In the year 2023, there was a worrisome rise in the number of American citizens who were living below the poverty line. This was a reversal of the progress that had been made in previous years. The unfortunate trend can be largely attributed to the expiration of safety net programs that were implemented or expanded during the pandemic. These programs included unemployment benefits, nutrition assistance, housing aid, and the boosted child tax credit.
According to the most recent data from the Census Bureau, as reported through the American Community Survey, the poverty rate in the United States is currently at 12.6%. However, this number is even higher in some major cities, indicating that a significant portion of the population is facing financial difficulties. This highlights the harsh reality of many people struggling to make ends meet.
CEOWORLD magazine has conducted a comprehensive review of one-year poverty data from the latest American Community Survey (ACS) to determine which American towns are facing the highest poverty rates. We analyzed data from almost 350 metropolitan statistical areas and ranked them based on the percentage of their population living below the poverty line.
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
> Poverty rate: 27.6%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 6.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 29.5%
> Median household income: $49,142
> Total population: 888,367
- Albany, GA
> Poverty rate: 26.2%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.8%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 27.5%
> Median household income: $48,376
> Total population: 146,387
- Monroe, LA
> Poverty rate: 24.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 22.1%
> Median household income: $44,507
> Total population: 202,869
- Las Cruces, NM
> Poverty rate: 24.5%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.4%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.6%
> Median household income: $51,967
> Total population: 223,337
- Madera, CA
> Poverty rate: 24.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 6.1%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 21.7%
> Median household income: $76,920
> Total population: 160,256
- Farmington, NM
> Poverty rate: 24.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.6%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 22.0%
> Median household income: $50,264
> Total population: 120,418
- El Centro, CA
> Poverty rate: 22.6%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 14.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 28.2%
> Median household income: $57,310
> Total population: 178,713
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
> Poverty rate: 22.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 5.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.4%
> Median household income: $50,649
> Total population: 425,208
- Texarkana, TX-AR
> Poverty rate: 21.6%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.3%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.6%
> Median household income: $48,230
> Total population: 144,322
- El Paso, TX
> Poverty rate: 21.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.3%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 21.1%
> Median household income: $53,359
> Total population: 871,323
- Florence, SC
> Poverty rate: 21.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.3%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.6%
> Median household income: $50,219
> Total population: 199,119
- Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
> Poverty rate: 20.8%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.2%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.5%
> Median household income: $55,222
> Total population: 89,559
- Athens-Clarke County, GA
> Poverty rate: 20.6%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 11.2%
> Median household income: $61,978
> Total population: 220,191
- Lafayette, LA
> Poverty rate: 20.2%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.4%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.0%
> Median household income: $50,837
> Total population: 481,125
- Greenville, NC
> Poverty rate: 20.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.1%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.2%
> Median household income: $57,049
> Total population: 173,542
- Macon-Bibb County, GA
> Poverty rate: 20.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.9%
> Median household income: $52,574
> Total population: 235,805
- Laredo, TX
> Poverty rate: 20.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.1%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 25.2%
> Median household income: $59,603
> Total population: 267,780
- Hattiesburg, MS
> Poverty rate: 20.0%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 14.8%
> Median household income: $54,560
> Total population: 172,263
- Beckley, WV
> Poverty rate: 19.8%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 20.8%
> Median household income: $52,633
> Total population: 112,369
- Charleston, WV
> Poverty rate: 19.7%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.9%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.0%
> Median household income: $53,157
> Total population: 250,554
- Tallahassee, FL
> Poverty rate: 19.6%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.3%
> Median household income: $58,018
> Total population: 391,680
- Pine Bluff, AR
> Poverty rate: 19.5%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 5.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.6%
> Median household income: $44,263
> Total population: 84,460
- Hammond, LA
> Poverty rate: 19.4%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.3%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 24.4%
> Median household income: $55,391
> Total population: 137,048
- Merced, CA
> Poverty rate: 19.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 7.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 20.2%
> Median household income: $66,164
> Total population: 290,014
- Champaign-Urbana, IL
> Poverty rate: 19.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.1%
> Median household income: $62,108
> Total population: 223,265
- Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
> Poverty rate: 19.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.5%
> Median household income: $52,775
> Total population: 385,154
- Harrisonburg, VA
> Poverty rate: 19.1%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 2.9%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.3%
> Median household income: $64,993
> Total population: 136,555
- Grants Pass, OR
> Poverty rate: 19.0%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 5.6%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 23.2%
> Median household income: $53,838
> Total population: 87,730
- Cumberland, MD-WV
> Poverty rate: 18.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 21.3%
> Median household income: $54,618
> Total population: 94,122
- Goldsboro, NC
> Poverty rate: 18.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.1%
> Median household income: $55,588
> Total population: 117,286
- Chico, CA
> Poverty rate: 18.8%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 14.1%
> Median household income: $64,426
> Total population: 207,303
- Muncie, IN
> Poverty rate: 18.8%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.8%
> Median household income: $54,087
> Total population: 112,031
- Hanford-Corcoran, CA
> Poverty rate: 18.8%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 7.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.9%
> Median household income: $64,368
> Total population: 152,981
- Fresno, CA
> Poverty rate: 18.7%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 6.4%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 22.7%
> Median household income: $69,571
> Total population: 1,015,190
- Mobile, AL
> Poverty rate: 18.7%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.2%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.2%
> Median household income: $54,313
> Total population: 428,780
- Binghamton, NY
> Poverty rate: 18.7%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.9%
> Median household income: $63,427
> Total population: 244,889
- Bowling Green, KY
> Poverty rate: 18.5%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.7%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.1%
> Median household income: $59,629
> Total population: 184,636
- Homosassa Springs, FL
> Poverty rate: 18.5%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 4.1%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.6%
> Median household income: $51,532
> Total population: 162,529
- Columbus, GA-AL
> Poverty rate: 18.5%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.6%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 16.9%
> Median household income: $54,106
> Total population: 324,416
- Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
> Poverty rate: 18.4%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 2.8%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 6.7%
> Median household income: $56,176
> Total population: 226,250
- Saginaw, MI
> Poverty rate: 18.4%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 5.6%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.7%
> Median household income: $53,646
> Total population: 188,330
- Anniston-Oxford, AL
> Poverty rate: 18.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.0%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.3%
> Median household income: $52,819
> Total population: 115,788
- Joplin, MO
> Poverty rate: 18.3%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 2.4%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.4%
> Median household income: $54,041
> Total population: 184,086
- Visalia, CA
> Poverty rate: 18.2%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 8.2%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 24.3%
> Median household income: $64,722
> Total population: 477,544
- Fort Smith, AR-OK
> Poverty rate: 18.2%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.3%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 15.9%
> Median household income: $49,980
> Total population: 246,751
- Morgantown, WV
> Poverty rate: 18.2%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.5%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 12.1%
> Median household income: $56,132
> Total population: 141,041
- Gainesville, FL
> Poverty rate: 18.0%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 2.8%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 10.6%
> Median household income: $59,516
> Total population: 350,903
- Jonesboro, AR
> Poverty rate: 17.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 2.8%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 13.9%
> Median household income: $59,582
> Total population: 135,512
- Hot Springs, AR
> Poverty rate: 17.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 3.8%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 9.6%
> Median household income: $53,145
> Total population: 100,089
- Bakersfield, CA
> Poverty rate: 17.9%
> Unemployment rate, 2022: 6.9%
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 19.7%
> Median household income: $66,234
> Total population: 916,108
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