Although America is known as the “land of opportunity,” it is not possible to simply throw a dart at a map and find a wonderful place to call home. Some cities lack the economic clout to keep people out of economic hardship, while others struggle to keep the most vulnerable safe from crime and exploitation. Those who aren’t interested are just plain dull. Listed below are the absolute worst places to call home in each state, as determined by the website 24/7 Wall St.1 using the most recent data from the FBI, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Census Bureau, among other sources. It was not included in the report because the population of the area was less than 8,000.
These Are The Worst Cities To Live In These States
Pahrump, Nevada
Despite the fact that this large, unpopulated city in Nye County is only an hour away from Las Vegas, it can be a risky proposition to live there. After a few properties capsized into the ground in Pahrump, residents issued a warning to prospective homebuyers. However, despite the fact that the median home value in Pahrump is $152,400, nearly $100,000 less than the state median, homeowners have reportedly spent thousands of dollars trying to save their homes from the unstable “puff dirt.” According to the Nye County Communities Coalition, a large number of retirees and transient residents in Pahrump contribute to the city’s low median household income of $47,535, which is influenced by the city’s low median household income. It is estimated that nearly a third of the population is over the age of 65.
Pahrump, Nevada
Alliance, Nebraska
Locals complain that while this small city in western Nebraska is an agricultural center as well as an important rail hub, it lacks more diverse employment opportunities. BNSF Railway, which is one of the city’s largest employers and which cut dozens of jobs in May 2020, rekindled memories of the devastating job losses that occurred during the Great Recession of 2008. Railroads were already suffering from a drop in coal demand prior to the pandemic, so full recovery may be years away at this point. Although the median household income in Alliance is a respectable $48,805, the unemployment rate in the city is nearly twice as high as the state average.
Alliance, Nebraska
Denison, Iowa
Denison, the county seat of Crawford County, has a reputable median family income of $54,190, but the city has an unemployment rate that is almost three times higher than the state average of 5.6 percent. A large number of long-term residents and young people have left Denison in recent years as wages at the city’s critical meatpacking plants have been cut. In the early 2000s, a swarm of mostly Mexican immigrants descended on the city to take their places, content to collect a still-substantial paycheck in exchange. Nonetheless, these positions have not been stable for them either. Denison’s economic disaster response plan was activated in 2015 when Tyson Foods closed its beef packing plant in the city, negatively impacting 400 employees and provoking the city’s economic disaster response plan.
Denison, Iowa
Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
Helena-West Helena could be the county seat of Phillips County, but it is also a city that has been in a state of decline for quite some time. Over the course of 65 years, the county’s population has decreased by half. Manufacturers such as Mohawk Rubber Co. went out of business, farmers suffered as a result of drought and industrialization, and other businesses that provided services to these communities were unable to compete. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, by 2016, the local school district in Helena-West Helena School District had half the number of students and half the amount of funding that it had in 2007. Other public services are also being put under pressure. Mr. Bruce Hudson, a former alderman who ran for mayor under the slogan “Who Cares About Helena?” blamed a lack of job opportunities and an abundance of shabby, unoccupied housing in the city for the city’s problems. It is only $22,400 per year that the average household earns in this area.
Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
Lansdowne, Maryland
The small census-designated spot of Lansdowne in Baltimore County, which is often considered one of the poorest large cities in the country, has even more serious problems than the city of Baltimore. The median household income in Maryland is only $45,500, despite the fact that the state has one of the highest costs of living in the United States. The normal Lansdowne resident is significantly more likely than the average Maryland resident to be unemployed, and he or she is three times as likely as the average Maryland resident to live in poverty. Despite the fact that the FBI does not collect data on Lansdowne specifically, residents claim that the suburb has not been spared the city’s infamous crime rates. According to local police, more than 4,700 acts of violent crime were reported in the surrounding county in 2019, making it one of the most dangerous in the United States.
