Minot, North Dakota
According to the latest report, despite its nickname, North Dakota’s “Magic City” has lost some of its lusters as a result of high housing costs, which have become a problem throughout the state. According to the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, approximately 17.5 percent of North Dakota homeowners with an active mortgage and ten percent of homeowners without an active mortgage spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing-related expenses. While the median home price in this area is slightly higher than the rest of the state, at $204,000, the median household income is significantly lower, at $66,000. Many residents have complained about the bitterly cold winters, a lack of entertainment, and high property taxes, but food insecurity, according to 24/7 Wall St., is the main reason for Minot’s inclusion on the list. According to the report, more than two-thirds of the county’s population lives in urban areas within one mile of a grocery store or rural areas within ten miles of one.
Minot, North Dakota
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown, which was once a thriving manufacturing center thanks to the presence of AK Steel, has been on a long and steady decline for decades. In 2006, the steelmaker was forced to lockout nearly 2,700 workers after hundreds of job cuts and a protracted contract dispute. Former Middletown city manager Doug Atkins claims that some of the city’s neighborhoods are 80 percent to 90 percent rented and that the majority of the properties in these areas are dilapidated and low in value when compared to the surrounding communities. More than a quarter of the city’s residents are poor. The average annual household income is $40,347.
Middletown, Ohio
