Poorest Cities in America 2024 (2024)

What are the poorest cities in the United States?

The United States has the largest economy in the world and has held this position since 1871. In 2018, the U.S. economy was at $20.49 trillion in nominal terms. The United States economy is referred to as an economic superpower and constitutes almost 25% of the global economy.

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the United States has a significant income inequality gap, and several towns around the country are plagued by financial hardship and poverty. Poverty in the United States defines the group of people that are in a state of deprivation, lacking the usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions, often not enough to sustain a good standard of living.

Poverty in the United States is set by the “poverty threshold,” which is a government-set estimate of the point below which a household of a given size has a pre-tax income insufficient to meet minimal basic needs. The poverty threshold for a family of four is $25,700. According to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate in 2018 was 11.8%, an estimated 38.1 million people.

To measure which cities in the United States are the poorest, data from the U.S. Census’s 2013-2017 American Community Survey was pulled. Three factors were considered: the number of residents living in poverty, income rank, and the percentage of the population that is unemployed. The 293 largest cities in the United States with populations over 100,000 were evaluated.

Based on this, the poorest cities in the United States are:

  1. Detroit, MI
  2. Cleveland, OH
  3. Dayton, OH

4. Hartford, CT5. Rochester, NY6. Newark, NJ

7. Jackson, MS8. Syracuse, NY9. Birmingham, AL

10. Springfield, MA

The highest median income on this list is $37,118. For comparison, the median household income in the United States was $63,179 in 2018.

According to this data, Detroit, Michigan is the poorest city in the United States with a median income of $27,838. The poverty rate in Detroit is 37.9% and the unemployment rate is 19.8%, the highest of anywhere else in the nation and more than five times higher than the national unemployment rate. Urban renewal, highway construction, and discriminatory loan policies have contributed to the migration to the suburbs, leaving behind a poor population and contributing to a loss of revenue for the city.

Poorest Cities in America 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Poorest Cities in America 2024? ›

The persistence of the problem led to the creation of a phrase as common as the issue itself: Philadelphia is “America's poorest big city.” When data researchers use the term, it has a specific definition. Out of the top 10 most populous cities across the United States, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate.

What is the poorest city in America in 2024? ›

Poorest Cities in America
RankRegion% of Low Income Residents
1.Memphis, TN42.3%
2.Detroit, MI36.1%
3.Baltimore, MD34.1%
4.Miami, FL31.7%
6 more rows

What U.S. city has the most poverty? ›

The persistence of the problem led to the creation of a phrase as common as the issue itself: Philadelphia is “America's poorest big city.” When data researchers use the term, it has a specific definition. Out of the top 10 most populous cities across the United States, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate.

Which U.S. state is the most poor? ›

Poverty rates were highest in the states of New Mexico (18.2%), Mississippi (17.8%), Louisiana (16.9%), Arkansas (15.9%), Kentucky (15.8%), Oklahoma (15.8%), and West Virginia (15.6%) and they were lowest in the states of New Hampshire (7.42%), Maryland (9.02%), Utah (9.13%), Hawaii (9.26%).

What are the 5 poorest cities in the world? ›

The poorest city in the world
City, countryQuality of life indexCost of living index
Damascus, Syria30,729,89
Lagos, Nigeria46,0837,41
Tripoli, Libya104,2327,73
Algeria, Algeria87,5732,85
1 more row

What is the poorest white city in America? ›

In 2010, Beattyville had the third-lowest median household income of all places in the United States with a population over 1,000. It was the poorest majority white town.

What is the poorest city in Florida? ›

According to the data, Florida's poorest city is hom*osassa Springs. Located in Citrus County, over 14,000 people live in this community. The median household income is $46,047, compared to the statewide median of $67,917. Roughly 19.5% of the population lives in poverty.

What is the poorest neighborhood in the United States? ›

Places (2013—2017 American Community Survey)
RankPlaceState or territory
1Little River CDPCalifornia
2Villanueva CDPNew Mexico
3Nottoway Court House CDPVirginia
4Lower Santan Village CDPArizona
86 more rows

Where do the poor live in America? ›

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national poverty rate was 12.4% in 2022, up from 11.2% in 2021. These states have the highest percentages of poverty in the country: Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and New York.

What is the poorest metropolitan area in the US? ›

Leading metropolitan areas with the highest poverty rate in the United States in 2021
CharacteristicPoverty rate
Monroe, LA Metro Area27.2%
Farmington, NM Metro Area26.7%
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX Metro Area24.7%
Merced, CA Metro Area23.5%
9 more rows
Nov 27, 2023

What is the wealthiest state in the USA? ›

New Jersey topped a U.S. News & World Report ranking of the richest states in the U.S. The ranking, published in November, used the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates from 2022 to identify states with the highest median household income.

What states have the worst economy? ›

  • Lowest Income.
  • Mississippi.
  • Louisiana.
  • New Mexico.
  • Maine.
  • West Virginia.
Jun 3, 2024

What race is the poorest in the United States? ›

38% Black or African American. 43% Hispanic or Latino.

What is the poorest big city in the United States? ›

In 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the city with the highest poverty rate of the United States' most populated cities. In this statistic, the cities are sorted by poverty rate, not population. The most populated city in 2021 according to the source was New York city - which had a poverty rate of 18 percent.

Who is the poorest man in the world? ›

Poorest person in the world – World poor man: There is a man called Jerome Kerviel, who is the poorest person in the world. Among the 689 million people living in extreme poverty on $1.90 or less a day, he is the poorest.

What are the 5 richest cities? ›

10 Most Richest Cities In USA
RankCityState
1Washington, D.C.District of Columbia
2New York City, NYNew York
3Boston, MAMassachusetts
4Seattle, WAWashington
6 more rows
Feb 16, 2024

What is the highest poverty rate in the U.S. in 2024? ›

Mississippi

In 2024 it has the highest poverty rate with 18.8%. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it faces significant economic challenges.

Why is Pharr, Texas so poor? ›

Pharr -- a Texas border city with a population of 73,000 -- sits so close to Mexico that it's connected to the country via a bridge. Like many of its neighboring cities along the Texas border, Pharr is home to a large population of immigrants and struggles with high poverty and low educational attainment levels.

What are the best U.S. cities to live in 2025? ›

2024-2025 U.S. News Best Places to Live – Top 10
  • Naples, FL.
  • Boise, ID.
  • Colorado Springs, CO.
  • Greenville, SC.
  • Charlotte, NC.
  • Raleigh, NC.
  • Huntsville, AL.
  • Virginia Beach, VA.
May 20, 2024

What states have no cities over 100000? ›

Five states have no cities with populations exceeding 100,000. They are: Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

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