot of jobs in the area. It also provides residents with an annual cut of the profits via the Alaska Permanent Fund.
Anchorage, Alaska
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
In Hawaii, the capital city is the poorest because it is the only one that was studied. As a matter of fact, you can make an annual income of $67,500 and still be considered a “low-income earner” here. This has to do with the assisted housing programs of the government. The median household income in urban Honolulu is $72,943, while the state one is $83,102. But the median home value here is $754,700! You might want to get as much help as you can get your hands on. We are glad that the mortgage rates are low right now. The poverty rate in the city is 9.4 percent, which is close to that of the state.
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
Manchester, New Hampshire
While it has a busy urban center, more than 12 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. It is five points higher than the poverty rate of the state! New Hampshire recently saw high spikes when it comes to income inequality. Manchester has taken a huge hit. In 2019, its unemployment rate had been 5.3 percent. The state average was only 3 percent. There is a homelessness issue in the city, which has only been exacerbated with the pandemic. Emergency housing plans for those in need have been stalled many times in the past. The median household income here is $64,162, but the state average is $77,933.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Portland, Maine
The economic capital of the state is the poorest, but it is also the only one in Maine that was included in the study. In Portland, the average worker makes $61,779. This is a little higher than the state average of $58,924, but it is not all that significant. The Poor People’s Campaign said that more than 40 percent of those in the state are low-income or poor. Housing prices remain pretty high with a median home value of $334,200. Sadly, there are a lot of residents who find it hard to look for an affordable home.
Portland, Maine
Lincoln, Nebraska
Named after the 16th president of the United States, it is not easy to make good money in Lincoln. Even though the salaries here are a bit higher than the state average, housing prices and unemployment rates are on the rise. According to Lincoln Vital Signs by the University of Nebraska, the local economy has been suffering from the lack of STEM jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The report also said that there are areas of extreme poverty in the city. It is awful to hear that a lot of families in these parts have yet to regain their former income level before the Great Recession that spanned from 2007 to 2009.
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nampa, Idaho
One of the biggest cities in Idaho, Nampa has a low unemployment rate, but a lot of workers make less than the state average. In 2017, a research initiative known as Invest Health said that the north Nampa area is the most disadvantaged and poorest region of the Treasure Valley. About 42 percent of residents are considered poor, whereas 16 percent live in extreme poverty. This is not an issue exclusive to the city either. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the richest five percent of residents in the state have salaries that are ten times higher than the poorest twenty percent.
Nampa, Idaho
Provo, Utah
Thanks to its gorgeous hiking trails and friendly locals, USA Today has called Provo “the U.S.A.’s happiest city.” Even so, it is one of the poorest cities in the state. The city has a poverty rate of 24.7 percent, which is much higher than the state median of 8.9 percent. Housing costs are expensive compared to the national and state average. It is true that the Beehive State has the tiniest wealth gap in the nation. Despite this, The Salt Lake City Tribune said that Provo has the second highest divide within Utah.
Provo, Utah
St. Cloud, Minnesota
The Minnesota poverty rate is at 9 percent. It is shocking to hear that St. Cloud has twice that! It is hard to find a job that comes with the promise of financial stability in the city. Around half of the poor people here are employed on a part-time or full-time basis. A couple of years ago, The SC Times quoted an expert from the Minnesota State Demographic Center of that. It is a good thing that the real estate prices in the city are at least low enough to match the low income of the residents.
St. Cloud, Minnesota
Fargo, North Dakota
You might be familiar with this city thanks to the 1996 film and 2014 TV show named after it. The truth is that crime is not as prevalent as they would have you believe! Fargo is not an icy and barren place the entire year either. Within the past couple of decades, the Fargo-Moorhead area has seen a boom in its population thanks to the growing job market. The unemployment rate is low over here, but the poverty rate is significantly higher than the state average. The same is also true for the incomes in the city.
Fargo, North Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Every single year, Rapid City sees a lot of tourists who come over to visit Mt. Rushmore. This has given locals a pretty stable income source. In 2019, the unemployment rate in the city was a little higher than the state median. The study also took Sioux Falls into consideration, but Rapid City was markedly poorer than it. Low-income families suffer from the stagnant wages in the region, which has only been detrimental to them. From 2007 to 2017, the number of kids in the state that benefit from the federal food stamp program went up by 47 percent. It goes without saying that this can’t be good!
