El Centro, CA Ranks as One of the Poorest Big Cities in the Country

Want more proof California has become a Third World State?  One of the poorest cities in the U.S. is El Centro, in Imperial County—on the Mexican border.”

“The typical household in the El Centro metro area in California earns $51,809 a year – the 49th lowest among the 384 U.S. metropolitan areas with available data, and about $17,910 less than the national median household income of $69,717.

El Centro also has a higher-than-average poverty rate. An estimated 16.4% of the metro area population live below the poverty line, compared to 12.8% of all Americans nationwide.”

Out of 384 areas in the nation, el Centro is 49^th on the worst list—should make President Newsom proud.

El Centro, CA Ranks as One of the Poorest Big Cities in the Country

Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wallet,  9/24/22 

Large cities and metropolitan areas have long been hubs of economic activity and prosperity in the United States. Large employers that can pay enough to attract top talent from around the country often have operations in places like Austin, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. As a result, these cities, and many others like them, have a high concentration of high-income residents. But while some American cities stand out for the economic opportunity they offer, many others are notable for the opposite reason.

There are 384 metropolitan areas in the United States, and in dozens of them, incomes are far lower than average, and serious financial hardship is widespread.

The typical household in the El Centro metro area in California earns $51,809 a year – the 49th lowest among the 384 U.S. metropolitan areas with available data, and about $17,910 less than the national median household income of $69,717.

El Centro also has a higher-than-average poverty rate. An estimated 16.4% of the metro area population live below the poverty line, compared to 12.8% of all Americans nationwide.

Across broad populations, incomes tend to rise with educational attainment, and in the El Centro area, only 13.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 35.0% of all Americans in the same age group.

All data in this story is based on one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.