Lansdowne, Maryland
Clifton, Colorado
In this relaxing Colorado town, more than a quarter of the population lives in poverty, and the rate of unemployment seems to be more than twice as high as the national average. It has a median annual household income of $43,452 dollars. Some locals believe that drug abuse is becoming an increasingly serious problem in the area. The surrounding Mesa County has a lower rate of opioid deaths than the rest of the state — but in 2019, The Daily Sentinel reported a spike in drug-related deaths as doctors decided to stop prescribing as many opioids and users did turn to street drugs such as heroin instead, according to the newspaper. Criminal activity is also becoming a source of concern. This was significantly higher than the number of violent crimes reported in Weld County in 2019, which has more than twice the population of Mesa County.
Clifton, Colorado
Spanish Lake, Missouri
A documentary on the area’s decline describes how Spanish Lake went from being a “beautiful suburbia” to becoming an “apocalyptic ghost town” where jobs were scarce, homes were foreclosed, educational opportunities were diminished, and public transportation was “slower than a snail’s pace,” according to the St. Louis Beacon. In the 1990s, middle-class families packed up their belongings and left in droves, causing a sudden collapse of the local economy. The effects of deindustrialization and the Great Recession were particularly detrimental. The median household income in Spanish Lake is currently a little more than $37,000 per year. In fact, incomes and populations in St. Louis County as a whole have declined over the past decade.. Approximately 440,000 people that earn more than $10.64 billion decided to move into St. Louis County, according to IRS data, but 492,000 people earning $14.05 billion left the same county.
Spanish Lake, Missouri
Wilmington, Delaware
Although it is the state’s largest city, Wilmington is also one of the state’s poorest. More than a quarter of Wilmington people live in poverty, and the average household income is a little more than $45,000 per year. That could be one of the reasons why crime is outpacing police spending at an alarming rate. According to the nonprofit Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Wilmington’s crime rate has increased by 148 percent since the mid-1990s, while police spending has only increased by 65 percent during the same period. Residents are not required to travel far in order to find better. Only ten miles to the west, the community of Pike Creek was once named one of the country’s top 100 places to live by Money magazine, which is now defunct.
Wilmington, Delaware
Huron, South Dakota
Recent years have seen an influx of refugees to this meatpacking town in Beadle County in South Dakota, drawn by job opportunities in Huron’s turkey processing plant. Huron is a small town with a population of about 2,000 people. Prior to the construction of the facility, Huron’s population had decreased from 14,000 in 1970 to 12,000 in 2005. When it comes to jobs, there is plenty of opportunities — the unemployment rate is only 1.3% — but there isn’t much else to do in this town, and the median wage for a meatpacker is less than $14 an hour. Although the median household income in Huron County is $46,106, one-fifth of the county’s residents live below the poverty line.
Huron, South Dakota
Fair Oaks, Georgia
This small census-designated neighborhood in Cobb County was named for the abundance of large oak trees that can be found there, which is a good way to keep your mind on the bright side. Aside from the natural beauty of the area, Fair Oaks is characterized by low income and poor quality of life, with nearly a third of the population living below the federal poverty line. The median household income in this area is only $38,832, despite the fact that the median home value is well over $100,000. According to the Urban Institute, Cobb County is one of the most difficult places to find affordable housing in the entire state of Georgia. According to the most recent data, there are only 18 affordable housing units available for every 100 renter households earning an extremely low income.
Fair Oaks, Georgia
Makaha, Hawaii
Even though Makaha, a tiny town on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, is known for its absolutely gorgeous stretch of white sand beach, you might not want to live there if you want to enjoy the scenery. Its average household income is almost $51,000, which is high compared to the other cities on this list but not particularly impressive in such a costly state as New Jersey. The poverty rate is close to 30%, and the unemployment rate is close to 17%, according to the most recent figures. It can be difficult to keep a roof over one’s head in those circumstances. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2019 report to Congress, Hawaii has the second-highest rate of homelessness in the country. According to the Star-Advertiser, nearly 7,000 people became homeless on the island of Oahu during that year.
