Income

The Poorest County in Every State

Sam Stebbins

Published: November 15, 2024 5:18 pm

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With a $27.4 trillion economy, the U.S. is the wealthiest county on Earth.
• Not all Americans share in this prosperity, however, and across the country, there are communities characterized by higher than average unemployment and deeply entrenched poverty. 
• Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

Income inequality in the United States has been falling for years. According to estimates from the Swiss investment bank UBS, the Gini coefficient — an index measure used to gauge the distribution of wealth in a given country — improved by 2.4% between 2008 and 2023. Still, the U.S. has some of the highest levels of wealth inequality among many other similar, highly developed countries.

The same UBS report found that the U.S. is home to an estimated 22 million millionaires, more than any other country in the world, and about three times more than China, the country with the second largest population of millionaires. But despite having one the wealthiest populations in the world, a large portion of Americans are struggling financially.

According to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, about 12.5% of the U.S. population — or about 40.5 million people — live below the poverty line, an annual income threshold set at about $15,000 for an individual and $31,200 for a family of four in the lower 48 states.

In communities across the country, economic insecurity and serious financial hardship are deeply entrenched. The places include both urban and rural areas, many of which have suffered from decades of industrial decline.

Using five-year data from the 2022 ACS, 24/7 Wall St. identified the poorest county, or county equivalent, in every state. Within each state, counties are ranked by median household income. Supplemental data on poverty, home values, and educational attainment are also from the ACS, and unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additional data on cost of living is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Only counties with populations of at least 1,000 were considered. Due to recent changes in county distinctions, ACS data for Connecticut is current as of 2021.

Among the counties on this list, median household incomes range from about $74,200 to just $17,900 — and are anywhere from about $8,800 to $53,500 lower than the comparable statewide median.

Lower incomes often translate to limited consumer spending, which can, in turn, push the price of goods and services down. In all but three counties on this list, the cost of living is lower, on average, than it is across the state as a whole. In many of these places, lower prices are reflected in the local housing market. In nearly every state, the median home value in the lowest-income county is well below the value of a typical home across the state as a whole — and in most cases, by well over $100,000. (This is the income you need to comfortably afford a typical home in the United States.)

Low incomes in these places are due in part to certain economic and demographic factors. For one, all but five counties or county equivalents on this list have a higher unemployment rate than the state as a whole. Additionally, incomes in the U.S. tend to rise with educational attainment, and with only one exception, in each of these counties, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher is lower than the bachelor’s degree attainment rate across the state as a whole. (Here is a look at the jobs going away due to automation.)

Why It Matters

The United States has long been the wealthiest country in the world, but a large share of Americans do not share in the prosperity. Income levels can vary considerably between communities across the U.S., and every state in the country is home to at least one county or county equivalent where the typical household earns less than the typical American household, often by tens of thousands of dollars. These places are often characterized by widespread unemployment and relatively high poverty rates.

Alabama: Sumter County

Livingston, AL - April 2021: Sumter County Courthouse in Livingston, Alabama. (Shutterstock.com) by Stephen Reeves

• Median household income: $31,726 ($59,609 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 30.4% (15.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $88,000 ($179,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.8% (27.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.7% (2.5% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.6% less than U.S. avg. (12.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 12,196

Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area

• Median household income: $42,663 ($86,370 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 34.3% (10.5% statewide)
• Median home value: $82,200 ($318,000 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 4.6% (30.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 15.1% (4.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 3.7% less than U.S. avg. (2.0% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 8,372

Arizona: Apache County

• Median household income: $37,483 ($72,581 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 32.5% (13.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $62,400 ($321,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.8% (31.8% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 7.9% (3.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 19.6% less than U.S. avg. (0.1% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 66,054

Arkansas: Lee County

Lee County, Arkansas (CC BY 2.0) by Mike Norton

• Median household income: $33,801 ($56,335 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 27.6% (16.2% statewide)
• Median home value: $80,600 ($162,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 7.7% (24.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 5.2% (3.3% statewide)
• Cost of living: 18.3% less than U.S. avg. (13.4% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 8,666

California: Trinity County

• Median household income: $47,317 ($91,905 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 22.0% (12.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $326,200 ($659,300 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 19.2% (35.9% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 5.7% (4.8% statewide)
• Cost of living: 6.3% less than U.S. avg. (12.5% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 15,889

