In December, the US Census Bureau released the most recent five-year estimates from the American Community Survey, an ongoing nationwide demographic snapshot that collects social, economic, and housing characteristics from millions of households each year.
The average American family made $69,021 over the five years ending in 2021, according to the most recent data.
This new number is only a 6% increase over what was expected over the five years ending in 2020. However, for most Americans, any rise in income has been wiped out by rising prices.
Even though the consumer price index has gone down since June 2022, when it hit a multi decade high of 9.1%, inflation is still at all-time highs, and people across the country are feeling the pinch, especially those with lower incomes who can not afford to keep up with rising prices.
The most recent five-year ACS data shows that the average household in Minnesota makes $77,706 a year. However, there are many places in the state where incomes are much lower.
Based on the data we have, Aurora is the poorest of the 313 towns in the state. A household in Aurora makes only $32,287 a year, which is 58.4% less than the median household income in the state.
Because of the low incomes, it is not a surprise that more than the average number of people living there are poor. The rate of poverty in the town is 24.7%, while the rate across the whole state is 9.2%.
All the numbers in this story come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey and are estimates for the next five years.
For the purposes of this story, a town is an incorporated legal entity or a census-designated statistical area with a population of 1,000 to 25,000.
Some towns were left out if the 2021 ACS did not have information on their median household income or if the sampling error for their data was thought to be too high.
State | Poorest town | Median household income in town ($) | Median household income in state ($) | Poverty rate in town (%) | Poverty rate in state (%) | Number of towns considered in state |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Livingston | 16,321 | 54,943 | 50.2 | 15.8 | 298 |
Alaska | Alakanuk | 36,429 | 80,287 | 42.8 | 10.4 | 70 |
Arizona | Cibecue | 18,232 | 65,913 | 66.7 | 13.5 | 168 |
Arkansas | Marianna | 17,932 | 52,123 | 39.0 | 16.0 | 190 |
California | Thermal | 14,500 | 84,097 | 40.2 | 12.3 | 732 |
Colorado | Rocky Ford | 29,822 | 80,184 | 31.9 | 9.6 | 182 |
Connecticut | Storrs | 23,964 | 83,572 | 45.4 | 10.0 | 128 |
Delaware | Laurel | 34,615 | 72,724 | 40.0 | 11.4 | 50 |
Florida | Gifford | 22,353 | 61,777 | 48.6 | 13.1 | 592 |
Georgia | Glenwood | 19,625 | 65,030 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 326 |
Hawaii | Hawaiian Ocean View | 25,402 | 88,005 | 39.2 | 9.5 | 114 |
Idaho | Glenns Ferry | 29,219 | 63,377 | 41.7 | 11.4 | 87 |
Illinois | Alorton | 19,605 | 72,563 | 58.6 | 11.8 | 621 |
Indiana | Austin | 27,008 | 61,944 | 24.0 | 12.5 | 309 |
Iowa | Fayette | 35,682 | 65,429 | 25.0 | 11.0 | 266 |
Kansas | Chetopa | 21,843 | 64,521 | 28.3 | 11.5 | 188 |
Kentucky | Clay City | 19,643 | 55,454 | 41.7 | 16.3 | 218 |
Louisiana | Many | 18,148 | 53,571 | 46.2 | 18.8 | 248 |
Maine | Machias | 20,333 | 63,182 | 38.3 | 11.0 | 101 |
Maryland | Federalsburg | 31,532 | 91,431 | 28.4 | 9.2 | 273 |
Massachusetts | Ware | 43,783 | 89,026 | 17.4 | 9.9 | 154 |
Michigan | Baldwin | 22,593 | 63,202 | 40.8 | 13.3 | 382 |
Minnesota | Aurora | 32,287 | 77,706 | 24.7 | 9.2 | 313 |
Mississippi | Rosedale | 15,955 | 49,111 | 52.7 | 19.4 | 173 |
Missouri | Versailles | 22,786 | 61,043 | 29.0 | 12.8 | 348 |
Montana | Plains | 24,844 | 60,560 | 20.5 | 12.5 | 87 |
Nebraska | Falls City | 37,712 | 66,644 | 14.5 | 10.3 | 115 |
Nevada | Tonopah | 33,144 | 65,686 | 19.2 | 12.9 | 43 |
New Hampshire | Ashland | 33,365 | 83,449 | 31.7 | 7.4 | 57 |
New Jersey | Salem | 26,667 | 89,703 | 37.8 | 9.8 | 498 |
New Mexico | University Park | 19,125 | 54,020 | 53.2 | 18.3 | 141 |
New York | Rochester Institute of Technology | 18,229 | 75,157 | 49.8 | 13.5 | 750 |
North Carolina | Scotland Neck | 15,985 | 60,516 | 47.4 | 13.7 | 405 |
North Dakota | New Rockford | 35,595 | 68,131 | 11.3 | 10.7 | 50 |
Ohio | Lincoln Heights | 12,183 | 61,938 | 64.4 | 13.4 | 623 |
Oklahoma | Wetumka | 24,769 | 56,956 | 43.0 | 15.2 | 225 |
Oregon | Grand Ronde | 27,465 | 70,084 | 33.2 | 12.1 | 200 |
Pennsylvania | Shippensburg University | 18,125 | 67,587 | 63.8 | 11.8 | 942 |
Rhode Island | Central Falls | 40,235 | 74,489 | 24.9 | 11.3 | 19 |
South Carolina | Blackville | 19,583 | 58,234 | 35.8 | 14.5 | 236 |
South Dakota | Fort Thompson | 24,125 | 63,920 | 47.4 | 12.5 | 74 |
Tennessee | Jamestown | 18,000 | 58,516 | 46.7 | 14.3 | 272 |
Texas | Carrizo Hill | 9,110 | 67,321 | 96.9 | 14.0 | 877 |
Utah | East Carbon | 39,583 | 79,133 | 22.9 | 8.8 | 135 |
Vermont | West Brattleboro | 36,618 | 67,674 | 19.4 | 10.5 | 47 |
Virginia | Jonesville | 17,344 | 80,615 | 46.9 | 9.9 | 328 |
Washington | Oroville | 32,083 | 82,400 | 33.2 | 10.0 | 345 |
West Virginia | Williamson | 18,640 | 50,884 | 32.9 | 16.9 | 143 |
Wisconsin | Lac du Flambeau | 26,076 | 67,080 | 29.9 | 10.7 | 357 |
Wyoming | Fort Washakie | 41,944 | 68,002 | 30.1 | 10.7 | 52 |
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