The Poorest Big Cities in Every State

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.

How To Start Investing In Real Estate – Even If You’re Not Rich

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.

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.

• Population: 200,431
• Median Household Income: $42,464
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 26.09%
• Per Capita Income: $29,289

• Population: 32,496
•  Median Household Income: $69,914
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.67%
• Per Capita Income: $34,820

• Population: 145,591
• Median Household Income: $87,756
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 6.79%
• Per Capita Income: $37,518

• Population: 41,172
• Median Household Income: $39,411
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 24.88%
• Per Capita Income: $21,170

• Population: 347,111
• Median Household Income: $88,538
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.62%
• Per Capita Income: $35,331

• Population: 111,430
• Median Household Income: $52,794
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.60%
• Per Capita Income: $28,968

• Population: 74,212
• Median Household Income: $53,766
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.70%
• Per Capita Income: $28,796 

• Population: 12,870
• Median Household Income: $68,260
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.99%
• Per Capita Income: $31,340 

• Population: 222,996
• Median Household Income: $49,531
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.81%
• Per Capita Income: $24,295 

• Population: 107,865
• Median Household Income: $77,488
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.37%
• Per Capita Income: $36,153 

• Population: 27,233
• Median Household Income: $94,712
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.72%
• Per Capita Income: $34,885 

• Population: 61,212
• Median Household Income: $65,259
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.63%
• Per Capita Income: $24,112 

• Population: 89,435
• Median Household Income: $66,077
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 15.00%
• Per Capita Income: $30,089 

• Population: 70,828
• Median Household Income: $50,674
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 16.47%
• Per Capita Income: $29,523 

• Population: 62,670
• Median Household Income: $61,181
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 13.59%
• Per Capita Income: $31,946 

• Population: 46,734
• Median Household Income: $56,945
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.67%
• Per Capita Income: $31,477 

• Population: 34,883
• Median Household Income: $45,457
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 22.23%
• Per Capita Income: $26,787

• Population: 62,971
•  Median Household Income: $54,100
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.36%
• Per Capita Income: $30,737 

• Population: 37,577
• Median Household Income: $54,317
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.83%
• Per Capita Income: $29,223 

• Population: 71,427
• Median Household Income: $86,283
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.16%
• Per Capita Income: $41,570 

• Population: 100,653
• Median Household Income: $70,046
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.08%
• Per Capita Income: $31,816 

• Population: 138,588
•  Median Household Income: $61,633
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 13.52%
• Per Capita Income: $31,080

• Population: 84,951
• Median Household Income: $82,271
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.88%
• Per Capita Income: $36,531 

• Population: 29,495
• Median Household Income: $35,148
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 32.20%
• Per Capita Income: $22,111 

• Population: 168,873
• Median Household Income: $43,450
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 20.32%
• Per Capita Income: $28,806 

• Population: 25,473
• Median Household Income: $57,123
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 10.37%
• Per Capita Income: $32,570 

• Population: 27,230
• Median Household Income: $62,226
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.52%
• Per Capita Income: $31,944 

• Population: 198,325
• Median Household Income: $52,476
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 21.82%
• Per Capita Income: $22,600 

• Population: 16,898
• Median Household Income: $67,856
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 10.20%
• Per Capita Income: $39,171 

• Population: 135,665
• Median Household Income: $59,939
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 15.35%
• Per Capita Income: $26,633 

• Population: 37,601
• Median Household Income: $44,670
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 21.01%
• Per Capita Income: $24,047 

• Population: 76,483
• Median Household Income: $64,066
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 8.80%
• Per Capita Income: $34,897 

• Population: 105,335
• Median Household Income: $83,480
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 7.52%
• Per Capita Income: $39,148 

• Population: 15,850
• Median Household Income: $53,389
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.89%
• Per Capita Income: $34,078 

• Population: 70,589
• Median Household Income: $37,627
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 30.24%
• Per Capita Income: $22,649 

• Population: 91,023
• Median Household Income: $51,561
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.40%
• Per Capita Income: $27,221 

• Population: 61,740
• Median Household Income: $60,982
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 16.41%
• Per Capita Income: $29,284 

• Population: 94,601
• Median Household Income: $42,852
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 28.61%
• Per Capita Income: $20,782

• Population: 22,359
• Median Household Income: $43,092
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 24.43%
• Per Capita Income: $19,552

• Population: 43,046
• Median Household Income: $48,900
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 17.50%
• Per Capita Income: $27,742

• Population: 14,179
• Median Household Income: $57,702
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 11.08%
• Per Capita Income: $29,576

• Population: 167,882
• Median Household Income: $62,688
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.88%
• Per Capita Income: $29,481 

• Population: 677,181
• Median Household Income: $55,710
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 18.94%
• Per Capita Income: $27,434

• Population: 86,754
• Median Household Income: $66,226
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.12%
• Per Capita Income: $31,437

• Population: 8,753
• Median Household Income: $51,221
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 14.96%
• Per Capita Income: $33,141

• Population: 99,213
• Median Household Income: $51,523
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 19.11%
• Per Capita Income: $33,206

• Population: 190,700
• Median Household Income: $73,626
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 12.33%
• Per Capita Income: $40,219

• Population: 26,900
• Median Household Income: $46,516
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 18.25%
• Per Capita Income: $33,868

• Population: 65,669
• Median Household Income: $68,610
• Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level: 9.87%
• Per Capita Income: $35,135

• 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 Jun. 4, 2024.