Natchez, Mississippi
Despite the fact that this Mississippi River town served as the state’s first capital, its heyday is long past. According to Mississippi Today, because it is more than an hour away from the nearest interstate, Natchez has struggled to attract industry and has been losing young people since the 1990s. The median household income is only $26,443, which is extremely low. Locals have told the media outlet that the remaining children in the area are not engaged in school and that this does not bode well for their educational future. The Mississippi Department of Education gave the Natchez-Adams school district a D grade for the year 2019.
Natchez, Mississippi
Central Falls, Rhode Island
In 2010, the smallest city in the smallest state was forced to file for bankruptcy, raising taxes while drastically reducing the number of public workers and retiree pensions available. Central Falls, like the rest of the state, lost its textile mills and factories, but the city’s high expenses and reductions in state aid forced it into bankruptcy. As described by the news agency Reuters, boarded-up multi-family homes with overgrown sidewalks stood in stark contrast to stately churches and tidy bungalows. Although the median household income has increased slightly in recent years, it remains below $33,000, and nearly a third of the population lives below the poverty line.
Central Falls, Rhode Island