Colorado: Costilla County

Main street in Chama, Colorado... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Jeffrey Beall

• Median household income: $34,578 ($87,598 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 22.5% (9.6% statewide)
• Median home value: $145,200 ($465,900 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 23.7% (43.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.4% (3.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 11.7% less than U.S. avg. (2.3% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 3,534

Connecticut: Windham County

• Median household income: $71,418 ($83,572 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 11.3% (10.0% statewide)
• Median home value: $217,300 ($286,700 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 24.4% (40.6% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.9% (3.8% statewide)
• Cost of living: 3.9% less than U.S. avg. (2.8% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 116,503

Delaware: Kent County

2022-07-20 08 03 40 The east side of the Delaware Legislative Hall (Delaware Capitol Building) in Dover, Kent County, Delaware (BY-SA 4.0) by Famartin

• Median household income: $69,278 ($79,325 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 12.3% (11.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $272,300 ($305,200 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 26.3% (34.5% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.5% (4.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 4.1% less than U.S. avg. (2.0% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 182,400

Florida: Glades County

• Median household income: $37,221 ($67,917 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 21.9% (12.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $91,300 ($292,200 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.0% (32.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.8% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 12.7% less than U.S. avg. (2.1% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 12,179

Georgia: Randolph County

Randolph County, GA (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Rivers Langley; SaveRivers

• Median household income: $24,638 ($71,355 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 28.1% (13.5% statewide)
• Median home value: $83,800 ($245,900 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.4% (33.6% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.2% (3.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 14.1% less than U.S. avg. (4.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 6,365

Hawaii: Hawaii County

Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Haw... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Warren LeMay

• Median household income: $74,238 ($94,814 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 14.1% (9.6% statewide)
• Median home value: $454,900 ($764,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 30.7% (34.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.0% (3.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 6.4% more than U.S. avg. (10.8% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 202,163

Idaho: Butte County

• Median household income: $37,358 ($70,214 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 22.1% (11.0% statewide)
• Median home value: $194,700 ($331,600 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 16.2% (30.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.9% (3.1% statewide)
• Cost of living: 0.2% less than U.S. avg. (8.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 2,605

Illinois: Alexander County

• Median household income: $40,365 ($78,433 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 21.4% (11.8% statewide)
• Median home value: $58,600 ($239,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.3% (36.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.3% (4.5% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.8% less than U.S. avg. (1.3% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 5,261

Indiana: Crawford County

• Median household income: $46,706 ($67,173 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 21.9% (12.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $105,500 ($183,600 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.2% (28.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.6% (3.3% statewide)
• Cost of living: 14.2% less than U.S. avg. (8.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 10,511

Iowa: Appanoose County

• Median household income: $50,684 ($70,571 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 17.3% (11.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $113,900 ($181,600 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.8% (30.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.3% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.9% less than U.S. avg. (11.6% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 12,279

Kansas: Graham County

• Median household income: $47,071 ($69,747 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 9.9% (11.6% statewide)
• Median home value: $87,400 ($189,300 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 24.4% (34.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.6% (2.7% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.6% less than U.S. avg. (10.0% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 2,430

Kentucky: Wolfe County

• Median household income: $28,666 ($60,183 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 36.8% (16.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $62,200 ($177,000 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 7.0% (26.5% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.3% (4.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 17.5% less than U.S. avg. (10.6% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 6,573

Louisiana: East Carroll Parish

Lake Providence (CC BY 2.0) by NatalieMaynor

• Median household income: $30,856 ($57,852 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 40.3% (18.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $72,600 ($198,300 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 11.8% (26.1% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 8.8% (3.7% statewide)
• Cost of living: 14.1% less than U.S. avg. (9.4% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 7,371

Maine: Aroostook County

• Median household income: $50,843 ($68,251 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 14.9% (10.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $125,400 ($244,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.4% (34.1% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.9% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 11.3% less than U.S. avg. (0.8% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 67,237

Maryland: Somerset County

Eden, Maryland (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

• Median household income: $52,149 ($98,461 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 19.8% (9.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $157,200 ($380,500 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 16.8% (42.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.2% (2.1% statewide)
• Cost of living: 12.1% less than U.S. avg. (5.0% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 24,672

Massachusetts: Hampden County

• Median household income: $66,619 ($96,505 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 15.8% (9.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $258,100 ($483,900 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 28.6% (45.9% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.3% (3.4% statewide)
• Cost of living: 4.1% less than U.S. avg. (9.4% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 464,575

