Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, unlike the majority of the other cities on this list, has a lot to be proud of: large corporations, top-ranked schools, beautiful parks, and a long and illustrious musical history. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to resources: According to Bloomberg, Knoxville was named one of the worst cities in the country for widening income disparities in 2019. More than a quarter of Knoxville’s residents live in poverty, with the city’s median household income hovering around $40,000. In September 2020, the local police department admitted that violent crime was on the rise, citing the fact that the city had seen 28 homicides so far this year, compared to 22 homicides for the entire year of 2019.
Knoxville Tennessee
Thompsonville, Connecticut
The mills of “Carpet City” were once major textile producers, but the industry was decimated in the mid-1900s by a series of closures, sales, and consolidations. According to the most recent census data, the average household income in this Hartford County town is $80,125, but more than a quarter of the population lives in poverty. According to the Hartford Courant, the state has been dealing with an increase in drug overdoses, with Hartford County accounting for 1,590 out of 4,505 total overdoses in the most recent year of tracking.
Thompsonville, Connecticut
