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.
Last updated: Oct. 22, 2020
Alabama
- City: Greensboro
- Population: 2,870
- Median household income: $16,875
- Typical home value: $67,432
Alaska
- City: Willow
- Population: 2,126
- Median household income: $51,932
- Typical home value: $166,181
Arizona
- City: Quartzsite
- Population: 3,707
- Median household income: $21,740
- Typical home value: $125,258
Arkansas
- City: Marianna
- Population: 3,685
- Median household income: $18,664
- Typical home value: $34,999
California
- City: Richgrove
- Population: 2,611
- Median household income: $20,946
- Typical home value: $169,097
Colorado
- City: Las Animas
- Population: 2,065
- Median household income: $22,258
- Typical home value: $63,082
Connecticut
- City: Hartford
- Population: 123,628
- Median household income: $34,338
- Typical home value: $117,984
Delaware
- City: Dover Base Housing
- Population: 3,467
- Median household income: $41,516
- Typical home value: $152,360
Florida
- City: Chiefland
- Population: 2,514
- Median household income: $21,829
- Typical home value: $95,001
Georgia
- City: Homerville
- Population: 2,442
- Median household income: $19,156
- Typical home value: $54,420
Hawaii
- City: Mountain View
- Population: 3,269
- Median household income: $37,116
- Typical home value: $242,369
Idaho
- City: Weiser
- Population: 5,326
- Median household income: $30,041
- Typical home value: $173,534
Illinois
- City: Carbondale
- Population: 25,846
- Median household income: $22,025
- Typical home value: $129,124
Indiana
- City: Gary
- Population: 76,677
- Median household income: $30,310
- Typical home value: $38,280
Iowa
- City: Centerville
- Population: 5,487
- Median household income: $33,682
- Typical home value: $55,191
Kansas
- City: Iola
- Population: 5,400
- Median household income: $31,218
- Typical home value: $53,302
Kentucky
- City: Cumberland
- Population: 2,039
- Median household income: $20,333
- Typical home value: $34,327
Louisiana
- City: Lake Providence
- Population: 2,930
- Median household income: $17,801
- Typical home value: $42,801
Maine
- City: Fairfield
- Population: 3,152
- Median household income: $26,832
- Typical home value: $138,017
Maryland
- City: Crisfield
- Population: 2,593
- Median household income: $29,224
- Typical home value: $84,651
Massachusetts
- City: Springfield
- Population: 154,596
- Median household income: $36,730
- Typical home value: $179,834
Michigan
- City: Houghton
- Population: 7,934
- Median household income: $24,133
- Typical home value: $159,386
Minnesota
- City: Aitkin
- Population: 2,282
- Median household income: $30,000
- Typical home value: $114,825
Mississippi
- City: Durant
- Population: 2,908
- Median household income: $20,733
- Typical home value: $38,432
Missouri
- City: East Prairie
- Population: 3,096
- Median household income: $24,261
- Typical home value: $49,087
Montana
- City: Libby
- Population: 2,663
- Median household income: $30,217
- Typical home value: $190,995
Nebraska
- City: Fairbury
- Population: 3,711
- Median household income: $37,386
- Typical home value: $62,680
Nevada
- City: Laughlin
- Population: 7,502
- Median household income: $33,851
- Typical home value: $178,008
New Hampshire
- City: Berlin
- Population: 10,382
- Median household income: $38,315
- Typical home value: $82,799
New Jersey
- City: Salem
- Population: 4,811
- Median household income: $24,841
- Typical home value: $100,025
New Mexico
- City: Tucumcari
- Population: 4,958
- Median household income: $23,486
- Typical home value: $76,906
New York
- City: South Fallsburg
- Population: 2,538
- Median household income: $24,766
- Typical home value: $119,668
North Carolina
- City: Plymouth
- Population: 3,542
- Median household income: $17,368
- Typical home value: $55,938
North Dakota
- City: Devils Lake
- Population: 7,317
- Median household income: $43,750
- Typical home value: $169,871
Ohio
- City: New Boston
- Population: 2,375
- Median household income: $19,774
- Typical home value: $36,462
Oklahoma
- City: Hugo
- Population: 5,184
- Median household income: $24,548
- Typical home value: $64,799
Oregon
- City: Cave Junction
- Population: 2,323
- Median household income: $25,781
- Typical home value: $227,949
Pennsylvania
- City: Shenandoah
- Population: 4,853
- Median household income: $24,576
- Typical home value: $17,475
Rhode Island
- City: Central Falls
- Population: 19,382
- Median household income: $31,724
- Typical home value: $220,686
South Carolina
- City: Allendale
- Population: 3,072
- Median household income: $19,590
- Typical home value: $32,317
South Dakota
- City: Sisseton
- Population: 2,486
- Median household income: $38,167
- Typical home value: $78,610
Tennessee
- City: Jamestown
- Population: 2,010
- Median household income: $17,865
- Typical home value: $100,381
Texas
- City: El Cenizo
- Population: 3,248
- Median household income: $20,417
- Typical home value: $57,613
Utah
- City: Ephraim
- Population: 6,987
- Median household income: $39,915
- Typical home value: $209,293
Vermont
- City: Bellows Falls
- Population: 2,985
- Median household income: $32,576
- Typical home value: $138,142
Virginia
- City: Chase City
- Population: 2,401
- Median household income: $26,776
- Typical home value: $63,327
Washington
- City: Newport
- Population: 2,142
- Median household income: $33,707
- Typical home value: $261,183
West Virginia
- City: Williamson
- Population: 2,883
- Median household income: $24,077
- Typical home value: $37,041
Wisconsin
- City: Wautoma
- Population: 2,122
- Median household income: $32,990
- Typical home value: $151,224
Wyoming
- City: Mills
- Population: 3,848
- Median household income: $44,437
- Typical home value: $152,346
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- 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.
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