List of lowest-income places in the United States

In 2017, Comerío Zona Urbana in Comerío, Puerto Rico had the lowest median household income of any place with more than 1,000 people in the United States[contradictory][note 1]

This is a list of lowest-income places in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the following are the places in the United States with the lowest median household income. Locations with populations from the 2013—2017 American Community Survey are ranked by median household income — the median household income figures are also from the 2013—2017 American Community Survey.[1] The "places" used in this article are what the U.S. Census Bureau defines as "places" (such as Census-Designated Places, or CDPs). In the United States (in 2017), the place with the lowest median household income was Little River, California (population 117), while the place with the lowest median household income with a population of more than 1,000 was Comerío Zona Urbana in Comerío, Puerto Rico (population 4,312).[1][contradictory][note 2]

In terms of geographic size, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the adjacent Rosebud Indian Reservation (Lakota Sioux Reservations, South Dakota) have long been among the lowest income areas in the United States — Wounded Knee, South Dakota, which is within the Pine Ridge Reservation, had the 7th lowest median household income out of all places in the 50 states/D.C./Puerto Rico (in 2017).[1]

In terms of population size, 3 out of 5 of the largest counties (populations over 1000) are predominantly, or majority white, ranging from 98% to 99% white, while two counties are predominantly black at 60% and 68% black, while the fifth one is 99% Native American.

The U.S. territories have the highest poverty rates in the United States (higher than the poverty rates of the U.S. mainland), and many of the lowest-income places in the United States are found in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and American Samoa.[2][3] In 2018, Comerío Municipality, Puerto Rico had a median household income of $12,812 — the lowest of any county or county-equivalent in the United States.[4][contradictory]

Places (2013—2017 American Community Survey)

The data below is for annual median household income in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — the data is based on 2013–2017 American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau; populations are also from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey.[1][note 3] Places with a population of over 1,000 are shown in bold.

Most of the lowest-income places with more than 1,000 people are located in Puerto Rico. Places in Puerto Rico such as zona urbanas and comunidads are Census-Designated Places. Locations in the U.S. territories (other than Puerto Rico) are included, but are not ranked because they have 2010 data.[5] Data is collected annually for the 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (in American Community Survey estimates), but data is not collected annually in other U.S. territories.

For comparison, in 2017 the median household income of the United States (excluding the U.S. territories) was $57,652.[6]

