In this article, we look at the 10 poorest cities in every state in the US. To see our detailed analysis where we identify the poorest city in each state of the United States, you can head to the 50 Poorest Cities in Every State in the US.
10. Ames, Iowa
Poverty Rate: 29.3%
Ames is located about 30 miles north of Des Moines. It is the poorest city in the state of Iowa with a poverty rate of 29.3% in 2021 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey (ACS). The household median income of Ames was estimated to be $54,339.
9. Cleveland, Ohio
Poverty Rate: 29.3%
An estimated 105,000 people live below the line of poverty in Cleveland. Its poverty rate was 29.3% in 2021. After Detroit, it has the highest child poverty rate in the United States among large cities that have a population exceeding 300,000.
8. Madera, California
Poverty Rate: 29.5%
From California, 141 cities were part of the American Community Survey 2021 for gauging of poverty rates. Madera was the poorest city in the state, with 29.5% of the population living below the poverty line.
7. Greenville, North Carolina
Poverty Rate: 29.8%
North Carolina’s poorest city is Greenville, which has a poverty rate of 29.8%. Nearly three out of every ten residents were living below the poverty line in 2021.
6. Reading, Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate: 30.6%
With a poverty rate of 30.6%, Reading is the poorest city in Pennsylvania. In 2011, 41.6% of its residents were living below the poverty line, after which, Reading came to be known as the “poorest small city” in the state.
5. Kalamazoo, Michigan
Poverty Rate: 30.9%
30.9% of Kalamazoo’s residents were living below the poverty line in 2021. It is the poorest city in the state of Michigan.
4. Jackson, Mississippi
Poverty Rate: 32.2%
Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the United States. Its capital, Jackson, had a poverty rate of 32.2% in 2021 – one of the highest in the country.
3. Bloomington, Indiana
Poverty Rate: 34.3%
Indiana’s poverty rate in 2021 was 13.9%. Bloomington, located in Monroe County, is the poorest city in the state, where the poverty rate was nearly 150% higher than the state average.
2. Lakewood, New Jersey
Poverty Rate: 40.5%
Lakewood, in New Jersey, has high concentrated poverty when it comes to poorest cities in the United States. In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that four in every ten residents were living below the poverty line in Lakewood. The median household income was $53,517.
1. Pharr, Texas
Poverty Rate: 42.5%
Pharr is in the Hidalgo County in Texas and is connected to Mexico’s Reynosa city through a bridge. It is the poorest city in Texas among all cities that were surveyed in the ACS in 2021, with 42.5% of its population earning below the poverty level. Pharr has the highest poverty rate of all the 50 cities covered in our article.
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