Makaha, Hawaii
Franklin, Virginia
The economy of this small city in Virginia’s Coastal Plain is heavily reliant on agriculture and manufacturing to maintain its viability. Franklin, like Bastrop in Louisiana, was severely harmed by the closure of an International Paper mill in the area, which resulted in the layoff of more than 1,000 workers in 2009. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the company employed nearly 4 percent of the workforce in Franklin and the surrounding counties at the time of the report. Although the median household income in Franklin is not abysmal, at just over $40,000, the unemployment rate in the city is three times higher than the state average.
Franklin, Virginia
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis appears to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons, as it is consistently ranked among the most dangerous places in the country, according to various surveys. Compared to the national average, you had a 27-fold higher chance of being murdered in this city in 2019. As is the case in several other city areas on this list, East St. Louis’ economic situation is similar to that of the others. It is still struggling to regain its footing after losing a large number of businesses and residents during the 1960s and 1970s eras of decline. Nearly 40% of East St. Louis residents live below the poverty line, and the average household income is only $24,343.
East St. Louis, Illinois
Beloit, Wisconsin
As was the case throughout Wisconsin, Beloit’s manufacturing industry used to be flourishing, but the city and the state suffered tens of thousands of job losses following the Great Recession. It is estimated that the median household income in Beloit is $43,651, but nearly a quarter of the population lives in poverty, and the rate of unemployment in the city is more than twice that of the state as a whole. Additionally, the small city of approximately 37,000 people has one of the worst criminal activities per capita of any city in the state.. Four homicides, 31 robberies, 122 burglaries, and 71 car thefts were reported in Beloit in 2019.
Beloit, Wisconsin
Newburgh, New York
While the all-Hasidic neighborhood of New Square will indeed take this spot statistically, the figures don’t account for major differences in culture in the community. Newburgh, New York, is the city chosen by 24/7 Wall St. for its 2019 cover story. The city is plagued by violent crime and high poverty. Given that the population has been gradually declining over the past decade, it should come as no surprise. For the year 2019, Newburgh had 317 violent crimes reported, a rate that was nearly twice as high as the rate in New York City, based on the population. Furthermore, the number of residents living in poverty exceeds 30%, which is twice as high as the state’s figure.
Newburgh, New York
Junction City, Kansas
A quick look around shows Junction City to be a lot like the rest of Kansas in its basic appearance. Underemployment is higher, but not significantly so, and the poverty rate is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state average, according to the latest figures. The city, on the other hand, has been struggling to get out of debt for several years. In 2012, the town of Junction was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, prompting officials to devise a plan to raise property and sales taxes, increase fees, and reduce payroll and operating expenses. In the present day, the city is still attempting to pay off its debts. As a direct consequence, residents say services are suffering as well as the living costs have managed to grow out of proportion with wage levels. When it comes to wages, Kansas’ minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, while the average household income in Junction City is $53,932.
Junction City, Kansas
Lexington, North Carolina
The county seat of Davidson County was once considered one of the furniture-making capitals of the United States, thanks to a plentiful supply of hardwood and inexpensive labor. However, in the 1990s, the city’s furniture industry was decimated by even cheaper Asian imports. The median household income in this area is just under $30,000, and home prices are significantly lower than the state average. A total of 35% percent of the total population live in poverty, and close to a quarter of the workforce is unemployed. The residents of Lexington claim that, because there aren’t many jobs in the area, most people use Lexington as a low-cost bedroom community from which they commute to one of North Carolina’s larger cities.
