The poorest city in America is...

[disneysteve]

I've often mentioned that I work in a very poor city. Well, now it's official.

http://courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS01/608300380

Camden, NJ is now both the poorest and the most dangerous city in America. Median household income is $18,007. What is mind boggling is that the poorest city is located in the state with the highest household income. What a contrast that is.

[Ima saver]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

Wow, that is strange. I did read somewhere that New Jersey had the most millionaires. I did go thru New Jersey once and I really noticed how different the people were from what I am use to. I have always lived in the deep south!

[disneysteve]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I did go thru New Jersey once and I really noticed how different the people were

I'm not different.

[LuxLiving]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

Danger = Poverty

or

Poverty = Danger?

I think it interesting that the danger was declared twice before the poverty title was designated!

[disneysteve]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I think it interesting that the danger was declared twice before the poverty title was designated!

Well, it was in 2nd place before, so not much better.

[geojen]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I have a friend who is teaching for Americorps in Camden. She says the city corruption is rampant and the money that is supposed to go to schools gets siphoned into councilpeople's pockets.

[Roupey03]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

WOW. . .

Note to self stay away from Camden

[disneysteve]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

Note to self stay away from Camden

Oddly enough, it isn't all doom and gloom. Camden has the Adventure Aquarium, the Camden Children's Garden, the Battleship New Jersey, the Tweeter Center (major concert venue), the Camden Riversharks minor league baseball team, Rutgers University, Rowan University campus, Cooper Hospital (regional trauma center, major cancer treatment center - Kelly Ripa is their spokesperson). The city has a lot of potential that just doesn't get to shine as it should.

[sarah]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

The poorest group in the United States is the American Indian. The poorest place by per-capita income in the United States is the Pine Ridge Reservation. Of ocurse Pine Ridge is not a city and therefore was not included in the survey. However, only about 20% of homes at Pine Ridge have indoor plumbing and electricity.

[disneysteve]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

Pine Ridge is not a city and therefore was not included in the survey.

The designation was based on US Census data for U.S. communities with populations of more than 65,000

[pearlieq]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

That surprises me. When I read the thread title I figured the "honor" would go to somewhere in Mississippi or Arkansas, but I guess it must just be a very high concentration of poorer folks.

Any thoughts on why? Has it always been a poor area or is the change recent? Was it an industrial town crippled by plant closings?

[Ima saver]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I would have thought it would be mississippi too. I traveled thru there and it was a very poor state. But most of the cities in Mississippi are pretty small.

[geojen]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

The poorest group in the United States is the American Indian. The poorest place by per-capita income in the United States is the Pine Ridge Reservation. Of ocurse Pine Ridge is not a city and therefore was not included in the survey. However, only about 20% of homes at Pine Ridge have indoor plumbing and electricity.

I was at pine ridge a couple of years ago. They hired some geographers to map they extent of prairie dog villages in their reservation because they were causing so much damage. It was so depressing. Most Americans have no idea what most reservations look like.

[LuxLiving]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I nominate DisneySteve as the official Camden Booster Club Ambassador! Go DisneySteve!

I always think a yea sayer is gonna sway the tide. Enthusiasm goes a lot farther in my humble opinion.

Is there anything you can think to do to help with a turnaround?

[abowers]

Re: The poorest city in America is...

I live in Princeton -- It's weird to be in between the poorest city and the richest county mentioned in the article (Hunterdon, median household income something like $96k?) And that these two extremes are like 50 miles apart.

We are two measly grad students living in Princeton, but surprisingly we make a combined ~$40k/year. (Grad stipends/jobs) Before being a grad student I was a preschool teacher -- at a daycare at one of the aforementioned Pharmaceutical companies (there are many) in Central NJ.