Rapid City, South Dakota
Eugene, Oregon
There is a lot of beautiful forests and mountains in this scenic place in Beaver State. However, you will have to pay a lot of money if you want to live here. The coastal college town is among the least affordable midsize cities in the entire country. A lot of it has been blamed on the efforts to stop urban sprawl. Realter.com said that it has faced the second-worst housing crunch in the United States with only 0.6 percent of homes for sale. This has driven up the prices, but salaries have yet to catch up. The poverty rate is quite high, and full-time employment is not enough to get out of it. The Oregon Center for Public Policy said that 68.7 percent of impoverished families have at least one working parent.
Eugene, Oregon
Iowa City, Iowa
It is not a secret that college students rarely have a lot of money. Iowa City is a big college town in Iowa, and its realities match the current student debt crisis. This city boasts a poverty rate that is more than double that of the state. Even after graduating and joining the workforce, graduates of the University of Iowa are not likely to stay. Median home values are nearly $100,000 higher than the state average. Poverty advocates say that limited childcare access and high transportation costs only make the problem worse. Let us hope that the government does something about this as soon as possible!
Iowa City, Iowa
Missoula, Montana
There was a time when Missoula was a thriving city courtesy of its lumber industry. It is now largely powered by the University of Montana. The poverty rate here is not significantly higher than that of the state. Despite this, it is problematic because homes are a lot pricier. The median house price in the city is $317,800, while the statewide average is only $253,600. Sadly, the prices only continue to increase with no signs of stopping. The Missoulian said that the real estate market is seeing a lot of out-of-state buyers looking to work remotely to enjoy the open spaces and the scenic mountains.
Missoula, Montana
Maryland, Baltimore
With a median household income of $86,738, Maryland is the richest state in the United States. Sadly, it does not mean that life is easy in the poorest city there. “Charm City” kind of loses its sparkle when you have to deal with its poor schools and high crime rates. Aside from that, you tend to earn a lot less than people in other parts of the state. While it is a pretty inexpensive place, The Baltimore Sun said that you should look out for holes in the walls, leaky plumbing, and exposed wiring in the poor areas of the city.
Baltimore, Maryland
Providence, Rhode Island
The capital of the smallest state in America is home to the prestigious Brown University. Like many other college towns on our list, its students pull in a lot of money. Census data even showed that the median household income in the city is nearly $30,000 lower than the nearby city of Warwick. Aside from that, the city also has one of the highest poverty concentrations across the nation. According to the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, 88 percent of the impoverished people live together in low-resource areas.
Providence, Rhode Island
Wilmington, Delaware
This is another loser by default. Wilmington is the poorest city in the Diamond State since it was the only one included in the study. Still, the poverty rate here is nearly triple the state median. The household income in the city is $20,000 lower than the Delaware average. We are glad that house prices are low enough to match this. In 2017, it struggled with new records of poverty. During that year, Delaware was actually one of two states that saw an increase. More people struggled than after the Great Recession.
Wilmington, Delaware
Columbia, South Carolina
You will find the University of South Carolina in Columbia, which explains why almost half of the adult population has a bachelor’s degree. This is much higher than the statewide rate of 30 percent. It has a big student body that accounts for the lower household income of the city. However, full-time workers are not doing a whole lot better. According to the Free Times, the jobs in the city are not enough to sustain the workers for long. It is also hard to look for affordable housing that is close to their workplace.
Columbia, South Carolina
Lawton, Oklahoma
The economy in Lawton depends on Fort Sill, which serves as its main employer. The army post is located north of the city. When the personnel numbers change, so does the job market for civilians. The unemployment rate of the city had been 8 percent in 2019, nearly double the statewide rate. Even though the poverty rate for the Sooner State is pretty high at 15 percent, Lawton is worse at 20 percent. The military town sees more violent crime than other metropolitan areas in Oklahoma as well. This is pretty bad because the state rate is already higher than the national average.
Lawton, Oklahoma
Roanoke, Virginia
Even though the median household income of Virginia is pretty high, you can’t say the same thing about Roanoke. It is lower by more than $30,000 over here. According to The Roanoke Times, the big commercial city has been shaped by decades of generational poverty and inequality. Nonprofits and community organizations have said that there is a lack of job opportunities, accessible transportation, and adequate childcare in the city. As a matter of fact, The New York Times named Roanoke the tenth worst county for upward mobility. The article was written back in 2015, but it likely reflects the truth.
