Worcester Ranked Among Cities Hit Hardest by Extreme Poverty
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
According to a new study by USA Today, Worcester is ranked 20th on a list of the 20 cities hit hardest by extreme poverty.
About Worcester, USA Today writes:
Since 2010, the share of the Worcester metro area’s poor population living in neighborhoods where at least 40% of the population live below the poverty line increased by 3.6 percentage points to 12.0%. The increase in concentrated poverty was more rapid than in all but 19 other metro areas nationwide. Over the same period, the number of Worcester neighborhoods in which at least 40% of the population are poor doubled from four to eight.
Despite the rapid increase in concentrated poverty in the metro area, Worcester is not as poor as the country as a whole. Both the metro area’s overall poverty rate of 11.4% and concentrated poverty rate of 12.0% are below the corresponding national rates of 14.2% and 12.9%.
- 2010-2016 increase in concentrated poverty: 3.6 ppts (+6,132 people)
- Concentrated poverty rate: 12.0%
- 2010-2016 increase in number of poor neighborhoods: +4 (+100%)
- Unemployment in poor neighborhoods: 16.1%
The Rankings
Worcester is ranked directly behind Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, who rank 19th and 18th respectively.
Bakersfield, California is ranked as the city that has been hit the hardest.
The Method
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24/7 Wall St. compared the percentage point change in concentrated poverty rates in U.S. metro areas between 2010 and 2016 to identify the cities where concentrated poverty is increasing most.
The cities on the list span the United States geographically, from the West Coast to the East and from the South to the Midwest.
Related Articles
- City of Worcester: GoLocal’s Delinquent Property Tax Story Lacks Clarity
- City of Worcester to Outline Union Hill Revitalization Initiative
- City of Worcester to be Put in National Spotlight by C-SPAN
- City of Worcester to be Featured on C-SPAN This Weekend
- 10 to Watch in 2016: John Hill, City of Worcester
- City of Worcester to Celebrate Success of Park Stewards Program
- Is the City of Worcester In the Middle of a Gang War?
- City of Worcester to Host Series of Discussions on Race
- City of Worcester Announces Independence Day Celebration
- City of Worcester to Honor Veterans on Memorial Day
- City of Worcester is Asking Residents to Fill Out Health Survey
- City of Worcester Calling For Artists to Create 5 Murals on WCUW Building
- City of Worcester to Celebrate Opening of Hampton Inn & Suites on Friday
- City of Worcester to Launch New Website on New Year’s Day
- City of Worcester Offers Cold Weather Safety Tips
- City of Worcester to Receive $400K Grant for Playground Renovations
- City of Worcester Announces Woman of Consequence Awards
- City of Worcester to Host Free New Year’s Eve Celebration
- Dale LePage to Receive Key to City of Worcester
- City of Worcester to Host Guns for Goods Buyback on June 25
- City of Worcester to Host Wheelchair Tour
- City of Worcester to Launch Pilot Version of Redesigned Website on Thursday
- City of Worcester Settles Skybridge Litigation
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It