Miami #1 In Poverty In The U.S.A. (Cleveland: low income, apartments)

[Dreammachine]

Poorest American cities
(Population over 250,000)
Rank City Median household income, 2006

1 Miami, FL $24,031

2 Newark, NJ $26,309

3 Cleveland, OH $27,871

4 Detroit, MI $27,871

5 Buffalo, NY $28,544

6 St. Louis, MO $30,389

7 Philadelphia, PA $30,631

8 Milwaukee, WI $31,231

9 New Orleans, LA $31,369

10 El Paso, TX $31,764

Source: U.S. Census, CNNMoney

[tallrick]

And yet it's so expensive....how can this be?

[Miami Vice]

Originally Posted by Dreammachine

Poorest American cities
(Population over 250,000)
Rank City Median household income, 2006

1 Miami, FL $24,031

2 Newark, NJ $26,309

3 Cleveland, OH $27,871

4 Detroit, MI $27,871

5 Buffalo, NY $28,544

6 St. Louis, MO $30,389

7 Philadelphia, PA $30,631

8 Milwaukee, WI $31,231

9 New Orleans, LA $31,369

10 El Paso, TX $31,764

Source: U.S. Census, CNNMoney

Now I'll feel bad while I'm swimming in my pool and grilling loster tails and fillet mignon.

[Chelito23]

Anyone surprised by this? Sounds like justification for our gripe about "low paying" jobs here and a large underground economy of illegal activity, hence the crime that permeates all areas and aspects of life here, unless you are wealthy and can cocoon yourself from it.

I suppose there will still be some people who feel that the low income earners are in EVERY city and people know that Miami is poor, and this will justify all of its problems. Here, the low income earners would be middle class in other areas, and our middle class live amongst the same people earning at or below the average. This means all of the problems that are associated with poverty (crime, gangs, drugs) are found in "middle class" areas.

Hopefully this fact will not be glossed over, ignored or airbrushed by other posters. I hope that it makes some people reflect and accept a reality that is different from their own, but representative of most of the community, proportionatly.

[Pixie Dust]

These stats do not surprise me at all. The sad part is that the crooked politicians continue to get rich skimming off contracts and low income housing developments. I really think the federal goverment should come in and do an internal audit of county and city financing and personal top level banking accounts. Im sure many skeletons will come out of the closet than and heads will roll.

[Chelito23]

I believe the skeletons would come out as well, but not too sure about the heads rolling. Corruption in public office is a time honored tradition here! You can only do so much when the VOTERS elect and re-elect criminals.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by tallrick

And yet it's so expensive....how can this be?

I've been wondering the same thing too. Do poor people rent crummy apartments, have lots of housemates, or what? Are there entire areas that are affordable in theory but uninhabitable in reality? Just how does it work?

[lolitazz]

Jesus, how many times??? Let's talk about manipulating statistics

[Chelito23]

ellie,

The "affordable areas" are outrageously priced. A home in Allapatah or Liberty City (bad neighborhoods by anyone's standards) have run down, scary, uninhabitable homes starting near 300,000. The most modest, liveable areas with less crime would start at 400,000. What happened is that prices went through the roof in a matter of a few years. Many of the owners from before the prices shot up sold and moved out of the area or still live in the same properties. Many people cannot afford homes here at all. Others use creative financing and falsify earnings to be eligable for the mortgages. Most people rent out rooms or have under the table businesses and extended family living with them to survive. That is how Miami housing tends to work if you are not rich.

[CiXeL]

"I really think the federal goverment should come in and do an internal audit of county and city financing and personal top level banking accounts."

last time they tried that the state sent an auditor down to homestead city hall and the mayor threw him out!