Special Report
Cities Where the Most People Live Below the Poverty Line
Published:
More than 60% of Americans will spend at least a year of their lives in poverty, according to a recent analysis conducted by a professor of social welfare at Washington University. Since COVID-19 reached the United States in early 2020, the financial situation of millions of Americans has deteriorated, even as a number of the nation’s wealthiest saw their fortunes increase by billions of dollars.
Many Americans owe months of back rent, and many still face an unstable job situation or ongoing unemployment. In a recent survey by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 27% of Americans surveyed said that it was somewhat difficult or very difficult to afford their usual expenses. Based on 2019 figures, the most recent year of available data, 12.3% of Americans live below the federal poverty line. In some parts of the U.S., poverty rates are considerably higher, including a number of places with rates well in excess of 30.0%.
To determine the cities with the highest poverty rates in the nation, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year poverty rate estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. For reference, the U.S. Department of Health and Human services sets the official poverty threshold at an annual income of no more than approximately $26,000 for a family of four.
The 50 cities on this list, which have a poverty rate of 28.7% or higher, can be found in 16 states, with the vast majority located in the Northeast, the Midwest, or the South. New York and Ohio are tied for having the most of the 50 cities on this list, with six each.
While poverty rates do not correspond perfectly with median incomes, states with higher poverty rates tend to have lower incomes. These states of course also tend to have higher shares of residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps.
Click here to see the cities where the most people live below the poverty line.
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
50. Trenton, New Jersey
> Poverty rate: 28.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 23,101 — 173rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.2% — 98th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $35,402 — 44th lowest of 1,642 cities
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49. LaGrange, Georgia
> Poverty rate: 28.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,471 — 573rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 22.4% — 172nd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $34,808 — 40th lowest of 1,642 cities
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48. Kankakee, Illinois
> Poverty rate: 28.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,196 — 682nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 31.0% — 41st highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $37,894 — 75th lowest of 1,642 cities (tied)
47. Harlingen, Texas
> Poverty rate: 29.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 18,647 — 222nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 23.2% — 151st highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $39,752 — 109th lowest of 1,642 cities
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46. Oildale, California
> Poverty rate: 29.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 10,052 — 464th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.3% — 95th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $38,099 — 78th lowest of 1,642 cities
45. Pharr, Texas
> Poverty rate: 29.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 22,685 — 178th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 35.2% — 21st highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $39,884 — 110th lowest of 1,642 cities
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44. Brownsville, Texas
> Poverty rate: 29.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 52,879 — 66th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.7% — 71st highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $38,588 — 89th lowest of 1,642 cities
43. Merced, California
> Poverty rate: 29.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 23,935 — 165th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 24.6% — 125th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $45,232 — 251st lowest of 1,642 cities
42. Holyoke, Massachusetts
> Poverty rate: 29.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 11,471 — 401st highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 33.6% — 27th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $40,769 — 134th lowest of 1,642 cities
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41. Utica, New York
> Poverty rate: 29.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,977 — 253rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 32.0% — 32nd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $37,760 — 73rd lowest of 1,642 cities
40. Fort Pierce, Florida
> Poverty rate: 29.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 13,149 — 344th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 28.2% — 66th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $35,198 — 42nd lowest of 1,642 cities
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39. Danville, Illinois
> Poverty rate: 29.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,485 — 572nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 24.8% — 124th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $36,172 — 51st lowest of 1,642 cities
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38. Jamestown, New York
> Poverty rate: 29.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,543 — 566th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 35.5% — 19th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $33,420 — 31st lowest of 1,642 cities
37. Lakewood, New Jersey
> Poverty rate: 29.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,062 — 279th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 29.1% — 60th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $50,897 — 451st lowest of 1,642 cities
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36. Kingsville, Texas
> Poverty rate: 29.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,108 — 695th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.5% — 308th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $42,452 — 173rd lowest of 1,642 cities
35. Buffalo, New York
> Poverty rate: 30.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 74,552 — 45th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 32.9% — 29th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $37,354 — 68th lowest of 1,642 cities
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34. Zanesville, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 30.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,373 — 672nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 33.9% — 25th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $30,345 — 10th lowest of 1,642 cities
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33. Richmond, Kentucky
> Poverty rate: 30.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,250 — 512th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.5% — 308th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $36,302 — 53rd lowest of 1,642 cities
32. Carrollton, Georgia
> Poverty rate: 30.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 7,129 — 692nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.9% — 257th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $42,942 — 182nd lowest of 1,642 cities (tied)
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31. Dayton, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 30.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 39,125 — 96th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.4% — 78th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $32,540 — 24th lowest of 1,642 cities
30. Gary, Indiana
> Poverty rate: 30.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 22,992 — 175th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.0% — 85th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $31,936 — 16th lowest of 1,642 cities
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29. Pontiac, Michigan
> Poverty rate: 30.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 17,903 — 234th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 31.4% — 39th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $33,568 — 32nd lowest of 1,642 cities
28. Canton, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 30.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 21,120 — 196th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 29.1% — 60th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $32,287 — 19th lowest of 1,642 cities
27. Albany, Georgia
> Poverty rate: 30.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 21,506 — 189th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 28.9% — 63rd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $36,615 — 60th lowest of 1,642 cities
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26. Muncie, Indiana
