Several sources and rankings identify different towns as the “poorest” in Michigan, depending on the criteria used—such as median household income, poverty rate, or reliance on government assistance. Here’s a summary of the most notable findings:
- Highland Park: Some lists name Highland Park as Michigan’s poorest city due to its combination of low wages and a lack of employment opportunities, with a population of about 10,867 and a poverty rate as high as 46.5%.
- Benton Harbor: Other recent rankings, such as those by 24/7 Wall St., place Benton Harbor at the top for the worst poverty, citing a poverty rate of 44.2% and a median household income of $26,592.
- Flint: Flint is frequently highlighted in national rankings as one of the most poverty-stricken cities in the U.S., and sometimes specifically noted for having the highest share of children in poverty—69.4% of residents under age 18 live in poverty, according to some sources.
- Baldwin: When focusing specifically on small towns (populations between 1,000 and 25,000) and using median household income as the main metric, Baldwin is named the poorest town in Michigan, with a median household income of $22,593 per year and 41.3% of households receiving government aid.
Baldwin is often cited as the poorest town in Michigan by median household income among small towns. Highland Park and Benton Harbor are recognized as the poorest cities when considering higher poverty rates and broader city populations.
Flint is singled out for its extremely high child poverty rate and is sometimes called the most poverty-stricken city in America. The answer depends on whether you are looking at small towns, larger cities, or specific poverty metrics.
Sources:
- https://www.theworkersrights.com/poorest-cities-in-michigan/
- https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/slideshows/poorest-cities-in-the-us
- https://247wallst.com/income/2024/05/08/towns-in-michigan-with-the-worst-poverty/
- https://witl.com/high-poverty-michigan/