Roanoke, Virginia
Kansas City, Kansas
They say that there is no place like home, but is that the case for Kansas City? The unemployment rate here was 5.7 percent in 2019, which is higher than the statewide one at 3.8 percent. Sadly, those who are employed might still find it hard to support their families. The minimum wage at the Wheat State is at the federal level of $7.25 per hour, so a minimum wage worker will only make $15,080 per year.
Kansas City, Kansas
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Bigger does not always mean better. This can be seen in Las Cruces, which is the biggest city in Doña Ana County. The residents deal with poverty and pollution courtesy of the dust storms. Its poverty rate might be lower than the statewide rate, but the Land of Enchantment is one of the poorest states in America. The poverty rate here is double that of the national average! New Mexico has been said to be the worst state when it comes to child poverty as well. According to the recent edition of the New Mexico Kids Count Data Book, nearly 40 percent of kids in the county live in poverty. We hope that it changes soon.
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Sunrise Manor, Nevada
What a dreamy name! Sadly, the city does not exactly live up to it. Located just outside of Las Vegas, around a fifth of the residents live below the poverty line. Only ten percent of adults here have finished college. The Clark County School District of Nevada has been a teacher shortage right now. Advocates have warned the Nevada Current that there will be “devastating lifelong consequences for low-income students.” According to the Clark County government, there is also a shortage of cheap homes for low-income households. However, the county commissioners reportedly plan to build new developments.
Sunrise Manor, Nevada
Tucson, Arizona
It might be home to the University of Arizona, but only around 27 percent of adults in the city have a bachelor’s degree. This is lower than the statewide rate of 30 percent. According to Quality Counts by Education Week, the education system in the state is underfunded. Arizona is near the bottom when it comes to chances of success, K-12 achievement, and school financing. In 2018, the Arizona Daily Star has said that the Tucson Unified School District is a “hotbed” of failing schools. This is even more worrying since it received federal aid worth $435,000 the year before that.
Tucson, Arizona
Yakima, Washington
Even though it is found near the thriving wine industry of Washington, Yakima has not benefited from it. The poverty rate in the city is more than double the state rate. There are households that fall $30,000 short of the median income in the Evergreen State. Yakima has earned a bad rep for its drug and crime issues in the ‘80s. In 2014, TIME also said that it was one of the cities that Americans are scared to live in. The article noted that the burglary and car theft rates were among the highest in the United States, which explains why residents feel unsafe as they walk down the streets at night.
Yakima, Washington
Fayetteville, North Carolina
People from Fayetteville want to get out of the military town as soon as possible. This might be related to the crime problems in the North Carolina city. In 2019, the rates of violent crime and homicide are twice the national average. The Fayetteville Observer has said that poverty has a “snowball effect” on the city and has contributed to low-quality schools and high crime rates. Sadly, this also meant that there are fewer good jobs in the area. Those who can leave tend to look for employment in a different part of the country. Fayetteville also happens to be the county seat of Cumberland County. The New York Times reported that the area boasts bad economic mobility for kids from poor families.
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Racine, Wisconsin
This city is located off the Lake Michigan shore. It might be the poorest in Wisconsin, but it is appealing if you are looking for a home. Housing is affordable with a median home value of only $124,500. Did you know that Racine was dubbed the most affordable market in 2017? The study looked at nine counties and assessed median housing prices versus median income. While it is not hard to look for a home here, you might want to think twice about moving here. The local poverty rate is double the state rate!
Racine, Wisconsin
Pueblo, Colorado
Sadly, poverty is not the only issue that Pueblo has. Among other things, it also has a high crime rate and lack of education. Only a fifth or so of the adults holds a bachelor’s degree. This is less than half of the statewide rate! In 2018, the FBI released data that said that it was No. 1 in Colorado for violent crime.
Pueblo, Colorado
Bowling Green, Kentucky
The truth is that Bowling Green has a pretty complicated story. There are signs of prosperity and poverty at the same time! House prices here at $183,600 cost more than the state average of $151,700. Only 33 percent of adults in the city holds a bachelor’s degree, which is at least 8 percent higher than that of the state. Sadly, poverty in the area is higher than the state average. The issue seems to be getting worse.
