Southern Towns Lead the U.S. in Family Poverty Rates 🏚️
What We're Showing
The top 20 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas by the percentage of families whose income in 2022 was below the poverty level.
Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and is updated as of 2023.
Metropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more countries that contain a contain a city of 50,000 or more inhabitants, or contain a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area.
High Poverty Rates Plague Some Southern Towns
Texas metropolitan areas, such as Eagle Pass, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, and Brownsville-Harlingen, have some of the highest percentages of families living below the poverty line, with rates exceeding 18%.
In Eagle Pass, nearly a quarter (23.6%) of families were living below the poverty line. Located at the U.S.-Mexico border, this city is known for being at the forefront of the U.S.' migrant border crossing issue.
Other notable regions include parts of Louisiana, New Mexico, and Georgia, reflecting a broader pattern of economic challenges in the South and Southwest.
High poverty levels in the South stem from reliance on low-wage industries, lower educational attainment, and systemic underinvestment in infrastructure and social services.