More Americans are finding it difficult to make ends meet, with the financial difficulties varying in each state, according to a study by personal finance website SmartAsset.
In its fourth annual study on the states where residents are financially hurting, SmartAsset compared all 50 states across seven different metrics that focus on poverty, unemployment, inflation, as well as food and housing insecurity. Data was culled from the Census Bureau, the Labor Department, the Consumer Price Index and local area employment statistics.
The study cited a survey by the Census Bureau, conducted in early February with more than 75,000 responses, that found that 39.7% of consumers are having difficulty paying for usual household expenses. That rose from 34.9% o adults who said the same in February 2021.
Here, in descending order, are the15 states where residents are financially hurting the most, according to SmartAsset:
15. Maryland
The Old Line State has one of the highest rates (13%) of people facing food insufficiency. That is adults who either sometimes or often do not enough to eat in the last seven days. Also, 6.2% of the state’s adults have either missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or are not confident that they can pay next month’s rent or mortgage rate on time. It also has a 10.3% poverty rate and a 4% unemployment rate.
14. South Carolina (tie)
The Palmetto State has a high poverty rate at 14.6% and 11.7% of its adult residents reported their households don't have enough to eat either sometimes or often in the last seven days. The state has a 3.3% unemployment rate.
14. Kentucky (tie)
The Bluegrass State has the fifth-highest poverty rate at 16.5% and 12.5% of its residents reported experiencing food scarcity. The state has a 4% unemployment rate.
13. Tennessee
The Volunteer State has a 13.6% poverty rate and 10.9% of its residents reported their households not having enough to eat either sometimes or often in the last seven days. The state has an unemployment rate of 3.5%.
12. Delaware
The First State has the fourth-highest percentage of adult residents (8%) who missed the last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or who cannot promise that the next month’s rent or mortgage will be on time.
11. California
The Golden State has a 12.3% poverty rate. It’s also home to 12.9% of residents who reported experiencing food scarcity. The state has a 4.1% unemployment rate.
10. Texas
The Lone Star State has 14.2% of its adult residents living below the poverty threshold. It also has the sixth-highest percentage of adults who reported food scarcity within the previous week (13.2%). It has an unemployment rate of 3.9%.
9. Alabama
The Yellowhammer State has the seventh-highest poverty rate (16.1%) and 10.1% of its residents has reported recent food insufficiency. The state also has the fifth-highest rate (7.8%) of recent housing insecurity. The state has a 2.8% unemployment rate.
8. New York
The Empire State has the highest percentage (11.3%) of adults who either was forced to skip their most recent rent or mortgage payment or doubted their ability to pay on time the next month. The state also had the fifth-highest unemployment rate (4.3%) in December and its poverty rate of 13.9% ranked 13th.
7. Arkansas
The Natural State, with a poverty rate of 16.3%, has the sixth-highest percentage of people living below the poverty line. The state also has the 12th-highest proportion of adults (12.3%) experiencing food scarcity, and 6.2% of its residents struggled recently to pay the rent or mortgage. The state has an unemployment rate on 3.6%.
6. North Carolina
The Tar Heel State has a 13.4% poverty rate and the fourth-highest percentage (13.4%) of adults experiencing recent food scarcity. The state also had a 3.9% unemployment rate. Also, 5.1% of its residents missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment or are not confident that they can pay the next month’s hosing costs.
5. Georgia
The Peach State has a 14% poverty rate, the 12th highest in the nation. The state also has the fifth-highest (13.3%) percentage of adult residents who reported experiencing food insecurity. Also, it has the eighth-highest percentage of adult residents (7.2%) who have trouble paying the rent or mortgage on time. It has an unemployment rate of 3%.
4. Florida
The Sunshine State, along with Louisiana, tied for having the second-highest percentage of adults who have trouble getting enough food to eat the previous week. The state also reported that 7.3% of its residents (the seventh highest) missed the previous month’s rent or mortgage or could not promise to pay next month’s housing costs on time. It has the fifth-lowest unemployment rate at 2.5%.
3. West Virginia
The Mountain State has the fourth-highest percentage (16.8%) of people living below the poverty line. It has the 11th-highest unemployment rate (4.1%) and 11.3% of its adult residents reported having trouble getting enough food to eat sometimes or in the previous week.
2. Mississippi
The Magnolia State has the second-highest poverty rate (19.4%) and the highest percentage (14.9%) of residents not having eaten either sometimes or often in the last seven days. Also, 10.6% of the state’s residents reported experiencing recent housing insecurity.
1. Louisiana
The Pelican State tops the list with the highest poverty rate at 19.6%. The state has the second-highest percentage (13.8%) of adults who recently have not had enough to eat and 9.3% of its residents reported missing the previous month’s rent or mortgage payment or could not promise paying for their housing on time next month. It has a 3.5% unemployment rate.
The full report can be viewed here.
