The poorest towns in every US state
Income inequality is a growing problem in the United States. Perhaps more evident now than in any time in recent memory, conspicuous consumption is juxtaposed with abject poverty in cities and towns across the country. While the rich and poor often live side by side, in some American towns, serious financial hardship is a daily reality for most who live there.
In every state, there are towns where the median household income falls well below the state and national median incomes. In over a dozen states, there are towns in which the typical household earns less than half the income that a typical household statewide earns.
1. Selma, Alabama
Town median household income: $23,283
State median household income: $44,758
Town poverty rate: 41.4%
Town population: 19,650
The poorest town in Alabama, Selma also ranks among the 10 poorest towns in the United States. The typical household in the town earns just $23,283 annually, about half the income a typical household in the state as a whole earns. Some 41.4% of Selma’s 20,000 residents live below the poverty line, more than double the statewide poverty rate of 18.4% and the US rate of 15.1%.
2. Ketchikan City, Alaska
Town median household income: $53,937
State median household income: $74,444
Town poverty rate: 13.6%
Town population: 8,189
With a median annual household income of $74,444 — nearly $20,000 more than the median income nationwide — Alaska is a relatively wealthy state. Even in the state’s poorest town, Ketchikan, the typical household earns $53,937 a year, in line with the typical American household income. Ketchikan’s 13.6% poverty rate is below the 15.1% US poverty rate.
3. South Tucson, Arizona
Town median household income: $20,241
State median household income: $51,340
Town poverty rate: 48.9%
Town population: 5,627
South Tucson is the poorest town in Arizona and the fifth poorest town in the United States. The typical household in the town earns $20,241 a year, and nearly half of all town residents live in poverty. The town is one of only three in the United States in which over half of all households receive government assistance to afford groceries in the form of SNAP benefits.
4. Camden, Arkansas
Town median household income: $25,581
State median household income: $42,336
Town poverty rate: 34%
Town population: 11,515
The typical household in Camden earns $25,581 a year, the least of any town in Arkansas. Property values in an area often reflect incomes, and the median home value in Camden is just $70,900. In comparison, the typical American home is worth $184,700, and the median home across Arkansas is valued at $114,700.
5. Clearlake, California
Town median household income: $25,426
State median household income: $63,783
Town poverty rate: 38.1%
Town population: 15,070
With a median annual household income of $25,426, Clearlake is the poorest town in California. Higher education can open doors to higher paying jobs, and areas with fewer college-educated adults often have lower income levels. Just 9.1% of adults in Clearlake have a four-year college degree, less than a third of the statewide bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 32.9%.
6. Willimantic, Connecticut
Town median household income: $34,211
State median household income: $71,755
Town poverty rate: 29.7%
Town population: 17,339
The median household income in Connecticut is $71,755 a year, well above the income the typical American household earns. Not every town in the state is high earning, however. In Willimantic, the typical household earns just $34,211 a year, less than half the statewide median. With a large low-income population, a disproportionate share of Willimantic residents rely on government assistance to afford groceries. Over a third of Willimantic households receive SNAP benefits, well above the recipiency rates for the nation and every other town in Connecticut.
7. Smyrna, Delaware
Town median household income: $53,941
State median household income: $61,017
Town poverty rate: 8.3%
Town population: 11,081
The typical household in Smyrna earns $53,941 a year, the lowest median income of any town in Delaware. Despite ranking as the poorest town in the state, Smyrna’s income levels are comparable with the US as a whole in terms of income. The median annual household income in the town is only about $600 less than the median income nationwide of $53,322.
Compared the poorest town in most states, a smaller than typical share of Smyrna residents live in poverty. Smyrna’s 8.3% poverty rate is below the 15.1% poverty rate across Delaware.
8. Sterling, Colorado
Town median household income: $36,282
State median household income: $62,520
Town poverty rate: 20.4%
Town population: 13,976
In Sterling, the poorest town in Colorado, about one in every five residents live in poverty, nearly double the statewide poverty rate of 11.0%. The typical household in the town earns just $36,282 a year, or about $26,000 less than the typical Colorado household and $19,000 less than the typical American household.
Income levels track closely with education levels. Just 15.5% of adults in Sterling have a bachelor’s degree, less than half the comparable shares nationwide and statewide.
9. Brownsville, Florida
Town median household income: $19,796
State median household income: $48,900
Town poverty rate: 42.4%
Town population: 15,860
The typical annual household in Brownsville, Florida, which is located within the Miami metro area, is just $19,796, or less than half the comparable median income of $48,900 across the state as a whole. Likely because of the low incomes, a relatively large share of area residents rely on government assistance to buy groceries. An estimated 48% of households in Brownsville received SNAP benefits last year, more than double the 14.8% of Florida households.
10. Cordele, Georgia
Town median household income: $23,294
State median household income: $51,037
Town poverty rate: 49.6%
Town population: 11,015
In Cordele, the poorest town in Georgia, the typical household earns just $23,294 a year, or less than half the statewide median income of $51,037. With the lowest income in the state, Cordele also has the highest poverty rate. About half of the town’s 11,015 residents live below the poverty line, well more than double the comparable 17.8% poverty rate across Georgia.