Michigan: Lake County

• Median household income: $45,946 ($68,505 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 20.3% (13.1% statewide)
• Median home value: $117,100 ($201,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.2% (31.1% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 7.0% (3.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.1% less than U.S. avg. (6.6% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 12,285

Minnesota: Mahnomen County

Mahnomen County Courthouse (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Andrew Filer

• Median household income: $52,739 ($84,313 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 20.6% (9.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $132,900 ($286,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.7% (38.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.7% (2.8% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.2% less than U.S. avg. (2.3% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 5,389

Mississippi: Issaquena County

• Median household income: $17,900 ($52,985 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 20.6% (19.2% statewide)
• Median home value: $96,300 ($151,000 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 5.2% (23.9% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 7.5% (3.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 17.4% less than U.S. avg. (12.7% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 1,206

Missouri: Hickory County

• Median household income: $33,302 ($65,920 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 17.6% (12.8% statewide)
• Median home value: $108,900 ($199,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.1% (31.2% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.6% (3.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.5% less than U.S. avg. (8.9% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 8,452

Montana: Glacier County

• Median household income: $41,078 ($66,341 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 29.4% (12.4% statewide)
• Median home value: $139,400 ($305,700 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.5% (34.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 5.4% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.6% less than U.S. avg. (9.7% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 13,781

Nebraska: Brown County

• Median household income: $44,267 ($71,722 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 8.9% (10.4% statewide)
• Median home value: $89,700 ($205,600 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.3% (33.5% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.5% (2.3% statewide)
• Cost of living: 12.4% less than U.S. avg. (10.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 2,691

Nevada: Mineral County

Walker Lake, Nevada (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

• Median household income: $46,625 ($71,646 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 18.5% (12.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $153,400 ($373,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.6% (26.5% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.8% (5.1% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.5% less than U.S. avg. (3.6% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 4,568

New Hampshire: Coos County

• Median household income: $55,247 ($90,845 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 11.6% (7.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $157,900 ($337,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.4% (39.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.6% (2.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 6.7% less than U.S. avg. (7.6% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 31,430

New Jersey: Cumberland County

Cumberland County, New Jersey (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Doug Kerr

• Median household income: $62,310 ($97,126 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 15.5% (9.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $192,900 ($401,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 17.3% (42.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.5% (4.4% statewide)
• Cost of living: 3.5% less than U.S. avg. (8.8% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 153,588

New Mexico: De Baca County

De Baca County Courthouse in Fort Sumner (CC BY 3.0) by Wordbuilder

• Median household income: $34,702 ($58,722 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 16.3% (18.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $219,200 ($216,000 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 9.2% (29.1% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.3% (3.8% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.9% less than U.S. avg. (9.0% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 1,695

New York: Bronx County

• Median household income: $47,036 ($81,386 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 26.9% (13.6% statewide)
• Median home value: $501,400 ($384,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.2% (38.8% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.8% (4.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 8.7% more than U.S. avg. (7.6% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 1,443,229

North Carolina: Washington County

• Median household income: $38,927 ($66,186 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 21.6% (13.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $97,800 ($234,900 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.1% (33.9% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.8% (3.5% statewide)
• Cost of living: 15.8% less than U.S. avg. (5.8% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 11,051

North Dakota: Sioux County

Fort Yates Baptist Mission Fort Yates, North Dakota 6-12-2009 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Andrew Filer

• Median household income: $41,201 ($73,959 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 39.7% (10.8% statewide)
• Median home value: $97,200 ($232,500 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 11.5% (31.4% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.4% (1.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.8% less than U.S. avg. (11.3% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 3,896

Ohio: Adams County

• Median household income: $46,234 ($66,990 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 19.6% (13.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $138,700 ($183,300 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 15.2% (30.4% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 5.0% (3.5% statewide)
• Cost of living: 17.1% less than U.S. avg. (8.6% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 27,509

Oklahoma: Pushmataha County

• Median household income: $42,274 ($61,364 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 21.7% (15.2% statewide)
• Median home value: $103,500 ($170,500 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.0% (27.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.9% (3.2% statewide)
• Cost of living: 16.3% less than U.S. avg. (11.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 10,845

Oregon: Harney County

HarneyCountyCourthouse (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Cacophony

