Barely making ends meet: the poorest cities in different states of the USA

The new economic reality of declining incomes—and even poverty—is all too familiar for many Americans in many parts of the United States. For decades, small towns across the country have been devastated by deindustrialization and job losses. In these places, incomes tend to be low, poverty rates are high, and many residents depend on government assistance to meet basic needs. Edition USA Today collected a selection of the poorest cities in the United States.

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In almost every state, even in relatively wealthy states, there is at least one city where incomes are much lower than the national average. After analyzing the average annual income in more than 2600 cities, towns, villages and places indicated in the census, the poorest city in the state was identified.

Only areas with a population of 1 to 000 were considered. To ensure accuracy, only those places were considered where the margin of error for the population and average income was less than 25%. All data on income, education, poverty and demographics are five-year estimates from a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 000.

One of the strongest income correlations in the United States is education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans with a bachelor's degree are much less likely to be unemployed than Americans with a lower level of education, and they earn 67% more than those with only a high school diploma. In the whole country, 31,5% of adults have a bachelor's degree.

California: Orange Cove

• Median income: $ 25 (state: $ 660)
• Poverty rate: 47,8% (state: 14,3%)
• Median home value: $ 129 (state: $ 000)
• Population: 9 564

Orange Cove is a small city with a population of approximately 9 people. The typical family here makes just $600 a year, about a third of the state's median household income of $25 and less than half the national figure of $660.

Florida: Avon Park

• Median income: $ 30 (state: $ 675)
• Poverty rate: 33% (state: 14,8%)
• Median home value: $ 68 (state: $ 400)
• Population: 10 386

Avon Park is the poorest city in Florida and one of the poorest cities in the United States. A city located in the center of the state, it is home to about 10 people, the average family income is only $ 000, which is significantly lower than the statewide average of $ 30, and about half the national average income. In addition, almost a third of the region’s inhabitants live below the poverty line, which is more than double the poverty level both in the state and in the country.

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Avon Park property values ​​reflect the area's low incomes. A typical home in the area costs just $68—less than half the price of a typical home in the state at $400.

Illinois: Rudhouse

• Median income: $ 32 (state: $ 335)
• Poverty rate: 22,3% (state: 13,1%)
• Median home value: $ 47 (state: $ 600)
• Population: 1 792

Most families in the small western city of Illinois Rudhouse earn less than $ 33 a year. Meanwhile, most households in the state as a whole earn more than $ 000 a year. With a low average household income, the concentration of poverty at Rudhouse is much higher than average. The poverty level in the city is 63%, which is significantly higher than both the state poverty level of 000% and the US level of 22,3%.

New Jersey: Crestwood Village

• Median household income: $ 28 (state: $ 708)
• Poverty rate: 10,4% (state: 10,4%)
• Median home value: $ 72 (state: $ 700)
• Population: 8 164

Although New Jersey has low-income areas, including Atlantic City and Camden, Crestwood Village is the state’s poorest city with less than 25 inhabitants. A typical Crestwood Village family earns only $ 000 a year, which is much less than half of the average state income of $ 28.

In Crestwood Village, the poverty rate is 10,4%, which corresponds to the poverty rate in New Jersey.

New York: New Square

• Median income: $ 23 (state: $ 578)
• Poverty rate: 63,3% (state: 14,6%)
• Median home value: $ 376 (state: $ 400)
• Population: 8 133

New Square is a Hasidic Jewish village located in Rockland County, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of downtown Manhattan. The typical household in the town earns just $23 a year, the least of any comparable household in New York State and less than half the state's median household income of $578, according to the Census Bureau.

Despite low incomes, the typical home in New Square costs $376—far more than the state's median home price of $400.

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