Maine Has the Second Poorest Town in the Country

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions, or personal experiences.

When I think of where the majority of the poorest towns in the United States are, my mind automatically goes to the south, typically Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky.  That's based on general news and information I've heard over the years.

So when I ran across this latest information about the poorest towns in America, I skimmed through it with zero surprises until I ran across Vermont and then Maine.  What?  This may be naive of me, but when I think of New England, having the poorest towns is the absolute last thing that would ever cross my mind when comparing the region to the rest of the country.

First, let me tell you that the typical household income in the country is around $65,000 a year, according to  247 Wall Street.  So, towns with the majority of households earning only a fraction of that annually are what landed them on this list of poorest towns in America. 13,000 towns and communities nationwide were looked at, according to 24/7 Wall St., to find the 50 poorest towns with populations between 1,000 and 25,000.

It's no surprise that the majority of the poorest towns in the country are in the south, with 36 on this list with a couple in Texas, California, the southwest and midwest, then our two in New England.

Castleton, Vermont, with around 1,250 residents, took the #21 spot with a median household income between $18,000 and $19,000, according to 24/7 Wall St.  Castleton has a poverty rate of over 40%, with 46% of the residents having at least a bachelor's degree. Castleton is near the New York state border halfway between Albany, New York, and Burlington, Vermont.

Waldoboro, Maine, is the 2nd poorest town in the country, with almost 1,400 residents and a median household income between $14,000 and $15,000.  25% have at least a bachelor's degree.  Waldoboro is on the coast, just over an hour northeast of Portland.

Click here for the full list.