America’s Poorest States

[megimoo]

The U.S. Census Bureau released two pieces of widely followed data yesterday — one on poverty and the other on median income for 2010. The most interesting findings in this release were the state-by-state figures, especially when compared to national averages. A closer look at the statistics shows that a relatively small number of states suffer such widespread levels of low income and poverty that they skew the national numbers downward.


10. North Carolina

> Median income: $43,275
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (tied for 9th highest)
> Without health insurance: 16.7% (13th highest)
> Unemployment: 10.1% (9th highest)
SNIP

9. Alabama

> Median income: $42,218
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (tied for 9th highest)
> Without health insurance: 14.4% (21st highest)
> Unemployment rate: 10.0% (10th highest)

SNIP


8. Kentucky

> Median income: $42,091
> Poverty rate: 17.3% (6th highest)
> Without health insurance: 15.5% (18th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 9.5% (13th highest)
SNIP

7. South Carolina

> Median income: $42,059
> Poverty rate: 14.9% (16th highest)
> Without health insurance: 17.6% (12th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 10.9% (4th highest)

SNIP

6. Montana

> Median income: $42,005
> Poverty rate: 13.4% (24th highest)
> Without health insurance: 16.3% (16th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 7.7% (18th lowest)

SNIP

5. Louisiana

> Median income: $41,896
> Poverty rate: 18% (4th highest)
> Without health insurance: 18% (11th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 7.6% (17th lowest)

SNIP

4. West Virginia

> Median income: $40,824
> Poverty rate: 15.7% (12th highest)
> Without health insurance: 13.9% (25th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.1% (tied for 24th lowest)

SNIP

3. Tennessee

> Median income: $40,026
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (11th highest)
> Without health insurance: 14.7% (20th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 9.8% (11th highest)

SNIP

2. Arkansas

> Median income: $38,600
> Poverty rate: 16.5% (8th highest)
> Without health insurance: 18.5% (9th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.2% (25th highest)

1. Mississippi

> Median income: $36,850
> Poverty rate: 21.3% (the highest)
> Without health insurance: 18.7% (8th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 10.4% (7th highest)

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2...oorest-states/

[noonwitch]

Nobody ever balances those statistics against the cost of living in those states.

It's Montana being on the list that strikes me-you don't see a lot of poverty-striken Montana residents on the news. I've heard that the cost of living in states like Montana and Wyoming is low. I have coworkers from places like Mississippi who go back there when they retire, because they bought a bunch of rural land really cheap.

[Starbuck]

Nobody ever balances those statistics against the cost of living in those states.

It's Montana being on the list that strikes me-you don't see a lot of poverty-striken Montana residents on the news. I've heard that the cost of living in states like Montana and Wyoming is low. I have coworkers from places like Mississippi who go back there when they retire, because they bought a bunch of rural land really cheap.

You don't even have to buy in a rural area in Mississippi. Most places in most towns are fairly inexpensive.

But I have to smile........"places like Mississippi"...?? And just what "kind" of "place" is Mississippi?;)

[noonwitch]

You don't even have to buy in a rural area in Mississippi. Most places in most towns are fairly inexpensive.

But I have to smile........"places like Mississippi"...?? And just what "kind" of "place" is Mississippi?;)

I didn't mean anything by it. I meant from southern states, mostly. African-americans who buy land down in the areas where their families came from. They come up here to go to college, get jobs/spouses and stay until they retire. Then they go back to Mississippi or Alabama and live in the country.

[marv]

Noon is right. Even though I was born in northern Iowa, my real roots are deep in the Missouri Ozarks through my Dad (born in a real log cabin near Norwood in south central Missouri in 1895).

When I retired, we moved down here. The motivating factors were the friendliness of the people, who are pretty conservative, and the lower cost of living.

[Starbuck]

I didn't mean anything by it. I meant from southern states, mostly. African-americans who buy land down in the areas where their families came from. They come up here to go to college, get jobs/spouses and stay until they retire. Then they go back to Mississippi or Alabama and live in the country.

:) I know. I'm just yankin' your chain. Lots of retirees, and especially black folks, come to Mississippi to retire.

In all my travels, though, I have not seen an area attract retirees the way Tennessee does. Get around Bristol, out in East Tennessee and ever 'crick & holler' has a retiree or two in it.

In fact, retirement would be a lot tougher for us in another state. Here, we pay 900/year property tax. That would be hard to match, most places.

[noonwitch]

:) I know. I'm just yankin' your chain. Lots of retirees, and especially black folks, come to Mississippi to retire.

In all my travels, though, I have not seen an area attract retirees the way Tennessee does. Get around Bristol, out in East Tennessee and ever 'crick & holler' has a retiree or two in it.

In fact, retirement would be a lot tougher for us in another state. Here, we pay 900/year property tax. That would be hard to match, most places.

I have seen TN mostly from I-75, but what I've seen is beautiful. I drove to Florida once in November, when the colors were peaking in the mountains. Michigan falls are great, but we don't really have mountains. I think the highest spot in Michigan is in the UP and is just under 2000 ft.

My dad, like so many retirees from Michigan, lives in sunny Florida.

[Novaheart]

:) I know. I'm just yankin' your chain. Lots of retirees, and especially black folks, come to Mississippi to retire.

In all my travels, though, I have not seen an area attract retirees the way Tennessee does. Get around Bristol, out in East Tennessee and ever 'crick & holler' has a retiree or two in it.

In fact, retirement would be a lot tougher for us in another state. Here, we pay 900/year property tax. That would be hard to match, most places.

That's about average here.

[djones520]

That's about average here.

Friend of my wife has a small 3 bedroom. Their paying about $3500 a year. Gotta love Illinois.

[noonwitch]

Friend of my wife has a small 3 bedroom. Their paying about $3500 a year. Gotta love Illinois.

I have a small 3 bedroom house. I pay about $1700 in property taxes. I live in the county in Michigan with the lowest property tax rates (Macomb).