Parker, South Carolina
The effects of Greenville County’s rapid population growth are particularly noticeable in this small town. While the economic boom has brought employment and wealth to some, wages for Parker’s poorer residents have remained stagnant. The effects of gentrification are making it much more difficult to afford the necessities of life, even though the median household income in Parker remains around $34,000. According to a United Way of Greenville County study, nearly half of renters in the Parker-Westcliffe neighborhood spent more than 35% of their income on rent. Only about 15% of renters spent that much money on their rental property in 1990.
Parker, South Carolina
Camden, New Jersey
Camden is one of the poorest areas in the country, with a history of violence, corruption, and the use of illegal drugs like marijuana. As a result of the city’s poor reputation, an ex-resident paid for a billboard in 2012 urging people to “Say something nice about Camden.” To tell you the truth, saying it is easier than doing it! Camden has lost its prominence as a major manufacturing center, with an unemployment rate more than double that of the state and nearly 37 percent of the population living in poverty. The city once housed RCA Victor, Campbell’s Soup, and a major shipbuilder, but now has a median household income of just $27,015. Camden police reported 1,159 violent crimes in 2019, even though it has twice the population of Paterson. This is roughly the same as the number of violent crimes reported in Paterson, New Jersey in 2019.
Camden, New Jersey
