Top 10 poorest cities in America 2024

Last updated on January 23rd, 2024 at 11:02 am

America is a very varied country. There are those who are wealthy, poor, and in the middle (most of us)

You can turn a corner in a major city and go from pleasant to blight in less than a block.

We don’t pass judgement. All we’re doing is watching.

But where can you go to view the country’s poorest citizens? We are not discussing specific people. We refer clearly to which regions of the nation.

Large city centers with a lot of blight and crime will often be assumed. Yes, we did take it into consideration, but you also have to anticipate that the poorest cities in America will be those with the lowest employment rates and the lowest wages, on average. Check out the Richest cities in America

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Poverty Rate
1.	Detroit	6,72,351	14.9%	33.2%
2.	Cleveland	383,331	12.4%	32.0%
3.	Hartford	122,549	11.3%	28.0%
4.	Dayton	140,444	10.3%	29.6%
5.	Newark	281,917	10.6%	26.3%
6.	Rochester	206,357	8.9%	30.4%
7.	Syracuse	142,553	9.6%	30.3%
8.	Jackson	163,778	11.4%	24.5%
9.	Toledo	275,116	8.7%	25.6%
10.	Allentown	121,156	10.0%	25.6%

1) Detroit

What else can we say about Detroit? It is genuinely the country’s poorest, least-employed, and most impoverished region. And yet, despite claims to the contrary, Detroit is supposedly improving. Of course, you could mention how Detroit’s demise began with the departure of the auto industry. Part of it is that. The events that occurred in Detroit might fill an entire page, however today, homes can be purchased for just $1, around 60% of the population has left, and most areas are downright impoverished.

Why is Detroit? Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati were mostly spared. Additionally, other rust belt cities like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and even Cleveland aren’t doing too badly.

The truth is that if Detroit wants to ever resemble a true American metropolis, it has a LOT of catching up to accomplish.

2) Cleveland

Cleveland is completely bankrupt. The average family lives barely outside of poverty, which affects 32.0% of the city. This is not breaking news if you reside there.

The Cleveland sports teams have at least helped people forget about their financial plight. Despite the fact that these are often affluent types of entertainment, there are also theatres, good restaurants sprouting up, and major orchestras in the area. Can anyone comment on the affordability of these products for the majority of Clevelanders?

Also Read: Top 10 poorest cities in Pennsylvania

However, it seems that the more you search online, the more positive Clevelanders seem to be about how their city is getting better every year. It’s wonderful news, Cleveland. We support you just like the other cities on this list. The nicest part is that Cleveland is at least not Detroit.

3) Hartford

Hartford has a high unemployment rate of 11.34% and ranks in the top 10 in each of the three areas we evaluated. Its poverty rate is also twice as high as the national average. Yikes.

A rather in-depth piece about Hartford’s downfall noted that the city had formerly enjoyed great popularity. In conclusion, Hartford has a higher cost of living than many other cities, a large exodus of residents, and a high crime rate. Jobs, talent, and excitement all vanished with the demise of manufacturing.

4) Dayton

There once was a Dayton resident. He made an effort to balance his life. He received a degree in 2003. Has he been hired well? He continues to wait.

We’ll make a few quick stops in Ohio, which is practically the poorest state in the union. The situation is a complete mess here in Dayton. One third of the population is poor, while the average yearly salary is just over $30,000.

ALso Read: Top 10 poorest cities in Texas

5) Newark

Moving on, we reach Newark, the fifth-poorest city in the nation. Here, the population is on average about $10,000 above the $37,476 official poverty line, and the unemployment and poverty rates are appallingly low.

Camden residents make a little more money than their Newark counterparts, but they rank as the 40th poorest people in the country as a whole. Guess Camden prevails in that conflict?

If the underprivileged in Newark work hard, they can take advantage of many chances. After Hartford and New York City, Newark is the third-largest insurance hub in the country. Additional prominent IT and healthcare corporations have their headquarters here. A few well-known residents of Newark include Steve Sanders from Beverly Hills 90210, rapper ICE T, and actor Jason Alexander from Seinfeld. And a scientist who worked with Albert Einstein.

6) Rochester

Upstate New York is where we’re headed next. We’re headed to Rochester this time. As one Rochester local put it, “Rochester used to be the headquarters for several huge firms back in the 70s and 80s, and then Rochester became a hefty tax burden businesses in the area.” The local economy has been negatively impacted by the departure of several of the larger businesses.

The terminology is somewhat harsh, but Rochester was once a thriving city, so it appears that the majority of that is accurate. It used to be a location where you could earn a respectable salary in a position that was regarded as low-skilled while earning your GED. Today, it is difficult to find the skills required to attract employers in Rochester due to the low high school graduation rates.

Also Read: Top 10 poorest cities in Georgia

7) Syracuse

Syracuse, New York, is the seventh poorest city in the US, with a 1 in 3 poverty rate, the 4th highest in the US. Actually, no other big city has gotten poorer than Syracuse. Syracuse used to be the 10th poorest city, but it is currently the 7th. Major American cities have seen a little increase in poverty rates, but overall, poverty rates have decreased significantly—about 10% more people are no longer living in poverty.

Syracuse really receives more snow than any other city in America, with slightly more snow than Wooster, Massachusetts, and the nearby city of Buffalo, on top of the poverty problem here in upstate New York. As a result, utilities account for around 25% of Syracuse households’ expenses, with heating prices accounting for a sizable chunk of that. 

Therefore, for many months, it has been particularly difficult to go to one of the four Syracuse-area Super Walmarts or Syracuse-area Targets. Given that groceries at Target cost around 15% more than those at Walmart, it is logical to assume that the less fortunate people shop at Walmart.

Also Read: Top 10 poorest cities in Michigan

8) Jackson

If truly impoverished is what you mean by bad, Jackson would be the culprit behind Mississippi’s awfulness. It’s not terrible, but it is unquestionably bad. You are aware that Mississippi is the poorest state in the country.

Jackson is situated on the state’s western border. And a large portion of western Mississippi is poo to the oor, as you can see in this county-by-county map showing poverty statistics in America. Other areas with high poverty rates include Native American reservations in Arizona and South Dakota, a huge portion of rural, mountainous Kentucky, and the US-Mexico border in Texas.

Also Read: Least Developed & Poorest Cities In California

9) Toledo

You’ll see that a handful of the cities on this list are in Ohio. The economic developments of the last few decades have severely impacted that state, which has caused serious financial difficulties in many of its formerly booming major areas. Here’s one more, though: Toledo is ranked as the ninth-poorest city in the nation.

Life in Toledo, Ohio, can be difficult for its 275116 inhabitants. Toledo is situated on Lake Erie, just south of the Michigan state line. The unemployment rate is at 8.7%, and the typical income is $39,155. A shortage of well-paying jobs has left 25.63% of people struggling to make ends meet.

But life isn’t all struggle. The Toledo Zoo and Toledo Museum of Art are just two of the many pleasures available in the city.

10) Allentown

As of the 2020 census, there are 125,845 people living in the city. It is the third-largest city in Pennsylvania after Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and the state’s fastest-growing metropolitan metropolis. With a population of 861,899, it is the largest city in both Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley, which as of 2020 ranked as the 68th most populous metropolitan region in the US. The county seat for Lehigh County is Allentown, which was established in 1762.