El Monte used to be a thriving city with many auto dealerships that boosted the economy. Unfortunately, relying on those auto dealerships for an income eventually backfired. When three of the largest dealerships were closed, the city never fully recovered. Today, El Monte still struggles with finances.
About 22% of the population lives in poverty, and the people who do work have an average commute time of about 30 minutes. The city played a significant part in the early Californian pioneer days; however, it never managed to stay with a good reputation and has been going downhill for years.
Warren, Ohio
Warren, Ohio, heavily relied on a GM plant in town to create jobs for local workers. When the plant closed, a large chunk of the population lost their jobs. The closure marked a severe downturn for the entire city. Across the entire country, Warren has the second-highest rate of people struggling to find food.
Because of the many problems plaguing the city, the population has dropped by 7.7% since 2010. In 2020, almost 40 thousand people were living in Warren, Ohio, with an unemployment rate of almost 5%. This means that more than 2,000 people do not work and struggle on a day-to-day basis.
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is only comprised of 1.28 square miles. In that tiny chunk of space, 68,500 residents try to make a living. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the entire country, and the citizens feel the effects. It is crowded and unpleasant and has been experiencing negative migration for years.
In Union City, the average commute time is 33 minutes. While some residents spend a large chunk of their days on the road, 23% of the population lives in poverty. Imagine trying to make a living in a city where you barely have room to breathe. It’s no wonder that Union City is so miserable.
Albany, Georgia
Many places in Georgia have suffered the effects of natural disasters, but Albany is still struggling to recover. In recent years, the city suffered through both Hurricane Irma and a massively destructive tornado. As a city that relied on crops, the tremendous damage to farm goods made it difficult for Albany to recover.
About a third of Albany’s population lives in poverty. While its residents struggle to make ends meet, the city also has a massive issue with crime and violence. There have been many attempts to try and clean up the city; however, all former and current mayors have failed to do so.
Camden, New Jersey
About 37% of Camden residents are living below the poverty line. This is probably because the average household income in Camden is only $26,105. While that might sound like a lot, it’s the lowest average income of every city on this list. For comparison, the average family income in New York City is $113,315, which is almost five times higher than Camden's.
While residents can barely afford to survive, they also have to struggle with the high crime rate in Camden. Although crime is slowly improving, Camden is still considered one of the most dangerous cities in the entire country.