Lexington, North Carolina
Bastrop, Louisiana
As a result of the closure of major employers such as the century-old International Paper Co. mill and the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant, Bastrop’s population has been steadily declining since 2000. “That was the industry that was viable, and no one had any reason to believe there was anything else. We use to talk about diversifying the economy, most communities do, but that was the horse we rode to get here,” Clarence Hawkins, a former mayor, spoke with KNOE 8 News. Bastrop will make a comeback, according to the current mayor, Henry Cotton, not by wooing new manufacturers, but by growing local businesses and the technology industry. For the time being, however, the average household income in this city is only $20,117.
Bastrop, Louisiana
Altus, Oklahoma
This city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, is home to the Altus Air Force Base and also relies on agriculture, health care, and the volatile fossil fuel industry to support its population of about 60,000 people. Altus’ oil and gas industry provides some of the best-paying jobs in the city, but according to the Pauls Valley Democrat, the industry in Oklahoma has lost more than 20,000 jobs in the last two years, with the most significant loss occurring during the pandemic. According to the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, the state had 13 active drilling rigs at the end of 2020, down from 148 at the end of 2018. Altus has a respectable median household income of $47,691, and its poverty and unemployment rates are comparable to those found throughout the state. However, Wall Street docked points for food security 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the website, an estimated 86 percent of Jackson County’s residents live in low-access areas, which are defined as being more than a mile from a grocery store in urban areas and more than 10 miles from a grocery store in rural areas.
Altus, Oklahoma
Robstown, Texas
If you choose to live in the city that was the birthplace of Texas hold ’em, you are taking a big risk. With poverty rates exceeding 40% and a high prevalence of drug use, this Nueces County suburb of Corpus Christi is ranked as Texas’ worst place to live, according to Money magazine. A fifth of the population lives in poverty, and the median household income in Robstown is only $35,504, though some residents believe addiction is the real underlying problem. According to the Caller-Times, Nueces County has one of the highest overdose death rates in Texas, with 10.4 deaths for every 100,000 people.
Robstown, Texas
Southbridge Town, Massachusetts
After the American Optical Company left Southbridge Town in Worcester County in the 1990s, the town was never able to reclaim its former glory. As reported by the Telegram & Gazette, the former American Optometric campus was once the world’s largest manufacturer of optometric products. It is planned that the sprawling site will be redeveloped, and a trio of fountains that pay homage to the old campus was recently unveiled. Even the switch that was used to turn them on was constructed from reclaimed pieces of AO buildings. Despite the fact that it has been declining for some time, manufacturing remains the region’s largest industry. According to the Worcester Business Journal, the manufacturing sector in Greater Worcester has lost half of its jobs since 1990. Overall job growth had been improving, but after a decade of expansion, the economy came to a grinding halt in 2018 and 2019. The median household income in this city is $51,270 dollars.
Southbridge Town, Massachusetts
Parkland, Washington
Parkland, Washington, is an unincorporated suburb of Tacoma that does not have to deal with the age-old “Aroma of Tacoma” — an industrial stench that still lingers in the port city on occasion — but its economic woes are even worse. Its unemployment and poverty rate is much higher than those of the rest of the state, and only 17 percent of adults over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median household income in Parkland, however, is a respectable $55,000, which is above the state average. Residents say that the presence of Pacific Lutheran University is an economic and cultural boon for the community, but that the benefit doesn’t extend much beyond the university’s grounds.
Parkland, Washington
Cloquet, Minnesota
Cloquet’s history is so interconnected with the lumber industry that it has earned the nickname “Wood City” — even after a fire fueled by dry tinder engulfed the town and destroyed much of the surrounding area in 1918. While Cloquet’s paper mill, matchstick plant, and ceiling tile factory have all provided hundreds of jobs to Minnesotans over the course of more than a century, that way of life appears to be on its way out. Cloquet’s matchstick manufacturing plant closed its doors in 2017. Jobs in wood manufacturing and paper mills in Minnesota have declined by more than 30 percent and more than 20 percent, respectively, over the previous decade, according to MarketPlace Research. Residents claim that there are few job opportunities outside of the two remaining factories and that there isn’t much to do besides exploring the surrounding nature. The median household income in this area is slightly more than $54,000.
