List of Poorest Cities in America |
|---|
| Rank | CITIES | Coordinates | Median household income | Median home value | Unemployment rate | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pine Bluff, AR | 34.220413, -92.007239 | $33,838 | $80,200 | 7.50% | 26.20% |
| 2 | Goldsboro, NC | 35.382066, -77.983933 | $35,966 | $105,700 | 6.7% | 25.50% |
| 3 | Sebring, FL | 27.493059, -81.439623 | $36,120 | $80,800 | 7.80% | 18.10% |
| 4 | Valdosta, GA | 30.842990, -83.274298 | $36,340 | $110,900 | 6.20% | 26.00% |
| 5 | Sumter, SC | 33.925983, -80.354269 | $36,633 | $111,100 | 7.40% | 24.10% |
| 6 | Grants Pass, OR | 42.437565, -123.331345 | $36,870 | $213,100 | 8.20% | 19.60% |
| 7 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 34.495859, -114.355536 | $37,674 | $120,200 | 8.70% | 20.60% |
| 8 | Macon, GA | 32.843083, -83.641768 | $38,146 | $109,600 | 6.50% | 24.30% |
| 9 | Dothan, AL | 31.218601, -85.397318 | $38,300 | $106,300 | 6.70% | 20.20% |
| 10 | Laredo, TX | 27.547635, -99.473419 | $38,312 | $108,600 | 4.70% | 33.4% |
| 11 | Morristown, TN | 36.216360, -83.304792 | $38,542 | $131,100 | 6.20% | 22.00% |
| 12 | Cumberland, MD-WV | 39.653816, -78.769689 | $38,580 | $121,500 | 6.80% | 17.80% |
| 13 | Johnson City, TN | 36.320166, -82.363218 | $38,813 | $129,600 | 6.20% | 19.80% |
| 14 | Albany, GA | 31.583697, -84.169364 | $39,071 | $104,400 | 7.40% | 25.30% |
| 15 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 35.383606, -94.396508 | $39,207 | $106,700 | 5.40% | 23.40% |
| 16 | El Centro, CA | 32.789317, -115.561506 | $39,290 | $156,000 | 23.70% | 23.7% |
| 17 | Muncie, IN | 40.198288, -85.398549 | $39,323 | $88,300 | 5.40% | 21.90% |
| 18 | Beckley, WV | 37.781131, -81.189105 | $39,498 | $93,600 | 8.30% | 17.40% |
| 19 | Las Cruces, NM | 32.332333, -106.769505 | $39,502 | $135,600 | 7.5% | 29.60% |
| 20 | Burlington, NC | 36.091742, -79.437728 | $39,576 | $133,700 | 5.70% | 18.30% |
Poorest Cities in America :
Recession, lack of access to jobs, southward trend of property prices, and crime take have prompted the birth of some of the poorest cities in the US. The common theme among the poorest cites is the low quality of life. Some of them create a picture of contrast since they exist as an island among the expensive cities around.
Here’s a list of 20 poorest cities in America you must be aware of.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Home to a large number of streams, creeks and large bodies of water, Pine Bluff has the highest poverty rate of 26.20%. This US city had one of the largest slave populations in Arkansas by 1860. Dubbed as the most dangerous little city in the US, Pine Bluff has been crippled by drug-related crime.
Goldsboro, North Carolina
With a poverty rate of 25.50%, Goldsboro ranks second on the list of poorest cities in America by state. With 60 per cent of the colored children living in poverty, Goldsboro has selfless saints supporting these kids. As per the changes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, people between 18 and 49 years are expected to work, volunteer or attend education/job training sessions for at least 80 hours a month to receive food supply.
Sebring, Florida
Amongst the most poorest cities in America, Sebring holds the third position. Home to the Sebring International Raceway, Sebring was founded in 1912.The city has a graduation rate of 62.1% (below the state average of 74.5%) and an unemployment rate of 7.80%. Also, the dropout rate is 14.8%, which is above the state average of 4.9%.
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta was incorporated in 1860. It is considered as one of the fastest shrinking cities in Georgia.Valdosta has witnessed crime and poverty rates to skyrocket in the recent years. Moreover, the average household size is 2.35 as opposed to the average family size of 2.93.
