Top 10 poorest cities in Pennsylvania 2024

Last updated on January 24th, 2024 at 06:05 am

The state of Pennsylvania conjures up memories of Harrisburg, picturesque scenery, and some of the most wonderful people you’ll ever meet.

However, Pennsylvania has some areas that are struggling, just like every state. In these areas, an above-average percentage of people live in poverty, are unemployed, or are not earning as much as they should.

We thought it prudent to look at the areas in each state that are failing to make it even while the economy keeps improving, given all the discussion about income inequality going on across the nation. We, therefore, focused on drawing attention to the areas of Pennsylvania that require assistance.

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Poverty Rate
1.	Johnstown	19,569	13.9%	38.4%
2.	Duquesne	5,543	13.8%	39.2%
3.	Reading	88,232	12.9%	32.7%
4.	Mckeesport	19,335	12.1%	31.4%
5.	Shamokin	7,051	10.8%	33.2%
6.	Clarion	5,580	12.1%	30.6%
7.	Indiana	13,346	10.0%	39.3%
8.	Chester	33,982	12.1%	31.4%
9.	Mckees Rocks	5,919	9.2%	31.3%
10.	Aliquippa	9,004	9.1%	34.0%

Following are the top 10 poorest cities in Pennsylvania.

1) Johnstown

Unfortunately, Johnstown is the poorest city in Pennsylvania due to a combination of low salaries and a lack of employment opportunities.

The median household income is the lowest in Pennsylvania and the poverty rate is the fourth highest in the 19,569-person city. The cost of living is, at the very least, among the lowest in the state, making housing and other necessities reasonably priced.

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2) Duquesne

Duquesne is the second-poorest city in Pennsylvania. The city has the sixth-lowest median household income and the third-highest rate of poverty. However, the Keystone State only has the third-highest unemployment rate in the nation.

3) Reading

Reading, which is ranked as the third poorest city, has the 10th lowest median income nationwide.

And that indicates that the economy’s quality has increased somewhat between second and third on our ranking. The state’s poverty rate, which is 32.72394241314138 percent, is among the lowest in the nation.

The city’s low cost of living, however, more than makes up for its residents’ relatively modest salaries. In comparison to most areas of the Keystone State, the money you do make here goes further.

4) Mckeesport

Pennsylvania’s fourth poorest city is McKeesport. The community has the 11th highest rate of poverty in the state and the 5th lowest median household income. Despite this, the city still has a huge range of cultures because it conducts several events all year long.

5) Shamokin

Shamokin ranks as Pennsylvania’s fifth poorest city. The city has the fourth-lowest state-wide median income. Although Pennsylvania’s poverty rate is the sixth highest in the nation, a significant portion of the population is kept out of poverty thanks to the state’s extremely low cost of living. The news is still not ideal for Shamokin.

6) Clarion

The Keystone State’s sixth poorest city is Clarion. It ranks as having the 8th highest unemployment rate and the 14th greatest incidence of poverty.

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7) Indiana

In Pennsylvania, Indiana is the seventh-poorest city. With roughly 13,346 residents, the city has the second-highest rate of poverty in the state. Its extremely low cost of living, however, makes it easier to pay the expenses each month.

8) Chester

Chester is Pennsylvania’s sixth poorest city. The town’s major concern is its high unemployment rate, which is the ninth highest in the state.

Also Read: Top 10 poorest cities in Georgia

9) Mckees Rocks

Number 9 on the list of Pennsylvania’s ten poorest communities is McKees Rocks. Despite having the second-lowest median income, a sizable portion of the population lives in poverty. Overall, McKees Rocks has the 12th-highest percentage of residents who live in poverty out of all the Pennsylvania communities we looked at.

10) Aliquippa

Aliquippa completes the list of the ten poorest cities in Pennsylvania. In the Keystone State, the city of 9,004 residents has a poverty rate and median income that are both in the lowest 20%.

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