As in many low-income regions, a relatively low proportion of adults in Cordele have a college degree. An estimated 11.5% of adults in the area have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In comparison, 29.4% of adults in Georgia and 30.3% of American adults nationwide have a bachelor’s degree.
11. Wahiawa, Hawaii
Town median household income: $55,744
State median household income: $71,977
Town poverty rate: 15.4%
Town population: 17,696
Hawaii is one of only half a dozen states where the typical household earns over $70,000 a year. Even in Wahiawa, the lowest income town in the state, the median household income is $55,744 a year, which is slightly higher than the $55,322 the typical American household earns annually.
The high incomes across the state are partially offset by a high cost of living. Goods and services in Hawaii are about 19% more expensive on average than they are nationwide.
12. Rupert, Idaho
Town median household income: $35,011
State median household income: $49,174
Town poverty rate: 27.4%
Town population: 5,702
The median household income in Rupert of $35,011 a year is about $14,000 less than the median income across Idaho as a whole. Less education in Rupert partially explains the town’s low incomes. Fewer than 75% of area adults have a high school diploma, and just 11% have a bachelor’s degree. In comparison, 90% of adults across the state have a high school diploma, and 26.2% have a four-year college degree.
13. Centreville, Illinois
Town median household income: $16,715
State median household income: $59,196
Town poverty rate: 50.1%
Town population: 5,127
With a median annual household income of $16,715, Centreville is not only the poorest town in Illinois, but also the poorest in the United States. The median household income in both Illinois and the United States as a whole is more than three times the median income in Centreville. The town is also one of only four nationwide where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line.
14. Brazil, Indiana
Town median household income: $29,531
State median household income: $50,433
Town poverty rate: 31.6%
Town population: 8,105
Brazil has the lowest median household income of any town in Indiana. The typical household earns less than $30,000 a year. Likely due to the area’s low incomes the population is relatively dependent on government assistance. About 31% of the town’s households receives SNAP benefits, well above the 12.2% statewide recipiency rate.
15. Lamoni, Iowa
Town median household income: $33,393
State median household income: $54,570
Town poverty rate: 26.1%
Town population: 2,616
The median household income in Lamoni is $33,393 a year, the least of any town in Iowa. Lamoni is also one of only two towns in Iowa in which more than one in every four residents are below the poverty line.
In most poor towns across the United States the share of adults with a college education is relatively small, but Lamoni is a notable exception. Some 32.9% of adults in the town have a bachelor’s degree, a larger share than the national college attainment rate of 30.3% and the statewide rate of 27.2%.
16. Belleville, Kansas
Town median household income: $31,885
State median household income: $53,571
Town poverty rate: 13.9%
Town population: 1,831
The typical household in Belleville earns just $31,885 a year, the least of any town in Kansas. Despite the low incomes, relatively few residents earn poverty wages or depend on government assistance for basic necessities. Just 13.9% of area residents live below the poverty line, compared with the 13.3% state poverty rate and the 15.1% US poverty rate. Similarly, the 9.2% SNAP benefit recipiency rate in Belleville is in line with the 9.1% statewide rate and below the 13.0% national recipiency rate.
17. Glasgow, Kentucky
Town median household income: $28,362
State median household income: $44,811
Town poverty rate: 26.9%
Town population: 14,338
Glasgow is the only town in Kentucky where the typical household earns less than $30,000 a year. Glasgow’s 26.9% poverty rate is also higher than any other town in the state and well above the 18.8% poverty rate statewide — itself one of the higher poverty levels compared with other states.
A high school diploma is a prerequisite for almost any job. In Glasgow, 78.2% of the adult population have a high school diploma, compared to 84.6% of adults statewide.
18. Ville Platte, Louisiana
Town median household income: $18,679
State median household income: $45,652
Town poverty rate: 38.4%
Town population: 7,338
Several towns in Louisiana have a low enough median household income to qualify as the poorest town in most other states. Ville Platte is the only town in Louisiana where the typical household earns less than $20,000 a year. The town’s median household income is nearly a third of the national median income of $55,322, and less than half the statewide median income of $45,652.
19. Eastport, Maine
State median household income: $50,826
Town poverty rate: 18.8%
Town population: 1,390
Eastport is the poorest town in Maine and the third poorest town in all of New England. The typical area household earns just $33,836 a year, or about $17,000 less than the median across Maine as a whole.
As is the case in most poor American towns, a relatively large share of Eastport residents depend on government assistance to afford food. Some 23.5% of the town’s population receives SNAP benefits compared to 16.3% of people in Maine as a whole.
20. Cumberland, Maryland
Town median household income: $31,855
State median household income: $76,067
Town poverty rate: 24%
Town population: 20,290
With a median annual household income of $76,067, Maryland is the wealthiest state in the country. However, not all parts of the state are high income. In Cumberland, the typical household earns $31,855 a year — less than half the statewide median income and well below the $55,322 the typical American household earns.
The area’s low incomes are reflected in low property values. The typical home in Cumberland is worth $87,700, or less than a third the median home value of $290,400 across Maryland.
In this list, the poverty rate exceeds the poverty rate across the state as a whole. In over half of all towns on this list, more than one in every four residents live in poverty, well above the US poverty rate of 15.1%.