Cloquet, Minnesota
New Kingman-Butler, Arizona
However, despite its proximity to the city of Kingman in Mohave County, this unincorporated community has fared considerably worse than the city to the south. It is only $34,243 in New Kingman-Butler, compared to $49,029 in Kingman, for a median household income of $34,243. Although only 7.7 percent of the population holds bachelor’s degrees, the rate in Kingman is approximately 10 percentage points higher. Not that Kingman is a paradise in and of itself. Apart from unskilled labor and the local hospital, residents claim there is little to do and few job opportunities. But there is one major attraction: the area’s relatively mild weather and mountainous terrain make for excellent hiking opportunities.
New Kingman-Butler, Arizona
Muscoy, California
Located in San Bernardino County, this small census-designated place is a competitor with the county seat for the title of the poorest city in California. There is approximately 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line, and the rate of unemployment is approximately 10 percentage points higher than the state average. The median household income in this city is $41,981, which is not bad when compared to some of the other cities on this list, but not great when compared to expensive California. Crime, according to the residents, is a constant companion. Muscoy isn’t listed in the FBI data that’s currently available, but the county of San Bernardino reported 1,500 violent crimes in 2019 — the same number as San Diego County, which has more than a million more people.
Muscoy, California
Havre, Montana
This tiny town in Hill County lost three major stores in 2018 alone — Kmart, Sears Hometown Stores, and Herberger’s — and shut down its Holiday Village Mall, displacing hundreds of employees. According to The Havre Herald’s series “Is Havre Dying or Evolving?” residents were shaken by the string of closures, despite the area’s relatively diverse economy. While the median household income in this area is $48,294 dollars, unemployment and poverty rates in this area are both higher than the state average. The Havre Herald, which went out of business a couple of years later, predicted that Montana’s high quality of life and the proliferation of remote work would help the town of Havre weather a difficult transition.
Havre, Montana
Kalifornsky, Alaska
Located in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, this census-designated place of approximately 8,100 people is primarily supported by the oil and gas industry, similar to that of the rest of the state of Alaska. Alaska, on the other hand, has lost thousands of jobs in recent years as oil companies such as BP relocate to areas with better prospects. Timber and fishing are two of Kalifornsky’s other major industries. Houses in Kalifornsky are extremely expensive, even though the median household income is a respectable $88,984. There are no libraries or post offices in Kalifornsky, which is another disadvantage.
Kalifornsky, Alaska
Selma, Alabama
Selma, Alabama, is probably most famous for its involvement in the civil rights movement, which included several marches across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge. However, the city was suffering from high unemployment long before the pandemic struck. Workers in Selma, even those who are employed, are primarily low-wage employees; the median household income in the city is $24,820. Although most businesses in town are now family-owned, according to a statement published in the Selma Times-Journal by its executive director, the children of those families have expressed no interest in remaining in the city for the foreseeable future. It’s possible that this has something to do with the scarcity of entertainment options in Selma. There is only one movie theater in the city, and it only has one screen.
Selma, Alabama
Manchester, New Hampshire
Despite the fact that New Hampshire is a wealthy state, homelessness remains a serious issue in the state’s largest city as a result of a scarcity of affordable housing. New Hampshire has experienced some of the most significant increases in income inequality in the United States, and nearly 15 percent of the population in Manchester lives below the poverty line, according to the Census Bureau. Despite this, the median household income in this city is $60,711, which is higher than the median household income in the other cities on this list. Residents with a high level of education have fared well, whereas the decline of traditional industries such as paper mills has left many working-class people being unable to pay for the necessities of life.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Avon Park, Florida
There are no poems written about this historic district in Highlands County, which was named after Shakespeare’s hometown, according to the locals. The average household income in Avon Park is only $30,750, and a third of the city’s population lives below the poverty line. Almost 20% of the population is out of work, which is more than triple the state rate. Young people and retirees alike will find little to do in the sleepy town, and everyone in between will struggle to find work to support themselves and their families. If you can come up with a compelling reason to live in the area, housing is very reasonably priced.