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Decatur, Illinois
Even though Decatur has one of the most affordable housing markets in the country, residents are not living very well over here. According to The Pantagraph, the city has been enjoying a surplus of market-rate houses but lacks subsidized housing and social services. In 2018, the article claimed that fair market rents range from $500 to $600. However, a viable tenant would have to make more than $30,000 per year to avail of these offers. It is very hard for minimum-wage workers to meet this requirement.
Decatur, Illinois
Knoxville, Tennessee
In the ‘80s, the Wall Street Journal called Knoxville “a scruffy little city.” This description did not go away even though it saw steady economic growth not long after that. The city is home to the University of Tennessee, which is why nearly a third of adults in the city have a bachelor’s degree. This is higher than the state average. However, the city is also one of the least safe cities in the Volunteer State! On top of that, Bloomberg has cited it as an example of the growing wealth gap in the country.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Fall River, Massachusetts
Massachusetts is second only to Maryland when it comes to wealth in the United States. It has pretty low unemployment and poverty rates. Fall River is an exception to the rule with a median household income less than half of the average for the state. The poverty rate is more than twice the statewide average as well. FBI data have recently shown that it is one of the most dangerous cities in the state.
Fall River, Massachusetts
North Little Rock, Arkansas
You can actually say that North Little Rock is quite reflective of Arkansas as a whole. With that said, it is one of the poorest states in the country when we use the median household income as the basis. With its lower incomes, high poverty rate, and relatively high median home value, life is rough in this city.
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Hemet, California
If you are from Hemet, you are twice as likely to suffer from unemployment compared to the rest of the state. Even when you are employed, you probably only make part of what someone from San Jose makes. The Desert Sun said that it is a “city of tract homes and trailer parks” that has not yet recovered from the Great Recession. The median home value in the city is lower than half the state median. The Atlantic also said that it is much lower than what it used to be before the recession. The poverty rate can be attributed to the arrival of low-income residents who came from the bigger cities in California.
Hemet, California
Gainesville, Florida
With its high poverty rate, low wages, and unaffordable housing. Gainesville has cast a shadow on Florida. The average home value in the city is $187,200. This is significantly cheaper than the average for the Sunshine state, but it is still higher than what residents can afford. HomeArea.com has ranked the city #35 on its list of affordable cities. The big student population courtesy of the University of Florida has also brought down the median income and increased the competition for entry-level positions.
Gainesville, Florida
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Overall, Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the country. In 2018, the Associated Press talked about “dizzying and depressing” facts about the Bayou State. The list includes high unemployment rates, child poverty, violence against women, slow economic growth, and lack of healthy food. This is already bad enough on its own, but Lake Charles is even worse than usual. After all, the city has a median household income that is lower than $40,000. One in four people in Lake Charles lives below the poverty line.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut is among the wealthiest states in America, but it is hard to ignore the income disparity among its residents. The capital city of the Nutmeg State was nearing bankruptcy before it was bailed out by the state in 2018. TO this day, it struggles to find financial stability. The Atlantic reported that Hartford has been experiencing an exodus of big businesses and residents alike over the years. On the other hand, Connecticut is trying to resolve the issue by bringing in low-wage workers.
Hartford, Connecticut
Birmingham, Alabama
There was a time when Birmingham was a rapidly expanding industrial city that pumped out iron and steel products. However, this did not last. There are long-running inequalities in the area that could not be corrected by the shift to more variety in the economy. The introduction of insurance, medicine, banking, and telecommunications did not do anything about it. Around a quarter of the population now lives in poverty. This is a big problem since Alabama is already one of the poorest states in America. Even those who work do not make a lot of money.
Birmingham, Alabama
Flint, Michigan
There was a time when Flint made a name for itself as a manufacturing hub. It had a lot to do with General Motors. When the auto company relocated elsewhere, it lost its title as “Vehicle City.” The population of the city is now on the decline. It also has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country. Nearly a third of the resident live below the poverty line. The local government has failed to help out the impoverished since it had to deal with one crisis after another. As a matter of fact, a state of financial emergency has been declared two times in recent memory.
Flint, Michigan
Gulfport, Mississippi
In 2019, around one in ten residents of Gulfport was unemployed despite efforts to look for work. The median income is very low, so people who have jobs struggle to support their loved ones as well. Poverty is a serious issue in the city, but this is also true for other areas in the Magnolia State. Feeding America has called Mississippi the hungriest state in the nation. Apparently, one in five people can’t meet their nutritional needs regularly. It is even worse among children, where the figure is one in four.
