Hickory -- Poorest Income in one of the Poorest States in U.S.

The U.S. Census Bureau released two pieces of widely followed data yesterday — one on poverty and the other on median income for 2010. The most interesting findings in this release were the state-by-state figures, especially when compared to national averages. A closer look at the statistics shows that a relatively small number of states suffer such widespread levels of low income and poverty that they skew the national numbers downward.


The national poverty rate last year was 15.1%. That is up from 11.3% in 2000 and is the highest it has been since 1993. Over 46 million people lived below the poverty line in 2010. The cut-off for that line is households of four people who made under $22,314. The other troubling news was that median income per household nationwide was an inflation-adjusted $49,445. This is about the same as in 1989 and down 2.3% from 2009. Economists fear that Americans are not consumers. It is easy to tell why when their real income has been frozen in place for more than two decades.

The problems of poverty and low income are as much local as national. The poverty rate is 21% in Mississippi. The state also has the lowest median income at $36,850. Mississippi is among the states with the worst education systems, highest obesity levels, highest unemployment, and lowest rates of health insurance coverage. The state is an economic black hole, and it shows in the way people suffer there. And, as is true with black holes, it is nearly impossible for the residents of Mississippi to escape their difficult financial situations. There is a dearth of federal programs that target specific states and cities based on local economic need.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed census data from all 50 states on median income, poverty rates, unemployment, and lack of health insurance. We then identified the ten states that have the lowest median income. We also looked at why low-income households are concentrated in these states and what, in some cases, has been done to reverse the difficult situations.
These are the poorest states in America.

Read more: America’s Poorest States - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/09/14/americas-poorest-states/#ixzz1Y3h88N83

10. North Carolina
> Median income: $43,275
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (tied for 9th highest)
> Without health insurance: 16.7% (13th highest)
> Unemployment: 10.1% (9th highest)
North Carolina has one of the lowest median incomes in the country. It does not perform much better on other metrics related to poverty. There have been a number of programs implemented to help combat poverty in the state recently. One example is the No Kid Hungry program which aims to end childhood hunger in North Carolina by 2015. According to information from the program, “more than 1 in 4 children in North Carolina do not get sufficient food.”

Read more: America’s Poorest States - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/09/14/americas-poorest-states/#ixzz1Y3gjfZJQ

Estimated median household income in 2009: $36,220 (it was $37,236 in 2000)

Hickory:	$36,220
North Carolina:	$43,674

Estimated per capita income in 2009: $24,685

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Hickory-North-Carolina.html#ixzz1Y3jVnIvb

	Best Places for Business and careers - Forbes Magazine - June 2011 Hickory, NC - #189 out of 200
	Hickory, NC Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area Follow Hickory At a Glance Metro Population: 367,000 Major Industries: Technology Gross Metro Product: $12.6 B Median Household Income: $36,692 Median Home Price: $102,900 Unemployment: 11.7% Job Growth (2010): -1.3% Cost of Living: 11.1% below nat'l avg College Attainment: 14.6% Net Migration (2010): -1,000 Forbes Lists #189 Best Places for Business and Careers #6 in Cost of Doing Business #195 in Job Growth #195 in Education Did we get it right? Tell us what you think of our rankings. Map legend: Profile Hickory is home to one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the United States that is still located and operated on the original site. Hickory White, formerly known as Hickory Manufacturing Company, was built in 1902 and has been in continuous operation ever since. It is estimated 60% of the nation's furniture used to be produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory. Another key feature of the city is Lake Hickory, which was created in 1927 with the completion of the Oxford Dam. Duke Energy provides five public access areas on the lake in cooperation with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.