Sumter, South Carolina
With the median household income of $36,633, Sumter is the fifth poorest city in the US. It has fifth highest overall crime rate out of 338 statistical metropolitan areas in the US. The city has an unemployment rate of 7.40%, which is 40% higher than the national average.
Grants Pass, Oregon
Incorporated in 1887, Grants Pass has witnessed a steady rise in the number of crimes and people begging on the streets. The city has a higher percentage of low-paying jobs and about 25 per cent of the population is 65 years old and beyond. Grants Pass has very disturbing figures on poverty, education, home values, and income distribution.
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Lake Havasu City had the lowest median incomes in the year 2012. With its workforce heavily concentrated in low-paying sectors like accommodation, entertainment, and retail, the city has been struggling with a high unemployment rate, which is above the nationwide rate of 8.1% for an entire year.
Macon, Georgia
As one of the poorest cities in the US, Macon has had witnessed a surge in child labor in 1909. Like a majority of industrial cities in northeast and mid-east, Macon also suffered from urban decay, air pollution from factories, high crime rates, and urban blight.
Dothan, Alabama
Referred to as “The Peanut Capital of the World”, Dothan population enjoys one of the lowest costs of living in the US. Reason for this is the large dependence on city revenue from the sales tax. According to statistics, Dothan recorded 319 cases of violence and 2,934 property crimes.
Laredo, Texas
Child hunger is a major issue in Laredo. Recently, the US state celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding. As per historians, the 1954 flood was indeed the largest in 91 years and the second largest as per the archaeological records in the last 300 years. The flood left many homeless and caused great damage.
Morristown, Tennesee
With an unemployment rate of 6.20%, Morristown has 29.2% of native-born residents below the poverty level. Moreover, the US city has 44.8% children below the poverty level. With an inefficient personal loan facility, Morristown is the city where investment can make you meet heavy financial losses.
Cumberland, Maryland
Initially known as the “Queen City”, Cumberland’s industry witnessed failure after the World War II. Currently, the Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is one of the poorest in the United States. It ranks 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income. After World War II, the city’s population declined from 39,483 to fewer than 22,000 currently.
Johnson City, Tennessee
Ranked fifth in Kiplinger’s list of “The 10 Least-Expensive Cities for Living in the US”, Johnson has a low cost of living. Factors attributing to this include, below-average utilities, affordable homes, transportation and health-care expenditures. The city isn’t an apt choice for long-term career seekers.
Albany, Georgia
Albany has its Flint River flooded on a regular basis. It has caused extensive property damage in the years 1841 and 1925. It is due to constant flooding that the city hasn’t been able to redevelop areas that were once considered affluent for residential or commercial purposes.
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Lying on the Arkansas-Oklahoma state border, Fort Smith began as a western frontier post and went on to become well-known for its role in the settling of the “Wild West” and its law enforcement heritage. It was in 1996 that a huge tornado destroyed and damaged the historic downtown Fort Smith and left four people dead in western Arkansas.
El Centro, California
Also considered as one of the worst cities to live in the US, El Centro had an unemployment rate of 25.0% in 2009. The Economist had reported the collapse of housing market as the reason behind elimination of construction jobs from the city. El Centro was also ranked fifth on Forbes.com’s list of “The Top 10 Places in America Where Homes are Losing their Value Fastest.”
Muncie, Indiana
Located in east-central Indiana, Muncie is the home to Ball State University. The changing industrial trends led to major shifts in Muncie’s economic development. A large number of manufacturing plants were either closed or moved elsewhere with the city losing thousands of jobs in domains including, education, retail, and health care.
Beckley, West Virginia
Founded on April 4, 1838, Beckley is ranked among the worst places to live in West Virginia. The city has an unemployment rate of 8.3% which is 14th highest in the country and a lot higher than the national unemployment rate of 5.1%. Beckley has only 5.5% workers employed in high-paying sectors.
Las Cruces, New Mexico
As the economic and geographic center of the Mesilla Valley, Las Cruces lacks a true central business district. It was in the 1960s that a large urban renewal project tore down a massive portion of the original downtown. Lack of a real industry has made a majority of residents of Las Cruces to depend on low-wage jobs for a greater percentage of their income.
Burlington, North Carolina
Listed on the last position on the list of Top 20 poorest cities in the US, Burlington has its residents with relatively low levels of education. With no direct correlation between income and education, Burlington has a median household income of $39,576, which is quite low as compared to national average.