This Is the Poorest City in Your State

Being poor in America is never an easy life, but cities that were already pressed for resources–and the people who live there–have predictably fared the worst through endless months of unemployment and uncertainty. Most of the CARES Act benefits have long run dry and it appears now that new federal relief legislation is hopelessly stalled until after the election.

For the cities where incomes are low and affordable housing is fleeting, help arriving in early winter might be help arriving too late.

In order to find the poorest city in every state, GOBankingRates used U.S. Census data to identify the five cities of 2,000 residents or more with the lowest median household income in every state. Then, using Zillow data, the state’s typical home value was included and each city was scored against the others in its state. Whichever city emerged with the lowest cumulative score was determined to be the poorest in its respective state. 

Readers should keep in mind that the pandemic and economic crisis have been disproportionately unkind to the less affluent. There’s now a risk that these and other vulnerable American cities could become poorer still in the coming months.

• City: Greensboro
• Population: 2,870
• Median household income: $16,875
• Typical home value: $67,432

• City: Willow
• Population: 2,126
• Median household income: $51,932 
• Typical home value: $166,181

• City: Quartzsite
• Population: 3,707
• Median household income: $21,740 
• Typical home value: $125,258

• City: Marianna
• Population: 3,685
• Median household income: $18,664 
• Typical home value: $34,999

• City: Richgrove
• Population: 2,611
• Median household income: $20,946 
• Typical home value: $169,097

• City: Las Animas
• Population: 2,065
• Median household income: $22,258 
• Typical home value: $63,082

• City: Hartford
• Population: 123,628
• Median household income: $34,338 
• Typical home value: $117,984

• City: Dover Base Housing
• Population: 3,467
• Median household income: $41,516 
• Typical home value: $152,360

• City: Chiefland
• Population: 2,514
• Median household income: $21,829 
• Typical home value: $95,001

• City: Homerville
• Population: 2,442
• Median household income: $19,156 
• Typical home value: $54,420

• City: Mountain View
• Population: 3,269
• Median household income: $37,116
• Typical home value: $242,369

• City: Weiser
• Population: 5,326
• Median household income: $30,041 
• Typical home value: $173,534

• City: Carbondale
• Population: 25,846
• Median household income: $22,025 
• Typical home value: $129,124

• City: Gary
• Population: 76,677
• Median household income: $30,310 
• Typical home value: $38,280

• City: Centerville
• Population: 5,487
• Median household income: $33,682 
• Typical home value: $55,191

• City: Iola
• Population: 5,400
• Median household income: $31,218 
• Typical home value: $53,302

• City: Cumberland
• Population: 2,039
• Median household income: $20,333 
• Typical home value: $34,327

• City: Lake Providence
• Population: 2,930
• Median household income: $17,801 
• Typical home value: $42,801

• City: Fairfield
• Population: 3,152
• Median household income: $26,832 
• Typical home value: $138,017

• City: Crisfield
• Population: 2,593
• Median household income: $29,224 
• Typical home value: $84,651

• City: Springfield
• Population: 154,596
• Median household income: $36,730 
• Typical home value: $179,834

• City: Houghton
• Population: 7,934
• Median household income: $24,133 
• Typical home value: $159,386

• City: Aitkin
• Population: 2,282
• Median household income: $30,000 
• Typical home value: $114,825

• City: Durant
• Population: 2,908
• Median household income: $20,733
• Typical home value: $38,432

• City: East Prairie
• Population: 3,096
• Median household income: $24,261
• Typical home value: $49,087

• City: Libby
• Population: 2,663
• Median household income: $30,217 
• Typical home value: $190,995

• City: Fairbury
• Population: 3,711
• Median household income: $37,386
• Typical home value: $62,680

• City: Laughlin
• Population: 7,502
• Median household income: $33,851
• Typical home value: $178,008

• City: Berlin
• Population: 10,382
• Median household income: $38,315
• Typical home value: $82,799

• City: Salem
• Population: 4,811
• Median household income: $24,841 
• Typical home value: $100,025

• City: Tucumcari
• Population: 4,958
• Median household income: $23,486 
• Typical home value: $76,906

• City: South Fallsburg
• Population: 2,538
• Median household income: $24,766 
• Typical home value: $119,668

• City: Plymouth
• Population: 3,542
• Median household income: $17,368 
• Typical home value: $55,938

• City: Devils Lake
• Population: 7,317
• Median household income: $43,750 
• Typical home value: $169,871

• City: New Boston
• Population: 2,375
• Median household income: $19,774 
• Typical home value: $36,462

• City: Hugo
• Population: 5,184
• Median household income: $24,548 
• Typical home value: $64,799

• City: Cave Junction
• Population: 2,323
• Median household income: $25,781 
• Typical home value: $227,949

• City: Shenandoah
• Population: 4,853
• Median household income: $24,576 
• Typical home value: $17,475

• City: Central Falls
• Population: 19,382
• Median household income: $31,724 
• Typical home value: $220,686

• City: Allendale
• Population: 3,072
• Median household income: $19,590
• Typical home value: $32,317

• City: Sisseton
• Population: 2,486
• Median household income: $38,167 
• Typical home value: $78,610

• City: Jamestown
• Population: 2,010
• Median household income: $17,865 
• Typical home value: $100,381

• City: El Cenizo
• Population: 3,248
• Median household income: $20,417 
• Typical home value: $57,613

• City: Ephraim
• Population: 6,987
• Median household income: $39,915 
• Typical home value: $209,293

• City: Bellows Falls
• Population: 2,985
• Median household income: $32,576 
• Typical home value: $138,142

• City: Chase City
• Population: 2,401
• Median household income: $26,776 
• Typical home value: $63,327

• City: Newport
• Population: 2,142
• Median household income: $33,707 
• Typical home value: $261,183

• City: Williamson
• Population: 2,883
• Median household income: $24,077 
• Typical home value: $37,041

• City: Wautoma
• Population: 2,122
• Median household income: $32,990 
• Typical home value: $151,224

• City: Mills
• Population: 3,848
• Median household income: $44,437 
• Typical home value: $152,346

More From GOBankingRates

• 44 Ways To Trim Your Living Expenses During the Coronavirus Quarantine
• 94 Money-Making Skills You Can Learn in Less Than a Year
• 24 Ways To Maximize Your Paycheck This Year
• How Long $1 Million in Savings Will Last in Every State

Methodology: To find the poorest city in every state, GOBankingRates looked at all places in the U.S. with a population of over 2,000 according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey five-year estimates. GOBankingRates identified the five cities in every state with the lowest median household income according to the same source and then used Zillow’s housing data through Sept. 2020 to find the 2020 average estimated home value in each city. Each city was then scored against all others in its state on its (1) median household income and (2) typical home value, and the city with the lowest cumulative score was identified as the poorest city in its respective state. Only cities for which complete ACS and Zillow data were available were included in the final ranking. All data were collected on and is up to date as of Oct. 2, 2020.

Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only and do not always reflect the exact city listed.