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Many people in the United States will face financial hardships at some point in their lives, whether it's homelessness, food insecurity, or poverty. In fact, around 11.1% of the current population lives in poverty and are at an economic disadvantage compared to individuals who are more well-off. Depending on where you live, economic uncertainty can be even higher in some communities than in others.
WalletHub looked at more than 180 cities around America, including 150 of the most populated destinations, to determine which cities are the "neediest" and require the most support, be it addressing high school drop out rates, poor mental health, high crime rates or other factors that impact a person's mental and physical health. Nine cities in Arizona found a spot on the list, including two locales that ranked among the neediest:
- No. 58: Tucson
- No. 67: Glendale
- No. 80: Phoenix
- No. 126: Tempe
- No. 135: Mesa
- No. 159: Peoria
- No. 167: Chandler
- No. 168: Scottsdale
- No. 175: Gilbert
Coming in at No. 58 overall, Tucson is the neediest city in Arizona, largely thanks to its poor ranking in the health & safety category. Gilbert, on the other hand, ranks lower on the list, making it one of the least needy in the country.
These are the 10 neediest cities in America, according to the report:
- Detroit, Michigan
- Gulfport, Mississippi
- Brownsville, Texas
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Laredo, Texas
- Augusta, Georgia
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Corpus Christi, Texas
- Birmingham, Alabama
To determine its ranking, WalletHub compared 182 cities around the U.S. across two factors: economic well-being and health & safety. These factors were then evaluated using 28 relevant metrics, including child poverty rate, unemployment rate, homelessness rate, high school dropout rate, economic mobility, food insecurity rate, share of depressed adults, suicide rate, crime rate and more.
Check out the full report at WalletHub.com to read up on more of the "neediest cities" in the country.