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Unpaved streets contrast with the new homes of upwardly mobile residents in Starr County, Texas, home to Escobares. // © John Moore/Getty Images
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
By Venessa Wong of Bloomberg Businessweek
For better or worse, things do not exist in a state of balance in some places in the country. Take Largo, Fla., where the portion of the population ages 85 and older is more than three times the national rate. Or Escobares, Texas, a border town where per capita income is only $3,486 and the vast majority of residents live below the poverty level, according to Census Bureau estimates.
These are extreme places where the population demographically, socially and culturally exceeds normal boundaries. It can be hard to believe that in some places, children dominate the population, and in others, women comprise three quarters of the population. There are also towns where people live nearly two miles above sea level and others that receive more than 5 feet of snow per year.
While some might feel the U.S. has been homogenized to a great extent in the past century, data reveal that the country maintains pockets of individualized communities.
Click here to see the full list of America's most extreme places on Businessweek.com.
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Poorest: Escobares, Texas
- People below poverty level: 92.5%
- U.S. average: 13.5%
- Total population: 1,465
Escobares, a small town in Starr County, Texas, that covers about 1 square mile on the Mexico border, has the highest poverty rate among places with populations larger than 1,000. Many households in this city, which incorporated in 2005, receive food-stamp benefits or cash assistance. The city's median household income is $12,628, and its per capita income is $3,486, census data show for 2005 to '09.
Data source: Census Bureau's American Community Survey five-year estimates, 2005 to '09
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Richest: Brookville Village, N.Y.
- Median family income: $502,297
- U.S. median family income: $63,294
Brookville, which Businessweek.com dubbed America’s wealthiest town in 2009 and one of the most expensive home markets in 2011, remains the richest among places with populations greater than 1,000. Based on data from Onboard Informatics, the median family income here is about eight times the national median. Rolling Hills, Calif., came in a close second, with a median family income of $495,967.
Data source: Onboard Informatics, 2010
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Worst employment market: Imperial County, Calif.
- Unemployment rate: 28.3%
- U.S. unemployment rate: 9%
- Population: 166,874
California has one of the country’s highest state unemployment rates, and nowhere is it worse than in Imperial County. In this area, in Southern California near San Diego County, 28.3% of the work force was jobless as of December. These woes are not new: The county also had America's worst jobless numbers in 2009 (28.2%) and 2008 (22.4%), the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. Imperial County’s main industries are farming (20%), retail trade (12%) and government (30%), according to state data.
(Note: Only December county-level data were considered in this ranking, excluding places that may have had higher unemployment rates in previous months but had not yet released December data.)
Data source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2010 preliminary estimates; population estimate by Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2009
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Best employment market: Williams County, N.D.
- Unemployment rate: 2.1%*
- U.S. unemployment rate: 9%
- Population: 19,644
As the country struggles with joblessness, North Dakota remains an extraordinary bright spot, having a 3.8% unemployment rate in December, the lowest among all states. So it fits that Williams County, in the northwest part of the state, had the lowest unemployment rate among counties nationwide. The rate remained below 3% in 2010, based on the most recent data available. Williams County's economy depends on agriculture, oil and tourism, according to the county’s website.
(Note: Only December county-level data were considered, excluding places that may have had lower unemployment rates in previous months but had not yet released December data.)
*Applies only to labor force.
Data source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, December preliminary estimates; population estimate from Census Bureau's American Community Surveys, 2005 to '09
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Cheapest: Harlingen, Texas
- Cost of living index: 79.9
- U.S. average: 100
The city of Harlingen is in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, near the Mexico border. The cost of living in this southern Texas metropolis is about 20% below the national average, the Council for Community and Economic Research says. While the expenses may be low, the area’s poverty rate is high, at 35% of the population.
Data source: Council for Community and Economic Research, third quarter of 2010
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Most expensive: Manhattan
- Cost of living index: 207.9
- U.S. average: 100
Anyone who has been to New York can attest to how expensive it is. In fact, the cost of living in Manhattan is twice the national average, the Council for Community and Economic Research says.
Unfortunately, income there is not proportionally greater: Its median household income is $66,818, only about 30% higher than the U.S. median, according to Census Bureau data.
Data source: Council for Community and Economic Research, third quarter of 2010
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Most renters: Union City, N.J.
- Renter-occupied homes*: 81.8%
- U.S. average: 34.1%
- Total occupied homes: 21,583
Union City, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, is a city of renters. Although most housing there is in multifamily structures, people who want to buy will find that homes are cheap compared with New York City. The median home value is $253,200, according to December data from Zillow.com.
(*Note: "Homes" refers to occupied housing units, which include houses, apartments, mobile homes, a group of rooms or single rooms, according to the Census Bureau definition.)
Data source: Census Bureau, 2009. Only includes places with populations of 65,000 or more.
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Most homeowners: Flower Mound, Texas
- Owner-occupied homes*: 90.5%
- U.S. average: 65.9%
- Total occupied homes: 21,469
Flower Mound describes itself as a "family-oriented community," and most of the residents of this Dallas suburb are homeowners who are married with children. The median home value is $228,200, according to December data on Zillow.com.
(*Note: "Homes" refers to occupied housing units, which include houses, apartments, mobile homes, a group of rooms or single rooms, according to the Census Bureau definition.)
Data source: Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2009. Only includes places with populations of 65,000 or more.
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Most dangerous*: Chicago, West Lake Street area
- Violent crime rate: 257.7 crimes per 1,000 people
- Chances of becoming a victim in one year: 1 in 4
- U.S. violent crime rate: 4.69 crimes per 1,000 people
- U.S. chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in one year: 1 in 213
Every big city has a jumble of safe and dangerous areas, which can be just a few blocks apart. Passersby should beware this corner in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood, which has the highest violent crime rate of all census tracts in the nation, according to real estate website NeighborhoodScout.com. The area has a high rate of poverty and unemployment, according to Andrew Schiller, founder and chief executive of NeighborhoodScout.
(*Note: Only violent crimes and neighborhoods, or census tracts, with 800 or more permanent residents were included in this analysis.)
Source: NeighborhoodScout.com
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The most extreme places in the U.S.
Safest: Pikesville, Md.
- Crime rate: 0.55 crimes per 1,000 people
- Chance of becoming a victim in one year: 1 in 1,818
- U.S. crime rate: 35.82 crimes per 1,000 people
- U.S. chance of becoming a victim in one year: 1 in 28
This Baltimore suburb is the safest city in the U.S., according to NeighborhoodScout.com. Six violent crimes and 10 property crimes were reported in Pikesville in 2008, the most recent data available. The area’s median family income of $101,096 is above the U.S. median, and the poverty rate is lower, at 8.1% of individuals, according to the Census Bureau’s five-year estimates.
Data source: NeighborhoodScout.com
Click here to see the full list of America's most extreme places on Businessweek.com.
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