10 US Cities With The Highest Population Of Economically Disadvantaged People

Hunger, poverty and homelessness can be found in every country. In fact, even the richest and most developed countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Japan and the United States are homes to millions of people who live below the poverty line. In the case of the United States however, is particularly surprising given that it is the richest country in the world and yet possess some of the most alarming statistics when it comes to economically disadvantaged people. Recent studies have found that most Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75. As for homelessness statistics, the numbers are just as sad. It is estimated that up to 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness for at least a few nights during the course of a year. What makes this figure even more heartbreaking is the fact that according to Amnesty International, vacant houses actually outnumber homeless people five to one. In other words, there are five empty houses per one homeless person. In the US, however, the populations in need vary greatly with individual states, regions and cities. WalletHub, a personal finance website based in Washington D.C., carried out an extensive research to find out where the highest concentrations of economically disadvantaged people are found. The analysts based the research on 16 key metrics such as the percentage of households receiving public assistance, food-insecurity rate and percentage of maltreated people. Get your tissue box ready because these are 10 US Cities With The Highest Population Of Economically Disadvantaged People.

10

San Bernardino, California (score: 54.21)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The county seat of San Bernardino County and home to about 210,000 people, San Bernardino is the 17th-largest city in California. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a median household income of just $39,097, with 30.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line, which makes San Bernardino the poorest city for its population in California.

9

Little Rock, Arkansas (score: 54.12)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

With a population of almost 200,000 Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city of Arkansas. Infamous for a high poverty rate (14.3% of the population lives below the poverty line), the city also struggles with enormous child homelessness. In fact, Arkansas ranked third worst in the nation for child homelessness.

8

Mobile, Alabama (score: 53.89)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The county seat of Mobile County, Mobile is the third most populous city in Alabama. It is one of few large US cities with a majority of Afro-American residents (50.6%) many of whom are homeless and live below the poverty line. The median income for a household in the city was just $37,056 for 2006 to 2010.

7

Tallahassee, Florida (score: 53.70)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The capital of Florida, Tallahassee has a population of more than 375,000. The latest census estimated over 30% of the locals live below the poverty level. Food insecurity and homelessness are also issues in the city – as many as 800 people have no place to sleep in Tallahassee on any given day.

6

Buffalo, New York (score: 53.40)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The second most populous city in New York (after New York City), Buffalo suffers from pervasive poverty. The loss of traditional jobs in manufacturing, rapid suburbanization and high labor costs have led to economic decline and made Buffalo one of the poorest U.S. cities with populations of more than 250,000 people.

5

Toledo, Ohio (score: 53.38)

Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org

Home to almost 290,000 people, Toledo is the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio. About 18% of the residents live below the poverty line and homelessness is a major problem in the city. Out of 1,100 homeless living in the county, one hundred are veterans and nearly 150 are victims of domestic violence.

4

Providence, Rhode Island (score: 52.79)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The capital and most populous city in Rhode Island, Providence is one of the oldest cities in the United States (it was founded in 1636). Despite new investments, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities. Approximately 28% of the city population is living below the poverty line.

3

Baltimore, Maryland (score: 52.74)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

The largest city of Maryland, Baltimore has a population of more than 620,000 out of which over 4,000 are homeless. The homeless population in Baltimore has been steadily increasing. The increase in the number of young homeless people was particularly severe. The city also struggles with high rate of poverty and unemployment.

2

Columbus, Georgia (score: 52.58)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

Located 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Atlanta, Columbus is the county seat of Muscogee County. About 12.8% of families and 15.7% of the overall population are below the poverty line, including 22% of those under age 18 and 12% of those aged 65 or over. Consequently, food insecurity is a major problem for many residents of the city.

1

Chattanooga, Tennessee (score: 51.64)

Source and image: en.wikipedia.org

With a population of almost 170,000 Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee. The city has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country with an estimated 600-700 individuals sleeping outside or in shelters every night.  Over the last several years, the number of homeless families has increased by nearly 300% in Chattanooga.