16 Poorest Small Cities in America: 2015 List

2. Brownsville – Harlingen, TX

This is one of the largest small cities that make this infamous list of poorest metros in America. More than 410,000 people can’t really boast with high per capita GDP figure which amounts to $20,022. While the unemployment rate of 6.9% doesn’t look that serious – at least not compared to some other cities on this list, the poverty rate of 32.5% is more than serious. It’s the largest poverty rate percentage in the country and if you’re unaware of its ramifications, just consider the following – around 135,000 people in this Texas – Mexico border metro live below the poverty line.