While the stock market is booming, plenty of Americans are still struggling. More than 1 in 10 Americans live in poverty, and homelessness hit a record high in 2024. And in some cities, people are particularly suffering.
WalletHub set out to find the “neediest” cities in America, looking at where people are the most economically burdened. It looked at 28 key indicators of financial distress, including rates of child poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. It also looked at cities with the highest high school dropout rates, delinquent debtors, and the most children on free or reduced lunch.
“In the neediest cities, a large number of people lack access to adequate food, health care and shelter, but there are plenty of other less obvious issues that also need to be resolved,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
Lupo said these cities “need to address problems like high school dropout rates, lack of access to quality internet, overcrowded housing, poor mental health and more.”
“Fixing these issues can lift people out of poverty, lower crime rates, and elevate people’s mental and physical health,” he added.
Continue reading to see which cities made the list.
