It’s Hard to Make Money in Some of These Poorest Cities in the United States

Are you finding it hard to make ends meet? If you live in one of the cities listed below, the neighbors can relate too.

The US is notorious for income inequality. Those who live in wealthy areas of the country tend to be much richer than those at the bottom.

In fact, data from the 2019 Census shows which cities and states are the worst off. Typically, the analysis had to exclude areas with populations less than 61,000, so West Virginia, Wyoming, and Vermont weren’t included.

This list contains the poorest cities in many US states. The information is based on household earnings.

40. St. Cloud, Minnesota

The poverty rate of St. Cloud doubles for the entire state, so having a job isn’t a guarantee that you’re financially stable. Roughly half of the city’s poor are actually employed. Thankfully, the real estate prices are often low to match such low incomes.

39. Fargo, North Dakota

Though the media portray Fargo as a crime-filled city, it’s not always like that. However, the Fargo-Moorhead area experienced a population boom because of the growing job market and has low unemployment. Regardless, the poverty rate is still much higher here than in the rest of the state!

38. Rapid City, South Dakota

Tourists seem to flock to Mt. Rushmore through Rapid City, so there’s always an income source. However, the unemployment rate here in 2019 was higher than the average in the state. Low-income families continue falling behind because of stagnant wages.

37. Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is a scenic city and has beautiful forests and mountains, but you might pay a lot to live here. This is a coastal college town and has been dubbed the least affordable city in the country. Back in 2017, it faced a really bad housing crunch and had few homes on the market.

36. Iowa City, Iowa

College students are typically poor, and since Iowa City is a large college town, that accounts for some of it. The poverty rate here is over double the statewide rate! Even when students graduate and earn money, most of the alumni don’t stick around because of high property prices.

35. Missoula, Montana

Missoula used to be a large lumber industry, but now it’s mainly powered by the U of Montana. The poverty problem isn’t much worse than for the overall state. However, the homes are much more expensive, and the cost of housing just keeps rising!

34. Baltimore, Maryland

Maryland is, by far, the wealthiest US state, but that makes life worse for those in the poorest city. Called Charm City, Baltimore loses most of that when you consider the poor school options and high crime rates. Plus, workers earn less than in other areas.

33. Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital city of the smallest state in America. Though it’s home to Brown University, most of the people there are students who have little or no income. Plus, household incomes here are about $30,000 less than in Warwick, another Rhode Island city.

32. Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, by default, holds the title for the poorest city in Delaware. This is because it’s the only city included in the analysis. Still, the poverty rate here triples that of the rest of the state. Plus, household incomes are about $20,000 less than for the rest of Delaware!

31. Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina, meaning there’s no surprise that about half of the adult population has a bachelor’s degree. Still, the large student body accounts for the lower income levels, and full-time workers don’t get much more.

30. Lawton, Oklahoma

Lawton’s economy is dependent on Fort Sill, which is an army post to the north. Any personnel number changes reverberate throughout the civilian job market. Plus, the unemployment rate in 2019 was eight percent, almost double the rest of the state.

29. Roanoke, Virginia

Though median household incomes are quite high for Virginia, that’s not the case for Roanoke, which falls behind by about $30,000. This is a large and commercial city defined by many years of poverty and inequality, so there are few good jobs and less accessible transportation.

28. Kansas City, Kansas

Though there’s no place like home, many Kansas City residents can’t live comfortably. With unemployment rates at 5.7 percent and higher than the state rate, it’s no wonder people can’t support themselves. Plus, the minimum wage is only $7.25 per hour, so those working full time can rarely make it.

27. Las Cruces, New Mexico

The City of Crosses, as it’s called, is the biggest city in Dona Ana County. However, it’s not the nicest. Poverty and pollution are huge problems. In fact, the poverty rate isn’t high compared to the whole state, but you have to factor in that New Mexico is the poorest state in the US.

26. Sunrise Manor, Nevada

This city lies just outside of Las Vegas and doesn’t live up to the dreamy name. Roughly one-fifth of the population is below the poverty level, and only 10 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree. Plus, there are teacher shortages and many other problems.

25. Tucson, Arizona

While Tucson is home for the University of Arizona, roughly 27 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree, and this is below the state’s rate of 30 percent. Plus, the educational system in the state is highly underfunded, making it a “hotbed” of failing schools.

24. Yakima, Washington

Though Yakima is at the heart of Washington’s wine industry, this city doesn’t see much of the benefits. It has a poverty rate of over double of the state, with households falling about $30,000 short of the median income here. With that, it has a high crime rate!

23. Fayetteville, North Carolina

Residents of the military town here have been trying to get out because of crime problems. The homicide and violent crime rate in Fayetteville doubled the nation’s average for 2019. With that, there’s a snowball effect, which contributes to poor-quality schools and fewer job opportunities.

