The Income Gap Widens Between the Poor and the Least Poor

For some, living in a particular location in America is the result of family heritage or personal ties; for others, it may be the result of job selection, relocation, educational attainment or simply, personal choice. The list below shows the 10 poorest and 10 least-poor counties in the United States, as well as the median income for a family of four (meaning half of those living in the county earn more, and half earn less).

Of the 10 poorest counties, Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Holmes County, Miss., for the past seven years and has built seven houses. Of the 10 least-poor counties, three -- Hamilton County (Ind.), Loudoun County (Va.) and Howard County (Md.) -- are served by a total of four affiliates that have built a total of 183 houses.

For more information on how Habitat is working in these and other states, or how to start a Habitat affiliate, see our local affiliate directory, affiliates worldwide profiles and Habitat factsheet.

Ten poorest counties in the United States	Median income
1. East Carroll Parish, La.	$14,340
2. Holmes County, Miss.	$14,382
3. Owsley County, Ky.	$14,393
4. Jefferson County, Miss.	$15,037
5. Zavala County, Texas	$15,162
6. Issaquena County, Miss.	$15,358
7. Clinton County, Ky.	$16,148
8. Greene County, Ala.	$16,274
9. Sharkey County, Miss.	$16,321
10. Keya Paha County, Neb.	$16,338
Ten least-poor counties in the United States	Median income
1. Douglas County, Colo.	$80,923
2. North Slope Borough, Ala.	$67,511
3. Los Alamos County, N.M.	$67,101
4. Hunterdon County, N.J.	$66,265
5. Somerset County, N.J.	$66,223
6. Fairfax County, Va.	$66,137
7. Fayette County, Ga.	$66,080
8. Hamilton County, Ind.	$65,041
9. Howard County, Md.	$64,939
10. Loudoun County, Va.	$64,174
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995

History of Minimum Wage and Its Buying Power

This chart shows the evolution of the federal minimum wage since its inception in 1938, as well as the buying power of that amount in 1999 dollars. It also shows the number of years between federally approved hikes to the minimum wage.





Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, February/March 2000.
This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
©2000 Habitat for Humanity International