Economy

30 Cities Where America's Poor Are Concentrated

Thinkstock

According to new research from the Brookings Institution, the concentration of poor people is particularly acute in several U.S. cities. The first point of the research is obvious. The portion of the population that lives below the poverty line has not changed much since the Great Recession. The number is roughly 15% of all Americans.

This concentration is particularly high in 30 cities.

Brookings comment about concentration by area:

The rapid growth of the nation’s poor population during the 2000s also coincided with significant shifts in the geography of American poverty. Poverty spread beyond its historic urban and rural locales, rising rapidly in smaller metropolitan areas and making the nation’s suburbs home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country. Yet, even as poverty spread to touch more people and places, it became more concentrated in distressed and disadvantaged areas.


A list of the cities with the highest levels of concentrated poverty levels:

table 3

Are You Ahead, or Behind on Retirement?

If you’re one of the over 4 Million Americans set to retire this year, you may want to pay attention. Many people have worked their whole lives preparing to retire without ever knowing the answer to the most important question: am I ahead, or behind on my goals?

Don’t make the same mistake. It’s an easy question to answer. A quick conversation with a financial advisor can help you unpack your savings, spending, and goals for your money. With Zoe Financial’s free matching tool, you can connect with trusted financial advisors in minutes. 

Why wait? Click here to get started today!

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.