20 Places in America That Are Getting Poorer

The U.S. economy has been a topic of major concern within recent years. As some states seem to thrive, others aren't faring as well. And with the threat of a potential recession looming, a number of cities are at risk of increased poverty.

See: 8 Places in California Where Home Prices Have Plummeted
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In taking a closer look at which American cities are losing economic ground over time, GOBankingRates analyzed the 100 most populous cities using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 and 2011 American Community Surveys. This study highlights how per capita income, median household income, poverty rates and population have changed from 2011 to 2021, scoring each category to determine which city has seen the biggest declines (and increases, in the case of poverty rates) overall.

So which cities have had it hardest? Here's a closer look at which places in America are getting poorer.

Virginia Beach beach house on the oceanfront

20. Virginia Beach, Virginia

  • Change in per capita income: $3,780
  • Change in median household income: $2,476
  • Change in population: 20,679
  • Change in poverty rate: -9.30%

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North-Las-Vegas-NV

19. North Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Change in per capita income: -$150
  • Change in median household income: -$4,383
  • Change in population: 49,180
  • Change in poverty rate: -31.02%
Jacksonville, Fla.

18. Jacksonville, Florida

  • Change in per capita income: $1,700
  • Change in median household income: -$948
  • Change in population: 120,088
  • Change in poverty rate: -18.58%
San Antonio, Texas

17. San Antonio, Texas

  • Change in per capita income: $1,697
  • Change in median household income: $2,169
  • Change in population: 121,385
  • Change in poverty rate: -11.56%
Downtown Toledo skyline and Maumee River aerial / elevated view at dusk with sunset reflections.

16. Toledo, Ohio

  • Change in per capita income: $1,155
  • Change in median household income: $541
  • Change in population: -18,174
  • Change in poverty rate: -18.60%
Corpus Christi Texas

15. Corpus Christi, Texas

  • Change in per capita income: $1,091
  • Change in median household income: $5,506
  • Change in population: 16,055
  • Change in poverty rate: -10.99%
Downtown Lubbock, Texas.

14. Lubbock, Texas

  • Change in per capita income: $2,270
  • Change in median household income: $2,392
  • Change in population: 29,654
  • Change in poverty rate: -6.73%
Las Vegas, MAR 25, 2020 - Dusk special lockdown cityscape of the famous Strip and New York New York Hotel & Casino.

13. Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Change in per capita income: $1,159
  • Change in median household income: -$3,852
  • Change in population: 50,373
  • Change in poverty rate: -23.20%
Memphis TN

12. Memphis, Tennessee

  • Change in per capita income: $2,503
  • Change in median household income: -$642
  • Change in population: -17,984
  • Change in poverty rate: -11.03%
Lighting of the flames at the Keeper of the Plains steel sculpture on the Arkansas River.

11. Wichita, Kansas

  • Change in per capita income: $1,299
  • Change in median household income: $1,456
  • Change in population: 16,668
  • Change in poverty rate: -15.08%
Downtown Albuquerque skyline at dusk.

10. Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Change in per capita income: $1,674
  • Change in median household income: -$608
  • Change in population: 23,336
  • Change in poverty rate: -16.49%
Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States

9. Newark, New Jersey

  • Change in per capita income: $989
  • Change in median household income: -$1,631
  • Change in population: 30,735
  • Change in poverty rate: -18.35%
Tulsa skyline with a park, pond, and fountains in the foreground.

8. Tulsa, Oklahoma

  • Change in per capita income: $1,321
  • Change in median household income: $3,968
  • Change in population: 19,948
  • Change in poverty rate: -9.55%
This is a photograph of the Columbus, Ohio skyline taken from near Bicentennial Park on the winter solstice, 2015.

7. Chesapeake, Virginia

  • Change in per capita income: $2,860
  • Change in median household income: $1,167
  • Change in population: 26,335
  • Change in poverty rate: -6.98%
Drone Aerial of Downtown Greensboro North Carolina NC Skyline.

6. Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Change in per capita income: $728
  • Change in median household income: $1,145
  • Change in population: 28,388
  • Change in poverty rate: -11.22%
A hillside with many houses in Irvine in southern Orange County, California, with mountains in the background.

5. Irvine, California

  • Change in per capita income: $1,976
  • Change in median household income: $2,568
  • Change in population: 92,811
  • Change in poverty rate: 2.50%
PLANO, TEXAS--AUGUST 2017: Railroad crossing sign with modern buildings in downtown Plano, Texas.

4. Plano, Texas

  • Change in per capita income: $2,321
  • Change in median household income: -$57
  • Change in population: 21,984
  • Change in poverty rate: -4.29%
Aerial of tract housing and American suburban development in Southern California at sunset.

3. Santa Clarita, California

  • Change in per capita income: $2,326
  • Change in median household income: $5,564
  • Change in population: 53,189
  • Change in poverty rate: 9.21%
Glendale, Ariz.

2. Glendale, Arizona

  • Change in per capita income: -$131
  • Change in median household income: -$1,575
  • Change in population: 16,074
  • Change in poverty rate: -9.90%
Alaska-Anchorage

1. Achorage, Alaska

  • Change in per capita income: $298
  • Change in median household income: -$1,988
  • Change in population: 5,155
  • Change in poverty rate: 19.74%

More From GOBankingRates

Laura Beck contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined which U.S. cities are now poorer than they were by analyzing the 100 most populous cities: (1) per capita income in 2011, adjusted for inflation; (2) per capita income in 2021; (3) difference between the 2011 and 2021 per capita incomes; (4) median household income in 2011, adjusted for inflation; (5) median household income in 2021; (6) difference between the 2011 and 2021 household incomes; (7) population in 2011 vs. 2021; and (8) poverty rate in 2011 vs. 2021. All data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 and 2011 American Community Surveys. All inflation calculations were performed using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI inflation calculator. All data was collected on and up to date as of March 7, 2023.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Places in America That Are Getting Poorer

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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