Rank Place State
or territory
2013-2017 Annual
Median Household
Income[1][note 4]
Population (2013-2017
ACS estimates)[7]
1 Little River CDP California $3,194 82
2 Villanueva CDP New Mexico $4,638 111
3 Nottoway Court House CDP Virginia $5,685 137
4 Lower Santan Village CDP Arizona $5,857 395
5 Comerío Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $6,242 4,312
6 Anon Raices Comunidad Puerto Rico $7,206 122
7 Wounded Knee CDP South Dakota $7,292 521
8 Barceloneta Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $7,897 3,920
9 Sabana comunidad Puerto Rico $8,687 1,093
10 Haivana Nakya Arizona $8,750 143
11 Palmarejo comunidad (Lajas Municipality) Puerto Rico $8,839 1,563
12 Chula Vista CDP (Cameron County) Texas $8,846 486
13 Ravalli CDP Montana $8,882 41
14 Pajonal comunidad Puerto Rico $8,889 495
15 Valley Ford CDP California $8,947 198
16 Long Hollow CDP South Dakota $9,063 242
17 Santa Clara comunidad Puerto Rico $9,063 1,037
18 Rincon Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $9,107 949
19 Whitley City CDP Kentucky $9,234 1,231
20 Boqueron comunidad (Las Piedras Municipality) Puerto Rico $9,238 1,139
21 Aguada Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $9,255 2,615
22 Sabana Eneas comunidad Puerto Rico $9,409 1,204
23 Oak Hill town Alabama $9,464 11
24 Suarez comunidad Puerto Rico $9,524 1,931
25 Tecolote CDP New Mexico $9,538 235
26 Norristown CDP Georgia $9,583 59
27 Upper Santan Village CDP Arizona $9,659 391
28 Fuig comunidad Puerto Rico $10,067 1,108
29 Adjuntas Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $10,257 4,302
30 South Greenfield village Missouri $10,278 131
31 Boligee town Alabama $10,313 602
32 El Tumbao comunidad Puerto Rico $10,396 1,802
33 Sarah Ann CDP West Virginia $10,450 262
34 Buena Vista comunidad (Humacao Municipality) Puerto Rico $10,455 816
35 South Acomita Village New Mexico $10,500 57
36 Maria Antonia comunidad Puerto Rico $10,526 1,115
37 Naranjito Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $10,532 1,593
38 Juncal comunidad Puerto Rico $10,608 631
39 El Ojo comunidad Puerto Rico $10,625 1,329
40 Miranda comunidad Puerto Rico $10,640 1,717
41 Maricao Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $10,667 662
42 Pueblito del Carmen comunidad Puerto Rico $10,882 692
43 White Mesa CDP Utah $10,972 132
44 Caban comunidad Puerto Rico $11,039 3,408
45 Pole Ojea comunidad Puerto Rico $11,113 1,644
46 Ceiba comunidad Puerto Rico $11,150 2,524
47 Palomas comunidad (Yauco Municipality) Puerto Rico $11,156 2,083
48 Camuy Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,163 3,816
49 La Ochenta comunidad Puerto Rico $11,207 729
50 Oak Hill city Kansas $11,250 73
51 Lomas comunidad Puerto Rico $11,280 1,253
52 Aguadilla Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,441 11,581
53 Barranquitas Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,573 1,945
54 La Yuca comunidad Puerto Rico $11,591 525
55 Farrell CDP Mississippi $11,696 264
56 Playita Cortada comunidad Puerto Rico $11,714 1,273
57 LaGrange town Arkansas $11,750 63
58 Bayside CDP Virginia $11,753 224
59 Santa Rita CDP Montana $11,808 212
60 Homestead Base CDP Florida $11,824 843
61 Morovis Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,847 2,198
62 San Sebastian Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,858 8,614
63 Loiza Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $11,889 3,439
64 Playa Fortuna comunidad Puerto Rico $11,960 1,375
65 Quebrada comunidad Puerto Rico $11,964 993
66 La Alianza comunidad Puerto Rico $11,995 1,793
Si'ufaga village American Samoa $12,000 175
67 Allen CDP South Dakota $12,083 470
68 Franklin CDP Maryland $12,117 263
69 Vieques comunidad Puerto Rico $12,147 2,648
70 Calzada comunidad Puerto Rico $12,188 184
71 Acietunas comunidad Puerto Rico $12,215 1,706
72 Palmer comunidad Puerto Rico $12,266 1,108
73 Llano del Medio CDP New Mexico $12,344 136
74 Casa Blanca CDP Arizona $12,396 1,189
75 Pageton CDP West Virginia $12,411 147
San Antonio village Northern Mariana Islands $12,414 1,149
76 Playita comunidad (Yabucoa Municipality) Puerto Rico $12,448 1,561
77 La Playa comunidad Puerto Rico $12,467 2,349
78 Brecon CDP Ohio $12,487 490
Olosega village American Samoa $12,500 172
79 Organ CDP New Mexico $12,500 225
80 Tallaboa Alta comunidad Puerto Rico $12,500 1,934
81 Rawls Springs CDP Mississippi $12,527 866
82 Santa Isabel Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $12,603 6,042
83 Corozal Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $12,691 9,203
84 Mountain Road CDP Virginia $12,791 1,055
85 Jobos comunidad Puerto Rico $12,727 2,132
86 Lares Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $12,742 4,615
87 Patillas Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $12,748 3,826
88 Reader CDP Arkansas $12,788 157
89 Las Ollas comunidad Puerto Rico $12,806 1,772
90 Shageluk city Alaska $12,813 63
91 Morgan City Mississippi $12,857 250
92 Ciales Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $12,914 2,276
93 Buena Vista comunidad (Arroyo Municipality) Puerto Rico $12,957 1,257
94 Liborio Negron Torres comunidad Puerto Rico $12,966 1,482
95 Cidra Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $13,011 5,427
96 Matewan town West Virginia $13,105 460
97 Bajandas comunidad Puerto Rico $13,112 747
98 Alligator town Mississippi $13,125 100
99 Sidon town Mississippi $13,125 456
100 Lluveras comunidad Puerto Rico $13,141 1,228
101 Livingston Alabama $13,272 3,416
102 Manati Zona Urbana Puerto Rico $13,278 13,130
103 Boy River Minnesota $13,281 59
104 Palmas comunidad Puerto Rico $13,288 1,135
105 McKee Kentucky $13,306 1,179

Other places

Other places (in the 50 states) that had a low median household income and a population greater than 1,000 (in 2017):[1]

Other places in the U.S. territories (excluding Puerto Rico) with a low median household income in 2010:[5]


Per capita income

Rally Poor Peoples Campaign Washington DC

American Samoa has the lowest per capita income in the United States.[8] American Samoa's Manu'a District had a per capita income of $5,441 in 2010, while American Samoa overall had a per capita income of $6,311 in 2010.[9] Puerto Rico's municipalities also have low per capita incomes — in 2018, Maricao Municipality, Puerto Rico had a per capita income of $5,974, the lowest of any county or county-equivalent in the American Community Survey.[10] Puerto Rico overall had a per capita income of $12,451 in 2018.[11]

Among U.S. states, Mississippi had a low per capita income in 2018 ($23,434).[12]

