Poverty in the U.S.: The Poorest Towns in Every State

Fort Scott, Kansas

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Median Household Income: $31,542
Poverty Rate: 18.7%
Population: 7,822
Median Home Value: $63,800

Check out that affordable home value! While Fort Scott comes in as the poorest town in the state, the price of an average home is less than half of the state’s average, which is just over $139k. The poverty rate in Fort Scott also isn’t that much higher than the state’s average of 12.8%.

The town was established in 1842 as part of a group of frontier forts. These forts were charged with keeping the peach between white settlers and Native Americans.