• Median household income: $45,462 ($76,632 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 12.1% (11.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $174,100 ($423,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.2% (35.5% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.2% (3.7% statewide)
• Cost of living: 9.6% more than U.S. avg. (6.6% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 7,496

Pennsylvania: Cameron County

• Median household income: $46,186 ($73,170 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 15.0% (11.8% statewide)
• Median home value: $85,900 ($226,200 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.9% (33.8% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 5.0% (3.4% statewide)
• Cost of living: 12.3% less than U.S. avg. (3.8% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 4,536

Rhode Island: Providence County

• Median household income: $72,579 ($81,370 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 13.6% (11.2% statewide)
• Median home value: $310,500 ($343,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 31.2% (36.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.3% (3.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 1.0% more than U.S. avg. (4.7% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 657,984

South Carolina: Marlboro County

Main Street United Methodist C... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gerry Dincher

• Median household income: $34,275 ($63,623 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 27.8% (14.4% statewide)
• Median home value: $77,900 ($216,200 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 8.3% (30.6% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 7.2% (3.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 17.1% less than U.S. avg. (6.4% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 26,585

South Dakota: Jackson County

South Dakota (CC BY-SA 2.0) by GPA Photo Archive

• Median household income: $26,078 ($69,457 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 38.4% (12.3% statewide)
• Median home value: $108,400 ($219,500 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 15.6% (30.4% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.2% (2.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.7% less than U.S. avg. (12.0% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 2,838

Tennessee: Hancock County

Hancock-county-courthouse-tn1 (CC BY 3.0) by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:BrineStans

• Median household income: $31,809 ($64,035 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 32.3% (14.0% statewide)
• Median home value: $112,600 ($232,100 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 9.9% (29.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.4% (3.3% statewide)
• Cost of living: 18.7% less than U.S. avg. (8.2% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 6,726

Texas: Dimmit County

• Median household income: $27,374 ($73,035 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 43.6% (13.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $75,900 ($238,000 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.6% (32.3% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.2% (3.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 16.3% less than U.S. avg. (2.5% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 8,672

Utah: Piute County

• Median household income: $33,359 ($86,833 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 20.9% (8.5% statewide)
• Median home value: $218,800 ($408,500 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 19.6% (36.1% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.9% (2.6% statewide)
• Cost of living: 17.4% less than U.S. avg. (5.5% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 1,764

Vermont: Essex County

Guildhall, Vermont (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Doug Kerr

• Median household income: $55,247 ($74,014 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 13.2% (10.4% statewide)
• Median home value: $151,200 ($272,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.2% (41.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.9% (2.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 10.1% less than U.S. avg. (1.1% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 5,976

Virginia: Norton (independent city)

• Median household income: $36,974 ($87,249 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 29.1% (10.0% statewide)
• Median home value: $104,200 ($339,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 19.4% (41.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.1% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.6% less than U.S. avg. (2.1% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 3,668

Washington: Whitman County

• Median household income: $49,345 ($90,325 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 23.9% (9.9% statewide)
• Median home value: $298,500 ($473,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 50.9% (38.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 4.0% (4.1% statewide)
• Cost of living: 2.9% less than U.S. avg. (9.8% more than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 47,141

West Virginia: McDowell County

McDowell County WV Court (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Coal town guy

• Median household income: $28,235 ($55,217 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 33.3% (16.8% statewide)
• Median home value: $47,500 ($145,800 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 6.6% (22.7% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 6.4% (3.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 13.5% less than U.S. avg. (10.8% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 18,911

Wisconsin: Langlade County

Wayside at Post Lake Dam (CC BY 2.0) by Lanyap

• Median household income: $55,091 ($72,458 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 12.2% (10.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $138,000 ($231,400 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 15.8% (32.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 3.6% (3.0% statewide)
• Cost of living: 14.1% less than U.S. avg. (7.7% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 19,512

Wyoming: Niobrara County

Stagecoach Museum Lusk WY (CC0 1.0) by Jllm06

• Median household income: $54,375 ($72,495 statewide)
• Poverty rate: 18.3% (10.7% statewide)
• Median home value: $195,600 ($269,900 statewide)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.0% (29.0% statewide)
• Avg. unemployment rate in 2023: 2.6% (2.9% statewide)
• Cost of living: 14.7% less than U.S. avg. (8.1% less than U.S. avg. statewide)
• Total population: 2,460