While multiple Texas cities and towns struggle with poverty, different sources point to different areas as the “poorest” based on varying data and criteria. Here’s a summary of some of the poorest places in Texas:
- Prairie View: This city is considered Texas’ poorest due to low wages and a lack of job opportunities. It has the third-lowest median family income and the highest poverty rate in Texas.
- Carrizo Springs: The city has the fifth-highest poverty rate and the eleventh-lowest median household income nationwide. According to mykiss1031.com, Carrizo Hill is ranked as the poorest city in Texas.
- Escobares: In 2019, the BBC reported that 62% of Escobares residents live below the poverty line, which was the highest rate of any U.S. city with over 1,000 people at the time.
- San Antonio: Among the ten most populous U.S. cities, San Antonio ranks as the third-poorest. In 2022, approximately 18.7% of its 1.4 million residents lived below the poverty line.
Other cities that appear on the list of the top 10 poorest cities in Texas include Center, Marlin, Commerce, Robstown, Raymondville, Rio Grande City, Alton, and Hidalgo.
Sources:
- https://www.theworkersrights.com/top-10-poorest-cities-in-texas/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-47171130
- https://www.tpr.org/news/2023-09-14/san-antonio-3rd-poorest-among-top-ten-major-u-s-cities
- https://247wallst.com/income/2024/05/13/towns-in-texas-with-the-worst-poverty/