Avon Park, Florida
Chaparral, New Mexico
This desert town in New Mexico is an unincorporated community with no state govt of its own, restricted access to public services, and a scarcity of well-paying employment opportunities. More than 40% of the population of Chaparral is considered to be impoverished. As reported by Searchlight New Mexico, the median household income in this city is only $24,665, and the city’s two largest employers are prison and an immigration detention center, respectively. However, Searchlight New Mexico reports that the majority of residents in Chaparral purchase land or mobile homes through real estate contracts rather than mortgages, despite the fact that the median home value in the community is slightly more than $71,000. According to the publication, these arrangements typically do not necessitate the use of good credit history or a significant down payment, instead of charging extremely high interest rates.
Chaparral, New Mexico
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Since the 1980s, the rise of international trade and the significant drop of the manufacturing industry has wreaked havoc on Johnstown and other cities in the Rust Belt. In particular, the city of Johnstown has suffered the most. Thousands of residents have left the town over the years, leaving a large number of derelict buildings in their wake. This community has a median household income of only $24,561, which is less than half the state median, and nearly 40 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty level. Residents claim that “The Friendly City” hasn’t lost any of its friendliness, but the city’s significant drug and crime problems have certainly robbed the city of some of its luster.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Middlesboro, Kentucky
Middlesboro, the largest city in southeast Kentucky, is not a place where you can expect to make even a mediocre living. The average household income in the city is only $25,488, which is less than half of the state’s median household income. More than 40% of Middlesboro residents live below the poverty line, and fewer than one in every ten residents has a bachelor’s degree, according to the city. Eastern Kentucky experienced a significant reduction in coal employment in 2019, — especially after bankrupt energy company Blackjewel was forced to close and checks began to bounce. There have been proposals to expand the tourism industry by utilizing the region’s natural beauty and offering tours of neglected coal mines, but those plans are still several years away from becoming a reality.
Middlesboro, Kentucky
Minot, North Dakota
Despite its nickname, North Dakota’s “Magic City” has lost some of its lusters as a result of high housing costs, which have become a problem throughout the state, according to the latest report. Approximately 17.5 percent of North Dakota homeowners with an active mortgage and ten percent of homeowners without an active mortgage, according to the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing-related expenses. While the median home price is moderately higher than the rest of the state, at $204,000, the median household income is significantly lower, at $66,000, than the rest of the state. Many residents have complained about the blistering cold winters, a lack of entertainment, and high property taxes, but the main reason for Minot’s inclusion on the list, according to 24/7 Wall St., is food insecurity. In the county, more than two-thirds of the population resides in urban areas at least one mile from a grocery store or in rural areas at least ten miles from one, according to the report.
Minot, North Dakota
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown, once a thriving manufacturing center owing to the presence of employer AK Steel, has been in a state of a slow and steady downward trend for several decades. Following hundreds of job cuts and a protracted contract dispute, the steelmaker was forced to lockout nearly 2,700 workers in 2006. Former Middletown city manager Doug Atkins claims that some neighborhoods in the city are 80 percent to 90 percent rented and that the majority of the properties in these neighborhoods are dilapidated and low in value when compared to surrounding communities. More than a quarter of the city’s population lives in poverty. The average household income is $40,347 per year.
