Pennsylvania, with its varied cultures, scenic beauty, and rich history, has a variety of appealing towns for its citizens. Significant challenges in certain communities include high rates of crime, low salaries, poor educational prospects, and environmental issues, which drive many residents to look for better possibilities elsewhere. These five Pennsylvanian villages are clearly seeing a significant outflow.
Chester
Chester, a once-thriving industrial center located in Delaware County along the Delaware River, has struggled with issues like deindustrialization and urban deterioration. With 2,446 violent crimes per 100,000 people, it revealed the highest violent crime rate in the state in 2019. In addition, the poverty rate is 38.4%, the unemployment rate is 10.9%, and the median household income is the lowest at $29,954. From 33,972 to 31,118, the city’s population has decreased by 8.3% since 2010.
Johnstown
Johnstown, which is situated in Cambria County in the Allegheny Mountains and is well-known for both the 1889 flood and its steel industry, has seen a deterioration in its economy since the 1970s. With a median household income of $24,294 and a 37.9% poverty and unemployment rate, Johnstown’s population has dropped from 20,978 to 18,994 since 2010.
Duquesne
Located near the Monongahela River in Allegheny County, Duquesne was formerly a thriving steel town but saw job losses and a fall in industry. Duquesne’s population has dropped by 7.4% from 5,565 to 5,152 during 2010, with a median household income of $26,186, a poverty rate of 35.8%, and an unemployment rate of 11.1%.
McKeesport
Like Duquesne and Chester, McKeesport, which was located in Allegheny County at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers, met a similar end. With a median household income of $28,525 and a poverty and unemployment rate of 33.2% and 9.8% respectively, it has the fourth lowest income of any state. Since 2010, the population of the city has decreased from 19,731 to 18,398 (a 6.8% decrease).
Perusing
Reading, a former center of industry and railroads in southeast Berks County, has seen social upheaval and economic deterioration. With a poverty rate of 36.4%, an unemployment rate of 8.7%, and the fifth-lowest median family income in the state of $30,823, Reading’s population has declined by 1.6% from 88,082 to 86,712 since 2010.
In summary
These five towns represent the struggles that many Pennsylvania communities have in the twenty-first century as they lose their social cohesiveness, economic vibrancy, and standard of living. Residents are leaving these areas in search of better opportunities. To rebuild these towns and bring them back to their former splendor, the state and federal governments, along with the corporate and charity sectors, must act quickly.
