About 37% of Camden residents are living below the poverty line. This is probably because the average household income in Camden is only $26,105. While that might sound like a lot, it’s the lowest average income of every city on this list. For comparison, the average family income in New York City is $113,315, which is almost five times higher than Camden’s.
While residents can barely afford to survive, they also have to struggle with the high crime rate in Camden. Although crime is slowly improving, Camden is still considered one of the most dangerous cities in the entire country.
El Monte, California
El Monte used to be a thriving city with many auto dealerships that boosted the economy. Unfortunately, relying on those auto dealerships for an income eventually backfired. When three of the largest dealerships were closed, the city never fully recovered. Today, El Monte still struggles with finances.
About 22% of the population lives in poverty, and the people who do work have an average commute time of about 30 minutes. The city played a significant part in the early Californian pioneer days; however, it never managed to stay with a good reputation and has been going downhill for years.
Albany, Georgia
Many places in Georgia have suffered the effects of natural disasters, but Albany is still struggling to recover. In recent years, the city suffered through both Hurricane Irma and a massively destructive tornado. As a city that relied on crops, the tremendous damage to farm goods made it difficult for Albany to recover.
About a third of Albany’s population lives in poverty. While its residents struggle to make ends meet, the city also has a massive issue with crime and violence. There have been many attempts to try and clean up the city; however, all former and current mayors have failed to do so.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Much like Warren, Pine Bluff relied heavily on manufacturing jobs. Between 2016 and 2017, however, the city lost over 3,000 jobs, significantly affecting the workers living in Pine Bluff. While that was bad enough, the city experienced a flood when the Arkansas River overflowed in 2019.
It seems many citizens have decided that they’re done living in Pine Bluff. Since 2010, the population decreased by an incredible 14%, and it hasn't stopped. In the past ten years the number of people living in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has decreased by almost 1% every single year. Saying that, the average income of the city has been escalating, so maybe there is a future for this city after all.
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield used to be considered quite a prosperous city. But when the GM factory closed its doors, the town took a turn for the worst. Without the ready availability of industrial jobs, many workers were left without an income or an opportunity to earn money. Once a person is unemployed, it is very difficult to climb back up onto the employment ladder, and this is exactly what is happening here.
After the factory shut down in 2010, crime in the city has been steadily on the rise. Since 2012, violent crimes in Mansfield increased by 37%, indicating a population who’s not happy about their situation.