Middletown, Ohio
Bangor, Maine
While Bangor was once known as the “lumber capital of the world,” the city has successfully redefined itself and is now considered a significant commercial center for retail and service businesses in Maine, according to the city’s administration. Although this new economy has begun to recover from the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, it has not yet reached its full potential. As reported by the Bangor Daily News, more than a fifth of Bangor residents live below the poverty line, and despite the fact that the city is home to the third-largest school district in Maine, more than half of the students qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. The median household income in this area is $46,625. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Altamont, Oregon
According to legend, this census-designated place was named after a famous racehorse, and it is currently lagging far behind the rest of the country. According to OregonLive, Altamont is one of only three communities in the state where incomes are actually declining. Wages in Newport and St. Helens fell by a combined 5% between 2010 and 2018, making them the only cities to do so. The median household income in this area is close to $47,000, compared to a statewide median household income of $63,000. Home values are only half the state median value, and one-fifth of the population lives in poverty, according to the census.
Altamont, Oregon
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
Parker, South Carolina
This tiny town is feeling the effects of Greenville County’s rapid population growth, which is particularly noticeable. Real estate prices in the area are rising, and while the economic boom has brought employment and wealth to some, wages for the poorer residents of Parker have remained stagnant. Despite the fact that the median household income in Parker remains around $34,000, the effects of gentrification are making it much more difficult to afford the necessities of life. According to a study conducted by the United Way of Greenville County, nearly half of the renters in the Parker-Westcliffe neighborhood spent more than 35 percent of their income on rent. Back in 1990, less than 15 percent of renters spent that much money on their rental property.
Parker, South Carolina
Camden, New Jersey
One of the poorest areas in the country, Camden has a violent history, corruption, and the use of illegal substances like marijuana. As a result of the city’s poor reputation, an ex-resident paid for a billboard in 2012 urging people to “Say something nice about Camden.” To be honest, saying it is easier than actually doing it! With its unemployment rate more than double that of the state, and nearly 37 percent of the population living below the poverty line, Camden has lost its prominence as a major manufacturing center — it once housed RCA Victor, Campbell’s Soup, and a major shipbuilder — This city has a median household income of just $27,015. Despite the fact that Camden has twice the population of Paterson, Camden police reported 1,159 violent crimes in 2019. This is roughly equal to the number of violent crimes reported by the New Jersey city of Paterson in 2019.
Camden, New Jersey
Knoxville, Tennessee
Unlike most of the other cities on this lineup, Knoxville has a lot to be proud of: large corporations, top-ranked schools, beautiful parks, and a long and illustrious musical history. Regrettably, not everybody has access to the same resources: In 2019, Bloomberg ranked Knoxville as one of the worst cities in the country for widening income disparities, according to the publication. More than a quarter of Knoxville’s population lives below the poverty line, with the median household income hovering around $40,000 in the city. The local police department acknowledged that violent crime was on the rise in September 2020, citing the fact that the city had seen 28 homicides by that point in the year, compared to 22 homicides for the entire year of 2019.
Knoxville Tennessee
Thompsonville, Connecticut
The mills of “Carpet City” once were major producers of textiles, but the industry was decimated by a series of closures, sales, and consolidations in the mid-1900s. The average household income in this Hartford County town is $80,125 nowadays, but more than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the most recent census data. According to the Hartford Courant, the state has been dealing with an increase in drug overdoses, with Hartford County being responsible for the highest number in the most recent year of track: 1,590 out of 4,505 total overdoses.
Thompsonville, Connecticut
Rawlins, Wyoming
The demand for fossil fuels is dwindling, and many believe Wyoming’s ability to rely on its fossil fuel reserves may be nearing its conclusion. This city in the middle of Carbon County is feeling the effects of the recession, which has led to its inclusion on the 24/7 Wall St. list. Rawlins’ financial figures are not significantly different from those of the rest of the state. Wyoming’s median household income is $64,336, which is only slightly higher than the state’s overall median household income. Wyoming is the nation’s leading coal producer, but the majority of the coal mined in the state comes from the Powder River Basin in the state’s northernmost region. Despite the fact that southern Wyoming contains billions of tons of coal buried deep beneath the earth’s surface, mining companies have determined that it is too expensive to mine at this time. Aside from the industrial issues, some residents find the small town charming, while others complain about the lack of recreational opportunities.