Gulfport, Mississippi
Springfield, Missouri
Located in southwest Missouri, Springfield has gorgeous mountain views. Sadly, the population can’t make their problems go away by taking in the natural scenery. The federal government said that Springfield was the only city in the state that sunk into “severe fiscal distress.” 417 Magazine reported that a lot of families struggled with finances that over half of the student body was qualified for reduced or free lunches. Back then, Springfield created an Impacting Poverty Commission in the hopes of finding a solution to the problem. Sadly, it does not look like it has found a way to reverse the trend just yet.
Springfield, Missouri
Camden, New Jersey
Sadly, the story of Camden is similar to that of Flint. It used to be a powerhouse city that hosted a big business. In this case, it was Campbell’s Soup. Sadly, it is now a poor city that has a lack of good job opportunities for its residents. Even though New Jersey is among the wealthiest states in the country, the median household income in the city falls below $50,000. The shocking inequality is clear no matter where you look. Only 9 percent of adults in the city holds a bachelor’s degree, whereas the state rate is 41.2 percent. Its median home value is only $88,600, much lower than the state average of $348,800.
Camden, New Jersey
Rochester, New York
When Kodak started to decline, so did Rochester. The city once produced the vast majority of film used in the United States. The Guardian also said that it once employed over 60,000 locals. In 2019, the city was ranked last in the list of the hottest job markets in metropolitan areas in the United States. When Leonard Brock of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative talked to the Rochester Business Journal, he said that workers who have tertiary education still struggle to find jobs that can support them.
Rochester, New York
Erie, Pennsylvania
We can see the appeal of Erie, Pennsylvania. It comes with a gorgeous view of the Great Lake, while houses are on the cheaper side. Despite this, the city has witnessed a sharp decline in both blue-collar manufacturing jobs and high-paying white-collar positions. From 2008 to 2018, the city lost half of its CEOs, 10 percent of computer workers, 8 percent of accountants, 40 percent of engineers, and 20 percent of its lawyers. On top of that, the poverty rate of the city is now over double that of the state.
Erie, Pennsylvania
Pharr, Texas
The border city of Pharr is connected to a Mexican city called Reynosa by bridge. With a poverty rate of 38.1 percent, it has the highest one on our list. That means that almost four in ten people live below the poverty line! The Texas Tribune said that poverty levels in the state are highest along the border. The city is located in Hidalgo County, which also has a high child poverty concentration. Aside from that, only around 13 percent of local adults have a bachelor’s degree, while the state rate for that is 31 percent.
Pharr, Texas
Albany, Georgia
Also known as the Good Life City, we doubt that Albany residents would agree with that nickname. After all, it has an unemployment rate of more than 12 percent in 2019. The poverty rate happens to be more than twice that of the state. The poor people in the city are concentrated in certain areas, with nearly four in ten living together in these neighborhoods. A lot of graduates end up ditching Albany to seek better job opportunities elsewhere. The Albany Herald spoke to a number of young people, who complained of a lack of community, a lack of entertainment, and high crime rates. One of these youngsters even said that it felt like there were more people their age dying before they could get a job. Ouch.
Albany, Georgia
Gary, Indiana
Before the rise of automation, Gary had a lot of factory jobs that offered steady employment and good incomes to its residents. This is no longer the case in this day and age. In 2017, The Guardian said, “Gary, Indiana, is dying.” It went on to say that “the death isn’t complete; there are still a few factories and a few neighborhoods with nice, small homes.” At the moment, the Gary Works steel mill continues to be a major source of employment. Even so, the number of jobs has declined thanks to competition abroad.
Gary, Indiana
Youngstown, Ohio
We have come to the last entry on our list. According to the analysis by 24/7 Wall St., Youngstown is not just the poorest city in Ohio but in the entire United States! Just like other shrinking cities, its decline started with the departure of a major manufacturer. Layoffs in the metalworking and steel industries began on Black Monday in 1977. The high unemployment rates and low wages in the area are truly worrying. These days, adults are not the only ones having a hard time surviving in the city. Census estimates say that more than half of the kids in the city live below the poverty line.
Youngstown, Ohio