Media outlets often publish articles about the richest cities in each state, showing off the location’s biggest tourist attractions, fanciest neighborhoods or most sparkling amenities, like community theaters, parks and schools.
It isn’t as often that we hear about the regions in a state where residents struggle economically compared to a neighboring community or even live below the poverty level, but each state has at least one.
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To determine the poorest big city in every state, GOBankingRates analyzed data about the median household income, the percentage of the population living below the poverty level and the per capita income, as sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Read through to see what qualifies as the poorest city in your state and the rest of the United States.
Birmingham, Alabama
- Population: 200,431
- Median Household Income: $42,464
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 26.09%
- Per Capita Income: $29,289
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Fairbanks, Alaska
- Population: 32,496
- Median Household Income: $69,914
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.67%
- Per Capita Income: $34,820
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Surprise, Arizona
- Population: 145,591
- Median Household Income: $87,756
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 6.79%
- Per Capita Income: $37,518
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
- Population: 41,172
- Median Household Income: $39,411
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 24.88%
- Per Capita Income: $21,170
Anaheim, California
- Population: 347,111
- Median Household Income: $88,538
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.62%
- Per Capita Income: $35,331
Pueblo, Colorado
- Population: 111,430
- Median Household Income: $52,794
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.60%
- Per Capita Income: $28,968
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New Britain, Connecticut
- Population: 74,212
- Median Household Income: $53,766
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.70%
- Per Capita Income: $28,796
Smyrna, Delaware
- Population: 12,870
- Median Household Income: $68,260
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.99%
- Per Capita Income: $31,340
Hialeah, Florida
- Population: 222,996
- Median Household Income: $49,531
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.81%
- Per Capita Income: $24,295
South Fulton, Georgia
- Population: 107,865
- Median Household Income: $77,488
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.37%
- Per Capita Income: $36,153
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Kahului, Hawaii
- Population: 27,233
- Median Household Income: $94,712
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.72%
- Per Capita Income: $34,885
Caldwell, Idaho
- Population: 61,212
- Median Household Income: $65,259
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.63%
- Per Capita Income: $24,112
Waukegan, Illinois
- Population: 89,435
- Median Household Income: $66,077
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 15.00%
- Per Capita Income: $30,089
Lafayette, Indiana
- Population: 70,828
- Median Household Income: $50,674
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 16.47%
- Per Capita Income: $29,523
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Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Population: 62,670
- Median Household Income: $61,181
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 13.59%
- Per Capita Income: $31,946
Salina, Kansas
- Population: 46,734
- Median Household Income: $56,945
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.67%
- Per Capita Income: $31,477
Richmond, Kentucky
- Population: 34,883
- Median Household Income: $45,457
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 22.23%
- Per Capita Income: $26,787
Bossier City, Louisiana
- Population: 62,971
- Median Household Income: $54,100
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.36%
- Per Capita Income: $30,737
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Lewiston, Maine
- Population: 37,577
- Median Household Income: $54,317
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.83%
- Per Capita Income: $29,223
Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Population: 71,427
- Median Household Income: $86,283
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.16%
- Per Capita Income: $41,570
Lynn, Massachusetts
- Population: 100,653
- Median Household Income: $70,046
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.08%
- Per Capita Income: $31,816
Warren, Michigan
- Population: 138,588
- Median Household Income: $61,633
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 13.52%
- Per Capita Income: $31,080
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Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
- Population: 84,951
- Median Household Income: $82,271
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.88%
- Per Capita Income: $36,531
Greenville, Mississippi
- Population: 29,495
- Median Household Income: $35,148
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 32.20%
- Per Capita Income: $22,111
Springfield, Missouri
- Population: 168,873
- Median Household Income: $43,450
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.32%
- Per Capita Income: $28,806
Kalispell, Montana
- Population: 25,473
- Median Household Income: $57,123
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 10.37%
- Per Capita Income: $32,570
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Fremont, Nebraska
- Population: 27,230
- Median Household Income: $62,226
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.52%
- Per Capita Income: $31,944
Sunrise Manor, Nevada
- Population: 198,325
- Median Household Income: $52,476
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 21.82%
- Per Capita Income: $22,600
Laconia, New Hampshire
- Population: 16,898
- Median Household Income: $67,856
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 10.20%
- Per Capita Income: $39,171
Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Population: 135,665
- Median Household Income: $59,939
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 15.35%
- Per Capita Income: $26,633
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South Valley, New Mexico
- Population: 37,601
- Median Household Income: $44,670
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 21.01%
- Per Capita Income: $24,047
Cheektowaga, New York
- Population: 76,483
- Median Household Income: $64,066
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.80%
- Per Capita Income: $34,897
Concord, North Carolina
- Population: 105,335
- Median Household Income: $83,480
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 7.52%
- Per Capita Income: $39,148
Jamestown, North Dakota
- Population: 15,850
- Median Household Income: $53,389
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.89%
- Per Capita Income: $34,078
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Canton, Ohio
- Population: 70,589
- Median Household Income: $37,627
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 30.24%
- Per Capita Income: $22,649
Lawton, Oklahoma
- Population: 91,023
- Median Household Income: $51,561
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.40%
- Per Capita Income: $27,221
Springfield, Oregon
- Population: 61,740
- Median Household Income: $60,982
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 16.41%
- Per Capita Income: $29,284
Reading, Pennsylvania
- Population: 94,601
- Median Household Income: $42,852
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 28.61%
- Per Capita Income: $20,782
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Central Falls, Rhode Island
- Population: 22,359
- Median Household Income: $43,092
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 24.43%
- Per Capita Income: $19,552
Sumter, South Carolina
- Population: 43,046
- Median Household Income: $48,900
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.50%
- Per Capita Income: $27,742
Huron, South Dakota
- Population: 14,179
- Median Household Income: $57,702
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 11.08%
- Per Capita Income: $29,576
Clarksville, Tennessee
- Population: 167,882
- Median Household Income: $62,688
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.88%
- Per Capita Income: $29,481
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El Paso, Texas
- Population: 677,181
- Median Household Income: $55,710
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 18.94%
- Per Capita Income: $27,434
Ogden, Utah
- Population: 86,754
- Median Household Income: $66,226
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.12%
- Per Capita Income: $31,437
Bennington, Vermont
- Population: 8,753
- Median Household Income: $51,221
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.96%
- Per Capita Income: $33,141
Roanoke, Virginia
- Population: 99,213
- Median Household Income: $51,523
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.11%
- Per Capita Income: $33,206
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Vancouver, Washington
- Population: 190,700
- Median Household Income: $73,626
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.33%
- Per Capita Income: $40,219
Wheeling, West Virginia
- Population: 26,900
- Median Household Income: $46,516
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 18.25%
- Per Capita Income: $33,868
Janesville, Wisconsin
- Population: 65,669
- Median Household Income: $68,610
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.87%
- Per Capita Income: $35,135
Riverton, Wyoming
- Population: 10,733
- Median Household Income: $50,861
- Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.48%
- Per Capita Income: $25,653
Methodology: To find the poorest big cities in every state, GOBankingRates analyzed the top 10 cities in each state by population, as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city, the median household income, the percentage of the population below the poverty level and the per capita income also were sourced from the American Community Survey. The median household income, per capita income and percentage of the population below the poverty level, were all scored and summed to allow a comparison of each city within every state. The cities with higher scores represent poorer cities with lower median household incomes, higher poverty rates and lower per capita income. The highest-scoring city in each state was determined to be its poorest big city. All data was collected and is up to date as of June 4, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Poorest Big City in Every State
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