Top Ten poverty areas. Interesting.

[jwirr]

From BreadfortheWorld news letter Oct/Nov 2009: Source:
American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau 2007 for
counties and places over 250,000 or more people. 

County                        % of pop. in poverty
Cameron County, TX                   34.7
Hidalgo County, TX                   34.3
El Paso County, TX                   28.7
Bronx County, NY                     27.1
Philadelphia County, PA              23.8
Tulare County, CA                    23.7
Caddo Parish, LA                     23.5
St. Louis City, MO                   22.4
Kings County, NY                     21.9
Mobile County, AL                    21.1

[pink-o]

1. With the exception of Philly, notice it's all red state places.

And Philly is higher than Detroit on the list? How is that possible?

[Bonn1997]

4. A lot of those aren't red states. Do you mean red counties? Still I wouldn't think the Bronx is red

[pink-o]

7. You're right. Thanx for the corrections.

Eastern California is like a totally different state from Coastal California--it's basically the color of blood, and the most depressed area of our financially strapped state. Yet these idiots invariably vote against their best interests every election year!

[xynthee]

24. Also, Kings County, NY = Brooklyn

NOT a red county.

[AllentownJake]

5. Have you ever been to North Philadelphia?

I went to college there, it is easily the most economically depressed area in the country and every administration since the 1980s has been soley focused on making sure Center City Philadelphia is doing ok. No one even tries to address the problem, but that is what you get with a one party political system.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I am surprised to not see the Lakota reservation in SD on this list

I have been there several times and I have never seen worse poverty.

[jwirr]

19. I think they may not be included because the survey covers only

areas that have 250,000 or more people. There may be rural areas that are seeing as deep poverty but as usual they are seldom noticed.

[imdjh]

25. That was my first question: Are we talking income or indoor plumbing?

When I hear people talk about "abject poverty" in the cities of the US, I usually want to have a little dictionary session with said person. Living in leasehold property with indoor plumbing, heat, AC, TV and phone is not abject poverty, even if you take away the TV and phone. Abject poverty is 19th century poverty.

[RadicalGeek]

6. This surprises you how?

The GOP knows how to use issues like Guns, etc to get people to vote against their economic interests.
Having those places lack an independent media may help too.

[pink-o]

8. Not at all surprised. Just making an observation. n/t

[XemaSab]

10. Extreme south Texas

is one of the bluest areas in the country.

It's poor because it's Mexican, and it's blue because it's Mexican. :P

[baldguy]

14. Kings County, NY is Brooklyn

[annabanana]

17. The Bronx ain't red . . . . n/t

[jwirr]

18. 2007 - imagine what it is today.

[mucifer]

2. I'm suprised Chicago isn't in there. I guess the rich out here offset the poor.

[nightrain]

3. knr. I'd like to see this mapped and related to Congressional Reps

[Staph]

9. Ask and ye shall be answered!

Mostly Democrats -- I suppose these folks vote for their
interests.

Cameron County, TX	34.7	15th (Hinojosa-D) and 27th (Ortiz-D) 

Hidalgo County, TX 	34.3	15th (Hinojosa-D)

El Paso County, TX 	28.7	16th (Reyes-D) and Rodriguez-D)

Bronx County, NY 	27.1	7th (Crowley-D), 16th (Serrano-D), and
17th (Engel-D)

Philadelphia County, PA 23.8	1st (Brady-D), 2nd (Fattah-D),
7th (Sestak-D), 8th (Murphy-D), and 13th (Schwartz-D)

Tulare County, CA  	23.7	21st (Nunes-R)

Caddo Parish, LA  	23.5	4th (Fleming-R)

St. Louis City, MO 	22.4	1st (Clay-D), 2nd (Akin-R), and 3rd
(Russ Carnahan-D)

Kings County, NY	21.9	8th (Nadler-D), 9th (Weiner-D), 10th
(Towns-D), 11th (Clarke-D), 12th (Velázquez-D), and 13th
(McMahon-D)

Mobile County, AL  	21.1	1st (Bonner-R)

[nightrain]

15. thanks! you're incredible!! :))

[jwirr]

21. If you can get to the breadfortheworld site they did have a map. I

just do not know how to link it. Not the districts though.

[lurky]

11. I'm guessing Kings (Brooklyn) also has

one of the highest wealth percentages. The difference between Brooklyn Heights and Brownsville is pretty astounding.

[Coyote_Bandit]

12. Ummmm......

What an ignorant and limited list. It considers only places that have a substantial population. In some rural areas poverty is far worse.

Consider Lee County, Arkansas. Population of less than 13,000 with nearly 30% of the population living below the poverty line.

Or maybe Clay County, Kentucky. Population less than 25,000 with nearly 40% of the population living below the poverty line.

Or maybe Buffalo County, South Dakota. Population just over 2,000 and well over 50% of the population living below the poverty line.

You don't have to take my word for it. Check out the info at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowest-income_counties_in_the_United_States


Oh, yeah, save the shit about how these poor folks can just up and relocate to the city and find jobs that enable them not to live in poverty. Many of these folks lack the education, skills and other resources required to make that transition. The way I hear it even those city folks who have years of work experience, lots of skills, networks of employment contacts, and the knowledge and experience to survive in the workforce are having lotws of problems finding work these days.

[jwirr]

22. The list came from the U.S. Census. Boosh did not really want to

know about real poverty stats. Rural America is often ignored unless we are talking about big farming. Also other than on the reservations poverty in rural areas is often invisible. I have lived poor in rural areas all my life and know personally that we do not count. If the program designed for the cities does not work in our area - well that is just too bad. That is the atitude - one size fits all. Like unemployment stats the poverty stats are misleading.

[Coyote_Bandit]

23. As far as I'm concerned

rural Americans count. The politicians who demean and ignore them are not worthy of their jobs. Why? Because we are created equal - but are not treated as equals. While I live in a metropolitan area I am familiar with rural poverty. You're right. Although it is a serious issue it is largely invisible in our nation. We should be ashamed.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. "Over 250,000"

What's up with that I wonder? East St Louis is much more poverty stricken than St Louis city.

I can also think of several other areas that should be on a high poverty list. Red Bud, SD; parts of northern AZ, parts of MS.

[Jennicut]

20. A mix of red and blue states.

Poverty is everywhere.

[unc70]

26. Similar study recently for small town/rural poverty

Not sure if same organization. Remember that one of the NC small towns was on that list (Roanoke Rapids, I think -- could have been Rocky Mount).