The COVID-19 pandemic was a public health crisis that sent shockwaves through the U.S. economy — and the country’s social fabric. In addition to claiming over half a million American lives, the pandemic sent unemployment soaring and exacerbated existing problems, as drug overdoses and crime rates spiked in some parts of the country.

Even before the pandemic, however, there were cities and towns already grappling with severe social and economic distress. These communities have long struggled with challenges such as high unemployment, poverty, crime, drug misuse, and limited access to essential services.

Based on a weighted index of two-dozen social and economic measures, 24/7 Wall St. identified the worst place to live in every state. We considered cities, towns, villages, and census designated places home to at least 8,000 people.

Yazoo City, located in Mississippi’s Delta region, is the worst place to live in the state. With a poverty rate of 44.8%, the city is nearly the poorest in the state and one of the poorest places in the United States. For context 20.3% of Mississippi residents and 13.4% of the U.S. population live below the poverty line. Widespread financial hardship in the area is due in part to a lack of jobs. An average of 20.5% of the local labor force have been unemployed in the last five years, well above the 7.4% statewide average over that time.

A lack of economic opportunity has left many Yazoo City residents needing to depend on government assistance to afford basic necessities. An estimated 39.1% of area households rely on SNAP benefits, more than triple the national SNAP recipiency rate of 11.7%. As is often the case in economically depressed areas, Yazoo City is losing residents. The local population contracted by 3.5% in the last five years.

Our index is composed of data across four categories: affordability, economy, quality of life, and community. Data is all for the most recent year available and came from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, The Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other sources. This is the worst city to live in every state.

Place	Median home value ($)	Unemployment rate (%)	Poverty rate (%)
Alabama: Atmore	94,300	15.7	34.6
Alaska: Fairbanks	211,500	7.7	11.0
Arizona: Douglas	100,300	11.4	30.1
Arkansas: Helena-West Helena	73,400	11.8	45.2
California: California City	124,500	19.1	24.1
Colorado: Pueblo	141,000	8.4	23.5
Connecticut: Hartford	165,300	12.0	28.1
Delaware: Wilmington	168,000	8.4	26.0
Florida: Florida City	153,100	14.0	40.0
Georgia: Albany	99,800	13.7	30.8
Hawaii: Makaha	404,900	12.7	31.0
Idaho: Mountain Home	144,200	6.6	16.4
Illinois: Sauk Village	70,400	16.3	31.8
Indiana: Gary	66,100	12.4	30.6
Iowa: Fort Madison	81,600	8.9	15.9
Kansas: Coffeyville	55,800	6.0	29.3
Kentucky: Mayfield	100,200	11.6	34.7
Louisiana: Opelousas	98,100	8.8	43.3
Maine: Sanford	183,800	6.4	13.9
Maryland: Baltimore	160,100	8.3	21.2
Massachusetts: Holyoke	195,800	6.0	29.3
Michigan: Highland Park	45,700	22.6	46.5
Minnesota: Virginia	92,200	6.4	25.5
Mississippi: Yazoo City	70,900	20.5	44.8
Missouri: St. Louis	138,700	7.0	21.8
Montana: Havre	149,300	6.6	17.8
Nebraska: Scottsbluff	116,600	6.4	18.0
Nevada: Fernley	221,200	5.8	9.9
New Hampshire: Berlin	92,100	8.0	18.5
New Jersey: Bridgeton	109,200	6.9	31.2
New Mexico: Gallup	132,000	7.4	28.4
New York: Binghamton	91,000	10.4	32.6
North Carolina: Reidsville	103,500	9.5	24.3
North Dakota: Jamestown	144,800	3.2	14.7
Ohio: East Cleveland	58,100	18.8	37.5
Oklahoma: McAlester	101,600	6.9	19.5
Oregon: Klamath Falls	159,500	9.3	22.7
Pennsylvania: McKeesport	48,000	12.1	31.4
Rhode Island: Central Falls	159,100	6.8	30.2
South Carolina: Lancaster	141,600	18.0	35.3
South Dakota: Huron	91,900	1.6	19.7
Tennessee: Memphis	101,800	8.7	25.1
Texas: Robstown	64,000	15.4	38.4
Utah: Price	144,700	7.7	21.9
Vermont: Barre	158,300	7.4	22.8
Virginia: Petersburg	108,100	11.7	24.1
Washington: Tukwila	315,000	7.6	17.2
West Virginia: Huntington	98,200	6.8	32.3
Wisconsin: Beloit	89,900	8.8	23.1
Wyoming: Rawlins	171,700	5.3	11.0