Once Symbols of American Prosperity, These Cities Have Fallen Into Poverty

Incomes have been steadily rising for years in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the typical American household earned about $77,719 in 2023, up about 18% from $65,712 in 2019. However, these gains have not been enough to outpace rising consumer prices. Adjusting for inflation, the national median household income was about […] The post Once Symbols of American Prosperity, These Cities Have Fallen Into Poverty appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Feb 25, 2025 - 14:45

Once Symbols of American Prosperity, These Cities Have Fallen Into Poverty

Incomes have been steadily rising for years in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the typical American household earned about $77,719 in 2023, up about 18% from $65,712 in 2019. However, these gains have not been enough to outpace rising consumer prices. Adjusting for inflation, the national median household income was about 1% lower in 2023 than it was in 2019.

24/7 Wall St. Key Points:

In recent years, increases in consumer prices have outpaced income growth.
Surging inflation has had a disproportionate impact on lower income households — and in nearly every state, there is at least one city where residents earn far less than is typical.
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While inflation has impacted the finances of every household in the country, lower income Americans are particularly vulnerable. According to a 2024 U.S. Census Bureau survey, 95% of Americans earning less than $50,000 per year are concerned prices will rise in the next six months, and 80% of the same cohort had at least some difficulty paying for usual household expenses in the last week. Meanwhile, 86% of the entire adult population are concerned about rising prices, and only 61% had difficulty paying bills.

While inflation has cooled in recent months, years of consumer prices climbing faster than wages continue to have a negative impact on millions of American households — particularly in areas where incomes tend to be lower than average.

Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the poorest city in every state. Within each state, we identified the city with the lowest median household income. All cities, towns, municipalities, and unincorporated communities with populations of at least 50,000 were considered. Neither Vermont nor West Virginia are home to a community with a population of 50,000 or more, and as a result, these states were excluded from analysis. In three states — Alaska, Delaware, and Maine — only one city met the population threshold. As a result, the listed city in these states ranks as the poorest by default only, and are noted as such. All supplemental data is also from the ACS.

It is important to note that in some states, median household incomes are far higher than in others, and as a result, there are states where even the lowest-income city has a relatively high-earning population. Among the 48 cities on this list, the annual income of a typical household ranges from about $35,000 to over $98,000. Still, with the exception of Alaska and Maine — states where the listed city ranks by default only — the median income in every state’s poorest city is less than comparable statewide median income, often by tens of thousands of dollars.

Lower incomes in these places are also often underscored by the relative prevalence of serious financial hardship. In nearly every city on this list, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the comparable statewide poverty rate — and in 17 of these places the poverty rate is over 10 percentage points higher than it is across the state as a whole.

Incomes in the U.S. tend to rise with educational attainment, both for individuals and across broad populations. Not surprisingly, in most cities on this list, a typical adult is less likely to have a four-year college education than a typical adult across the state as a whole. (Here is a look at America’s top ranked colleges and universities.)

Real estate markets are often a reflection of what residents can afford, and in the vast majority of cities on this list, a typical home sells for far less than average. In over half of the cities on this list, the median home value is at least $75,000 lower than the statewide median. (Here is a look at the most affordable housing markets in the country.)

These are the poorest cities in each state.

Why It Matters

Consumer prices have surged in recent years, and while no American has been spared, inflation has a disproportionate impact on lower-income households. While cities are generally economic engines, nearly every state is home to at least one city where incomes are well below what is typical across the state as a whole. Residents of these places are more likely to report inflation-related stress and difficulty paying for usual expenses.