The consumer price index has climbed steadily nearly every month for the last two and a half years, hitting a multi-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022. Though inflation has since cooled, dropping to 7.7% in October, the CPI remains at historic highs, and Americans across the country are feeling the pinch - particularly those without the means to absorb rising costs. (The price of this household item is soaring.)
The typical American household earns $64,994 annually, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey. But in nearly every state, there are cities where most households are earning far less than that.
Among the 16 places in Oklahoma with available data and populations of at least 25,000, Stillwater ranks as the poorest. The typical Stillwater household earns $34,906 a year, compared to the statewide median household income of $53,840.
Home values are often a reflection of what people can afford. Stillwater, however, appears to be a rare exception. The typical area home is worth $185,300, compared to the typical home in Oklahoma, which is worth $142,400.
For the purposes of this story, all places covered by the U.S. Census Bureau with populations of at least 25,000 were considered cities. All data in this story is from the ACS.
StatePoorest cityMedian household income ($)Median household income in state ($)Median home value ($)Median home value in state ($)AlabamaBessemer30,28452,035100,100149,600AlaskaFairbanks64,39777,790217,700275,600ArizonaSan Luis41,64861,529128,500242,000ArkansasPine Bluff34,41049,47574,900133,600CaliforniaCoachella33,99978,672238,500538,500ColoradoPueblo42,90275,231149,600369,900ConnecticutHartford36,15479,855170,200279,700DelawareWilmington45,13969,110173,500258,300FloridaUniversity (Hillsborough County)29,38057,70391,900232,000GeorgiaStatesboro32,79061,224115,100190,200HawaiiHilo65,72783,173341,500636,400IdahoRexburg33,27858,915221,700235,600IllinoisEast St. Louis24,00968,42853,900202,100IndianaGary31,31558,23568,400148,900IowaClinton46,06661,836100,800153,900KansasKansas City46,42461,091101,300157,600KentuckyRichmond39,32952,238148,900147,100LouisianaMonroe31,92650,800150,000168,100MaineLewiston42,96959,489150,100198,000MarylandHagerstown41,90587,063160,000325,400MassachusettsSpringfield41,57184,385162,900398,800MichiganFlint30,38359,23431,700162,600MinnesotaWinona48,65373,382153,500235,700MississippiGreenville29,01346,51179,900125,500MissouriSpringfield37,49157,290122,200163,600MontanaButte-Silver Bow49,65956,539156,400244,900NebraskaFremont54,29163,015140,400164,000NevadaWinchester39,36862,043172,300290,200New HampshireManchester62,08777,923241,600272,300New JerseyCamden28,62385,24582,500343,500New MexicoSouth Valley41,53751,243153,400175,700New YorkJamestown34,76771,11766,400325,000North CarolinaAsheboro37,17156,642119,700182,100North DakotaGrand Forks50,19465,315209,800199,900OhioWarren27,10858,11666,100151,400OklahomaStillwater34,90653,840185,300142,400OregonGrants Pass46,58065,667260,400336,700PennsylvaniaChester32,86763,62770,300187,500Rhode IslandWoonsocket44,31070,305191,500276,600South CarolinaAnderson33,56954,864138,000170,100South DakotaRapid City53,76059,896194,100174,600TennesseeMorristown33,51154,833119,500177,600TexasHuntsville31,02063,826168,800187,200UtahLogan43,05674,197216,200305,400VermontBurlington55,46163,477312,200230,900VirginiaDanville37,14776,39895,500282,800WashingtonPullman32,07377,006287,700366,800West VirginiaHuntington33,01248,037100,300123,200WisconsinMilwaukee43,12563,293128,300189,200WyomingLaramie47,46365,304225,400228,000
via Oklahoma's Center Square News