America's Poorest Cities

After reading this wonderfully uplifting (-__-) article about the financial troubles that Detroit is facing, I wondered what other U.S. cities are facing similar rates of extreme poverty.

Per the New York Times, these are the 10 cities with the highest poverty rates in 2010.

1. Reading, PA
Percentage below poverty line: 41.3%

2. Flint, MI
Percentage below poverty line: 41.2%

3. Bloomington, IN
Percentage below poverty line: 39.9%

3. Albany, GA
Percentage below poverty line: 39.9%

5. Kalamazoo, MI
Percentage below poverty line: 38.8%

6. Brownsville, TX
Percentage below poverty line: 38.6%

7. Gary, IN
Percentage below poverty line: 38.3%

8. Detroit, MI
Percentage below poverty line: 37.6%

9. College Station, TX
Percentage below poverty line: 37.3%

10. Pharr, TX
Percentage below poverty line: 37.1%

Cities with some of the highest unemployment rates in the country include El Centro, CA (29.6%), Yuma, AZ (27%), Yuba City, CA (16.5%) and Merced, CA (16%) (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

While publications like the Wall Street Journal are reporting that the US recession scare has passed, there still seems to be many Americans across the country who are struggling to survive financially.