22. Racine, Wisconsin

While Racine is just off the shore from Lake Michigan, it’s also the poorest in Wisconsin. Still, there’s some appeal for homebuyers because housing is affordable. Plus, Racine was named the most affordable housing option for 2017!

21. Pueblo, Colorado

Poverty rates alone aren’t the only issue for Pueblo. It also suffers from high crime rates and a lack of education options. Roughly 20 percent of the adult population has a bachelor’s degree. Plus, it ranks first for violent crime in the state, according to the FBI.

20. Bowling Green, Kentucky

The story for this Kentucky city is complicated because it shows signs of prosperity and poverty. Homes here cost more than the average state median, and roughly 33 percent of the adults have a bachelor’s degree. However, the poverty problem surpasses that of the state.

19. Decatur, Illinois

Decatur does have the cheapest housing markets within the US, but the impoverished residents here don’t live comfortably. One issue is that it doesn’t provide subsidized housing and services to low-income families. With most workers getting minimum wage, that just doesn’t work.

18. Knoxville, Tennessee

Back in the 1980s, Knoxville was dubbed a scruffy little city, and the title stuck. Even though it saw some strong economic growth and houses the University of Tennessee, it’s not very safe, and there appears to be a wealth gap.

17. Fall River, Massachusetts

Massachusetts is actually the second richest state within the US and has low unemployment and poverty rates, but Fall River got left behind. The household income here isn’t even half of what it is for the state, making poverty rates more than double!

16. North Little Rock, Arkansas

North Little Rock is reflective of the entire state because Arkansas is the poorest state out there for household income. Everything seems a bit tougher here with higher poverty rates, higher home values, and lower incomes.

15. Hemet, California

Once dubbed the city of trailer parks and tract homes, living in Hemet means you’re twice as likely to not have a job. Even if you do, you only make a small fraction of what San Jose workers make. This little city never recovered from the Great Recession, and it shows.

14. Gainesville, Florida

Though the name implies that you could have many gains if you live here, Gainesville has a high poverty rate with low wages and unaffordable housing. Therefore, it casts a shadow on the rest of the Sunshine State. Yes, the home values are lower, but if you make no money, you can’t afford them!

13. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Louisiana is actually one of the poorer states in the United States. It has high unemployment rates, violence against women, child poverty, and slow economic growth. Most families can’t even put healthy foods on the table. Still, Lake Charles is worse, with one in four people living in poverty.

12. Hartford, Connecticut

Even though Connecticut as a whole is one of the richest US states, the income disparity can’t be ignored. This city almost went bankrupt before the 2018 state bailout and is now still struggling to attain financial stability.

11. Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham used to be a growing industrial center for iron and steel. However, it shifted to other industries, such as medicine, insurance, and banking, which led to huge economic inequalities. Roughly one-quarter of the population here lives under the poverty line.

10. Flint, Michigan

Flint has a similar story to Birmingham in that it used to be a huge manufacturing hub through General Motors. When the auto company moved on, everything shifted. Now, the population is slowly declining each year and has huge unemployment rates. Plus, about one-third of the residents live in poverty.

9. Gulfport, Mississippi

Roughly one in 10 people in this city were unemployed in 2019, even though they actively sought work. Since income levels are very low, those who have jobs still struggle to make it. Poverty is quite severe in Gulfport, and that’s no surprise since Mississippi is dubbed the hungriest city in the US.

8. Springfield, Missouri

Though Springfield offers beautiful mountain views, most of the population can’t relax enough to enjoy it. The federal government declared that this Missouri city was in severe fiscal distress in 2015, and it hasn’t come out of it yet.

7. Camden, New Jersey

Camden used to be a powerhouse for large companies, such as Campbell’s Soup. Now, it’s impoverished and can’t get any good jobs. Though the state is wealthy, the income in Camden is roughly $50,000 less than in New Jersey.

6. Rochester, New York

Rochester used to be a great city to live in, but when Kodak left, things went downhill. It was actually last for the hottest job markets, even though it has over one million people living there.

5. Erie,

Pennsylvania

This lovely waterfront city has cheap home values, which makes it appear to be a great place to settle down. However, there’s been a huge decline in blue-collar and white-collar jobs!

4. Pharr, Texas

Pharr is a border city connected by a bridge to Reynosa (Mexico). Ultimately, this city has the highest poverty rate with four in 10 people. Almost 46 percent of people live below the poverty line!

3. Albany, Georgia

Albany is often referred to as the City of Good Life, but with a 12 percent unemployment rate for 2019, most residents strongly disagree. This city has a poverty rate of more than double that for the state!

2. Gary, Indiana

Gary focused on factory jobs, which was all well and good until automation took over. Now, the city is dying. Though there are a few nice neighborhoods and factories, jobs are often downsized because of foreign competition.

1. Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown is the poorest city in Ohio and the whole of the US. As with other shrinking cities, its decline started when major manufacturers left. Most adults deal with high unemployment and low wages.