Large cities with a high percentage of low income residents

For the survey, a large city is defined as a city with a population of 250,000 or more. Percentage of residents living below the U.S. government established poverty income level is listed, based on 2018 US Census estimates.[13]

  1. Memphis, Tennessee 42.3%
  2. Detroit, Michigan 36.1%
  3. Baltimore, Maryland 34.1%
  4. Miami, Florida 31.7%
  5. Fresno, California 31.5%
  6. Buffalo, New York 30.9%
  7. Newark, New Jersey 30.4%
  8. Toledo, Ohio 30.1%
  9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 29.9%
  10. St. Louis, Missouri 29.2%

2000 census

Kiryas Joel, New York, a village within the town of Monroe in Orange County, New York comprised primarily by Yiddish-speaking Hasidic Jews, had the lowest per capita income of any location with over 10,000 population in the US, as of the 2000 census.[citation needed]

The most sizable community in 2000 (with a population of 13,138) was Kiryas Joel, New York which had a per capita income of just $4,355.[citation needed]

Income inequality

The U.S. has the highest level of income inequality among its (post-)industrialized peers.[14] When measured for all households, U.S. income inequality is comparable to other developed countries before taxes and transfers, but is among the highest after taxes and transfers, meaning the U.S. shifts relatively less income from higher income households to lower income households. In 2016, average market income was $15,600 for the lowest quintile and $280,300 for the highest quintile. The degree of inequality accelerated within the top quintile, with the top 1% at $1.8 million, approximately 30 times the $59,300 income of the middle quintile.[15]

The economic and political impacts of inequality may include slower GDP growth, reduced income mobility, higher poverty rates, greater usage of household debt leading to increased risk of financial crises, and political polarization.[16][17] Causes of inequality may include executive compensation increasing relative to the average worker, financialization, greater industry concentration, lower unionization rates, lower effective tax rates on higher incomes, and technology changes that reward higher educational attainment.[18]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "United States" in this case means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — other U.S. territories are not included in the ACS program
  2. ^ These figures are out of all places in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — other U.S. territories are not included in the American Community Survey.
  3. ^ Data for American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands is from 2010. Because they are from 2010, they are not ranked.
  4. ^ 2010 U.S. Census for American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands — places in these territories are not ranked

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_S1901&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at archive.today U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder. Income in the past 12 months (in 2017 inflation-adjusted dollars). 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. ["Geography" set to "All Places within United States and Puerto Rico".] Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  2. ^ http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10240r.pdf ‘’Poverty Determination In U.S. Insular Areas.’’ Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  3. ^ Sagapolutele, Fili (March 2, 2017). "American Samoa Governor Says Small Economies 'Cannot Afford Any Reduction In Medicaid' | Pacific Islands Report". www.pireport.org. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  4. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/comeriomunicipiopuertorico/PST045219 U.S. Census Bureau - QuickFacts. Comerío Municipio, Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. ^ a b American FactFinder. Income (2010): American Samoa / Guam / Northern Mariana Islands / United States Virgin Islands. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  6. ^ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_S1901&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at archive.today American FactFinder. Income in the past 12 months (in 2017 inflation-adjusted dollars). 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  7. ^ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_DP05&prodType=table Archived 2020-02-14 at archive.today U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder - 2013-2017 American Community Survey estimates. (To see population of an individual place, select it as a "geography"). Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  8. ^ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-04/documents/american_samoa_visible_difference_final_report_2017.pdf EPA. Making a Visible Difference In American Samoa (Final Report). Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. ^ American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Selected economic characteristics: 2010. (American Samoa / Manu'a District, American Samoa). URL unavailable.
  10. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/maricaomunicipiopuertorico/PST045219 U.S. Census Bureau - QuickFacts. Maricao Municipio, Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/PR/PST045219 U.S. Census Bureau. QuickFacts - Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  12. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/MS/PST045219 U.S. Census Bureau - QuickFacts. Mississippi. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  13. ^ "Poverty Rates Remain Stubbornly High in Big Cities". www.governing.com. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  14. ^ United Press International (UPI), June 22, 2018, "U.N. Report: With 40M in Poverty, U.S. Most Unequal Developed Nation"
  15. ^ "The Distribution of Household Income, 2016". www.cbo.gov. Congressional Budget Office. July 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  16. ^ Krueger, Alan (January 12, 2012). "Chairman Alan Krueger Discusses the Rise and Consequences of Inequality at the Center for American Progress". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  17. ^ Stewart, Alexander J.; McCarty, Nolan; Bryson, Joanna J. (2020). "Polarization under rising inequality and economic decline". Science Advances. 6 (50): eabd4201. arXiv:1807.11477. Bibcode:2020SciA....6.4201S. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd4201. PMC 7732181. PMID 33310855. S2CID 216144890.
  18. ^ Porter, Eduardo (November 12, 2013). "Rethinking the Rise of Inequality". NYT.

Bibliography

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