Rawlins, Wyoming
Barre, Vermont
It is important to note that this Vermont city — not to be confused with the nearby Barre Town — is widely acknowledged for its granite quarries, but it is also becoming increasingly known for its drug problem. On the day of a public forum in 2018, the state’s attorney for Washington County stated that the city is experiencing a “drug epidemic,” and that crack cocaine as well as other illegal drugs are just as prevalent as opiates. In addition, there were 64 violent crimes and 203 property crimes in Barre in 2019, which are both high numbers considering the town’s population of 8,500 people, according to the FBI. It is estimated that more than a quarter of the population lives in poverty in Barre, with a median household income of a little over $38,000.
Barre, Vermont
Blackfoot, Idaho
But despite the fact that Blackfoot hosts the Idaho Potato Museum, as well as the world’s largest potato chip factory, the town’s prosperous potato industry, hasn’t kept its reputation out of the mud. Because the city is heavily reliant on its agricultural industry — Bingham County, according to East Idaho News, produces 20 percent of all the potatoes in the state — job opportunities in other fields are somewhat limited in the city as a result. Ironically, food insecurity is the primary reason that Blackfoot has been placed on this list. More than three-quarters of the population lives in urban areas that are at least one mile from a grocery store or in rural areas that are at least ten miles from one, according to a report by the financial news website 24/7 Wall St. Despite this, many residents are pleased with the local economy and the small-town feel that they enjoy. The average household income in Blackfoot is $48,750, and the unemployment rate is lower than the state average when compared to the rest of the country.
Blackfoot, Idaho
Beecher, Michigan
Despite the low cost of living, young families are likely to avoid Beecher for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the fact that the town was the site of the deadliest tornado in Michigan history a few years ago. According to MLive, this Flint suburb has the second-poorest school district in the state, with a median income of $17,247 for families with children under the age of 18. (In addition, the median household income for all families is slightly more than $28,000.) Beecher’s adult population has a bachelor’s degree in only 9 percent of cases, and nearly a quarter of the population is unemployed. It is as a result of this that nearly 60 percent of the country’s children live in poverty.
Beecher, Michigan
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia, may be known for its breathtaking views of the Appalachian Mountains, but the opioid crisis that engulfed the city has tarnished the city’s reputation for decades. According to a CNN report published in 2019, one in every five babies born at Cabell Huntington Hospital, the city’s largest hospital, is born to a mother who have used opioids while carrying a child. About a third of the local population is considered to be below the poverty line. The median household income in this area is only $31,162, which is less than half of the national median income.
Huntington, West Virginia
East Chicago, Indiana
It is in East Chicago that you will find Marktown, a neighborhood that was established in 1917 for the employees of Clayton Mark’s steel pipe manufacturing company. The historical and architectural oddity seems to be the only town in the United States where cars are parked on the sidewalk and folks walk down the road to get to their destinations on time. Sadly, that is pretty much the only thing that draws people in. East Chicago has a high rate of poverty, a high rate of unemployment, and a low level of household income; the median household income here is only $32,839. Some of the lands in East Chicago has also been contaminated by high levels of lead and arsenic as a result of the city’s industrial past. The mayor did order the evacuation of the former West Calumet Housing Complex, which had been built on the site of a former lead smelter. The evacuation took place in 2016.
East Chicago, Indiana
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, located in northeastern Utah, is heavily reliant on the oil industry and is suffering as the demand for fossil fuels declines. According to the Utah Geological Survey, the state’s crude production is expected to decline by 20 percent in 2020, with a further decline of 10 percent expected in 2021. According to Mother Jones, the surrounding Uintah County has been the state’s primary oil producer for more than 70 years, but the ups and downs of the oil industry have taken a toll on the locals’ quality of life. Although the median household income in Vernal is currently over $48,000, a fifth of the city’s population lives in poverty, and the unemployment rate is more than twice that of the rest of the state.
Vernal, Utah