This Is the Poorest City in Your State
Being poor in America is never an easy life, but cities that were already pressed for resources?and the people who live there?have predictably fared the worst through endless months of unemployment and uncertainty. Most of the CARES Act benefits have long run dry and it appears now that new federal relief legislation is hopelessly stalled until after the election.
For the cities where incomes are low and affordable housing is fleeting, help arriving in early winter might be help arriving too late.
In order to find the poorest city in every state, GOBankingRates used U.S. Census data to identify the five cities of 2,000 residents or more with the lowest median household income in every state. Then, using Zillow data, the state?s typical home value was included and each city was scored against the others in its state. Whichever city emerged with the lowest cumulative score was determined to be the poorest in its respective state.
Readers should keep in mind that the pandemic and economic crisis have been disproportionately unkind to the less affluent. There?s now a risk that these and other vulnerable American cities could become poorer still in the coming months.
Last updated: Oct. 22, 2020
Alabama
City: Greensboro
Population: 2,870
Median household income: $16,875
Typical home value: $67,432
Alaska
City: Willow
Population: 2,126
Median household income: $51,932
Typical home value: $166,181
Arizona
City: Quartzsite
Population: 3,707
Median household income: $21,740
Typical home value: $125,258
Arkansas
City: Marianna
Population: 3,685
Median household income: $18,664
Typical home value: $34,999
California
City: Richgrove
Population: 2,611
Median household income: $20,946
Typical home value: $169,097
Colorado
City: Las Animas
Population: 2,065
Median household income: $22,258
Typical home value: $63,082
Connecticut
City: Hartford
Population: 123,628
Median household income: $34,338
Typical home value: $117,984
Delaware
City: Dover Base Housing
Population: 3,467
Median household income: $41,516
Typical home value: $152,360
Florida
City: Chiefland
Population: 2,514
Median household income: $21,829
Typical home value: $95,001
Georgia
City: Homerville
Population: 2,442
Median household income: $19,156
Typical home value: $54,420
Hawaii
City: Mountain View
Population: 3,269
Median household income: $37,116
Typical home value: $242,369
Idaho
City: Weiser
Population: 5,326
Median household income: $30,041
Typical home value: $173,534
Illinois
City: Carbondale
Population: 25,846
Median household income: $22,025
Typical home value: $129,124
Indiana
City: Gary
Population: 76,677
Median household income: $30,310
Typical home value: $38,280
Iowa
City: Centerville
Population: 5,487
Median household income: $33,682
Typical home value: $55,191
Kansas
City: Iola
Population: 5,400
Median household income: $31,218
Typical home value: $53,302
Kentucky
City: Cumberland
Population: 2,039
Median household income: $20,333
Typical home value: $34,327
Louisiana
City: Lake Providence
Population: 2,930
Median household income: $17,801
Typical home value: $42,801
Maine
City: Fairfield
Population: 3,152
Median household income: $26,832
Typical home value: $138,017
Maryland
City: Crisfield
Population: 2,593
Median household income: $29,224
Typical home value: $84,651
Massachusetts
City: Springfield
Population: 154,596
Median household income: $36,730
Typical home value: $179,834
Michigan
City: Houghton
Population: 7,934
Median household income: $24,133
Typical home value: $159,386
Minnesota
City: Aitkin
Population: 2,282
Median household income: $30,000
Typical home value: $114,825
Mississippi
City: Durant
Population: 2,908
Median household income: $20,733
Typical home value: $38,432
Missouri
City: East Prairie
Population: 3,096
Median household income: $24,261
Typical home value: $49,087
Montana
City: Libby
Population: 2,663
Median household income: $30,217
Typical home value: $190,995
Nebraska
City: Fairbury
Population: 3,711
Median household income: $37,386
Typical home value: $62,680
Nevada
City: Laughlin
Population: 7,502
Median household income: $33,851
Typical home value: $178,008
New Hampshire
City: Berlin
Population: 10,382
Median household income: $38,315
Typical home value: $82,799
New Jersey
City: Salem
Population: 4,811
Median household income: $24,841
Typical home value: $100,025
New Mexico
City: Tucumcari
Population: 4,958
Median household income: $23,486
Typical home value: $76,906
New York
City: South Fallsburg
Population: 2,538
Median household income: $24,766
Typical home value: $119,668
North Carolina
City: Plymouth
Population: 3,542
Median household income: $17,368
Typical home value: $55,938
North Dakota
City: Devils Lake
Population: 7,317
Median household income: $43,750
Typical home value: $169,871
Ohio
City: New Boston
Population: 2,375
Median household income: $19,774
Typical home value: $36,462
Oklahoma
City: Hugo
Population: 5,184
Median household income: $24,548
Typical home value: $64,799
Oregon
City: Cave Junction
Population: 2,323
Median household income: $25,781
Typical home value: $227,949
Pennsylvania
City: Shenandoah
Population: 4,853
Median household income: $24,576
Typical home value: $17,475
Rhode Island
City: Central Falls
Population: 19,382
Median household income: $31,724
Typical home value: $220,686
South Carolina
City: Allendale
Population: 3,072
Median household income: $19,590
Typical home value: $32,317
South Dakota
City: Sisseton
Population: 2,486
Median household income: $38,167
Typical home value: $78,610
Tennessee
City: Jamestown
Population: 2,010
Median household income: $17,865
Typical home value: $100,381
Texas
City: El Cenizo
Population: 3,248
Median household income: $20,417
Typical home value: $57,613
Utah
City: Ephraim
Population: 6,987
Median household income: $39,915
Typical home value: $209,293
Vermont
City: Bellows Falls
Population: 2,985
Median household income: $32,576
Typical home value: $138,142
Virginia
City: Chase City
Population: 2,401
Median household income: $26,776
Typical home value: $63,327
Washington
City: Newport
Population: 2,142
Median household income: $33,707
Typical home value: $261,183
West Virginia
City: Williamson
Population: 2,883
Median household income: $24,077
Typical home value: $37,041
Wisconsin
City: Wautoma
Population: 2,122
Median household income: $32,990
Typical home value: $151,224
Wyoming
City: Mills
Population: 3,848
Median household income: $44,437
Typical home value: $152,346
More From GOBankingRates
Methodology: To find the poorest city in every state, GOBankingRates looked at all places in the U.S. with a population of over 2,000 according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey five-year estimates. GOBankingRates identified the five cities in every state with the lowest median household income according to the same source and then used Zillow’s housing data through Sept. 2020 to find the 2020 average estimated home value in each city. Each city was then scored against all others in its state on its (1) median household income and (2) typical home value, and the city with the lowest cumulative score was identified as the poorest city in its respective state. Only cities for which complete ACS and Zillow data were available were included in the final ranking. All data were collected on and is up to date as of Oct. 2, 2020.
Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only and do not always reflect the exact city listed.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Is the Poorest City in Your State
