This MS Coast city is among the ‘neediest’ in the US, ranking says. See where & why
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is home to one of the top 10 “neediest” cities in the United States, a recent study found.
Gulfport — Mississippi’s second-largest city and the largest city on the Coast — is ranked sixth “neediest” city in the country, according to a Dec. 15 ranking by WalletHub, a personal finance company.
About 24% of Gulfport residents live in poverty, more than double the national average of 10.6%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here’s what the study found about poverty in Gulfport.
Why is Gulfport ranked among the ‘neediest’ cities in the US?
Gulfport received an overall score of 53.52 in WalletHub’s ranking — about six points less than Detroit, the “neediest” city in the country, according to the study.
The city is ranked 13th-neediest for economic well-being and 15th-neediest for health and safety, according to the study.
“In the neediest cities, a large number of people lack access to adequate food, health care and shelter, but there are plenty of other less obvious issues that also need to be resolved,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the study. “The neediest cities need to address problems like high school dropout rates, lack of access to quality internet, overcrowded housing, poor mental health and more.”
Other MS city makes list of ‘neediest’ cities
One other Mississippi city made WalletHub’s list. Jackson, the state’s capital, ranks 31 for “neediest” cities in the country, the study found.
Here’s how the city was ranked:
- Economic well-being: 21st-neediest
- Health and safety: 82nd-neediest
- Overall score: 48.25
Which are the ‘neediest’ cities in the US?
These are the top 10 “neediest” cities in the country, according to WalletHub:
1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Brownsville, Texas
3. Shreveport, Louisiana
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Little Rock, Arkansas
6. Gulfport, Mississippi
7. Corpus Christi, Texas
8. Birmingham, Alabama
9. Laredo, Texas
10. New Orleans, Louisiana
How did personal finance company conduct study?
Analysts at WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities, including the 150 most populated and at least two most populated cities in each state, across two key dimensions: economic well-being and health and safety, according to the study.
Data for the study was collected Nov. 17 from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
