Even before the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans were struggling with poverty and food insecurity. The number rose sharply last year. 7.8 million Americans have fallen into poverty since summer and 1 in 10 don’t have enough food.
By comparing 182 cities, including the 150 most populous, WalletHub compiled a list of what it calls the “neediest” cities in 2021. The researchers relied on 28 metrics, such as the child and adult poverty rate; unemployment rate; presence of homelessness criminalization laws; foreclosure rate; high school dropout rate; share of children eligible for reduced-price or free lunch; food insecurity rate; and rates of depression and suicide.
Nationwide, the neediest cities were:
- Detroit, MI
- Brownsville, TX
- Cleveland, OH
- Memphis, TN
- Laredo, TX
The neediest cities in California were:
- Fresno (#7 nationally)
- Los Angeles (#8 nationally)
- San Bernardino (#24 nationally)
- Oakland (#28 nationally)
- Stockton (#37 nationally)
See full list and methodology here.
Data and list were compiled by WalletHub and do not reflect statistics on all cities.