> Poverty rate: 31.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 19,215 — 213th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.5% — 271st highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $33,944 — 34th lowest of 1,642 cities
25. Syracuse, New York
> Poverty rate: 31.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 39,983 — 93rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 29.5% — 55th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $38,276 — 86th lowest of 1,642 cities
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24. Desert Hot Springs, California
> Poverty rate: 31.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,847 — 543rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.8% — 332nd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $33,046 — 29th lowest of 1,642 cities
23. Rochester, New York
> Poverty rate: 31.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 62,146 — 55th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 34.2% — 23rd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $35,590 — 47th lowest of 1,642 cities
22. Chester, Pennsylvania
> Poverty rate: 31.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,652 — 489th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 41.4% — 6th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $32,403 — 21st lowest of 1,642 cities
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21. York, Pennsylvania
> Poverty rate: 31.9%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 13,725 — 329th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 38.6% — 12th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $33,906 — 33rd lowest of 1,642 cities
20. Valdosta, Georgia
> Poverty rate: 32.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 17,394 — 245th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 23.9% — 135th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $32,595 — 25th lowest of 1,642 cities
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19. Huntington, West Virginia
> Poverty rate: 32.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 14,146 — 316th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 22.1% — 182nd highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $31,162 — 15th lowest of 1,642 cities
18. East Chicago, Indiana
> Poverty rate: 32.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,061 — 527th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 30.7% — 45th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $32,839 — 27th lowest of 1,642 cities
17. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
> Poverty rate: 32.5%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 13,884 — 321st highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.9% — 297th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $34,735 — 39th lowest of 1,642 cities
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16. Binghamton, New York
> Poverty rate: 32.6%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 14,165 — 315th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 28.2% — 66th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $34,487 — 37th lowest of 1,642 cities
15. Cleveland, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 32.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 122,404 — 21st highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 33.4% — 28th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $30,907 — 14th lowest of 1,642 cities
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14. Reading, Pennsylvania
> Poverty rate: 32.7%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 28,049 — 142nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 42.4% — 4th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $32,176 — 17th lowest of 1,642 cities
13. East St. Louis, Illinois
> Poverty rate: 33.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,840 — 544th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 43.3% — 2nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $24,343 — 1st lowest of 1,642 cities
12. Brawley, California
> Poverty rate: 33.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 8,785 — 549th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.8% — 70th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $42,326 — 170th lowest of 1,642 cities
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11. Saginaw, Michigan
> Poverty rate: 34.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,615 — 263rd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 39.5% — 9th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $29,582 — 9th lowest of 1,642 cities
10. Warren, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 35.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 12,927 — 352nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.9% — 87th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $28,898 — 7th lowest of 1,642 cities
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9. Detroit, Michigan
> Poverty rate: 35.0%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 232,137 — 9th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 37.9% — 14th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $30,894 — 13th lowest of 1,642 cities
8. Youngstown, Ohio
> Poverty rate: 35.2%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 21,382 — 190th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 36.7% — 17th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $28,822 — 5th lowest of 1,642 cities
7. University (Hillsborough County), Florida
> Poverty rate: 35.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,754 — 259th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.0% — 85th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $28,495 — 4th lowest of 1,642 cities
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6. Camden, New Jersey
> Poverty rate: 36.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 26,107 — 148th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 38.5% — 13th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $27,015 — 2nd lowest of 1,642 cities
5. Monroe, Louisiana
> Poverty rate: 36.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 16,507 — 266th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.2% — 82nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $30,438 — 11th lowest of 1,642 cities
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4. Atlantic City, New Jersey
> Poverty rate: 37.1%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 13,999 — 318th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 32.3% — 30th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $29,232 — 8th lowest of 1,642 cities
3. Greenville, Mississippi
> Poverty rate: 37.3%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 11,234 — 413th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 31.4% — 39th highest of 1,642 cities (tied)
> Median household income: $27,025 — 3rd lowest of 1,642 cities
2. Immokalee, Florida
> Poverty rate: 37.4%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 9,846 — 479th highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 39.3% — 10th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $30,885 — 12th lowest of 1,642 cities
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1. Flint, Michigan
> Poverty rate: 38.8%
> Number of people living below poverty line: 36,655 — 102nd highest of 1,642 cities
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 41.6% — 5th highest of 1,642 cities
> Median household income: $28,834 — 6th lowest of 1,642 cities
Methodology
To determine the cities with the highest poverty rates in the nation, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates of the percentage of people for whom poverty status had been determined that live below the poverty line from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
We used census “place” geographies, a category that includes 29,573 incorporated legal entities and census-designated statistical entities. Of those, 29,320 had boundaries that fell within one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
We defined cities based on a population threshold of more than 25,000 people, and 1,775 of the places fell within this threshold.
Cities were excluded for several reasons: if poverty rates were not available in the 2019 ACS; if less than 1,000 residents were determined to be living in poverty; if 25% or more of a city’s population were enrolled in undergraduate, professional, or graduate school during the same period; or if the sampling error associated with a city’s data was deemed too high.
The sampling error was defined as too high if the coefficient of variation — a statistical assessment of how reliable an estimate is — for a city’s poverty rate was above 15% and greater than two standard deviations above the mean CV for all cities’ poverty rates. We similarly excluded cities that had a sampling error too high for their population for which poverty status had been determined, using the same definition.
The remaining 1,642 places were ranked based on their poverty rates. Additional information on the number of people living below the poverty line, median household income, and the share of households receiving SNAP benefits are also five-year estimates from the 2019 ACS.
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