Poverty Rates in Missouri
Rural Areas of the State are Isolated Geographically and Financially
The poverty rate in Missouri is 13.0%, which makes it the 18th highest poverty rate in the United States. This is just slightly lower than the poverty rate of California, and just slightly higher than the poverty rates of South Dakota and Oregon.
Where the Worst Poverty in Missouri Occurs
Most of the critical poverty rates (at least 50% above the state average) in Missouri are found in the more rural counties in the southeastern corner of the state (see map below article).
The counties in Missouri with critical poverty rates are the following:
- Carter (20.7%)
- Dunklin (23.5%)
- Iron (19.5%)
- Mississippi (23.3%)
- New Madrid (21.5%)
- Oregon (19.8%)
- Ozark (20.0%)
- Pemiscot (26.2%)
- Ripley (21.9%)
- Shannon (23.2%)
- Texas (20.2%)
- Washington (20.7%)
- Wayne (21.7%)
- Wright (20.3%)
Major cities in Missouri (25,000 or more people) are a completely different story. There are 15 major cities in Missouri with poverty rates which are at least 50% below the state poverty rate.
There is only one major city in Missouri with a critical poverty rate. That city is St. Louis, with a poverty rate of 24.6%.
Why the Worst Poverty in Missouri Exists
Since the critical poverty rates in Missouri mainly occur in rural areas in southeastern Missouri, a lot of the problem has to do with isolation.
The isolation that people experience in areas like those of southeastern Missouri can often times make it difficult to access basic utilities such as electricity, water, and sewage.
This sort of isolation can also make rural areas an unpopular target for politicians and local government.
This is because the people in these rural areas are much more difficult to reach than people in the city, and the efforts yield only a small number of votes due to the very low population density in any rural area that politicians choose to campaign.
The isolation of critical poverty in southeastern Missouri can create a negative stigma associated with the area as well.
When a negative stigma becomes associated with an area, it becomes an unattractive place for expanding businesses, teachers, and health care professionals. This leads to job shortages, low-quality education, and low-quality health care in the area.
This further worsens the poverty rates in areas of southeastern Missouri, which then reinforces the negative stigma, which creates a cycle of continuously worsening poverty in the areas without some sort of private or public investment.
All of this aside, it is important to keep in mind that the reasons for poverty are as unique as the individuals who live through it. Though finding trends in a specific area is important, no generalization can account for everyone.
What is Being Done about Poverty in Missouri
Some of the organizations working to lower poverty rates in Missouri include direct assistance groups such as the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc. (CAASTLC).
CAASTLC offers emergency services to the most needy in Missouri such as a food pantry and a back-to-school fair. CAASTLC also offers assistance to lower-income families with water, utilities, and energy bills, as well as housing assistance.
Aside from this more direct assistance; CAASTLC also offers counseling sessions for individuals, families, anger management, and drug and alcohol counseling.
Another organization working to fight poverty in Missouri through research and advocacy is the University of Missouri Human Environmental Sciences (HES) Extension.
Though these are great organizations, real change in Missouri will have to be brought about by communities and people of southeastern Missouri coming together and saying in unison: poverty is not welcome here.
References:
United States Census Bureau
Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc.
