The Most Distressed Communities in the USA

15.4% of the United States population lives in a distressed area. You can find out if you are one of them on the 2025 DCI Interactive Map.

The Distressed Communities Index uses seven different metrics to rank every ZIP code area in the country. These indicators are:

1. No High School Diploma - number of residents without a high school diploma
2. Housing Vacancy Rate - share of habitable housing that is unoccupied
3. Adults Not Working - share of adults not employed
4. Poverty Rate - share of the population living below the federal poverty line
5. Median Income Ratio - median household income as a percentage of the area median
6. Employment Change - percent change in the number of jobs over the past five years
7. Business Establishment Change - percent change in number of businesses over the past 5 years

When you select a ZIP code on the map, you can view its DCI score for each indicator and see how the area ranks among all ZIP codes in the state. The map’s sidebar also displays a graphic comparing the area’s seven indicator rankings with the national averages.

The Geography of Distress

The map reveals that geography plays a major role in the prosperity of Americans. Prosperous ZIP codes are largely suburban areas that continue to attract jobs, businesses, and higher-income households. Distressed areas are disproportionately rural and urban, with high poverty rates, low educational attainment, declining employment, and widespread housing vacancy. These communities are home to younger and more diverse populations - including a large share of Black, Hispanic, and Native American residents - who face limited access to economic mobility and to opportunity-rich neighborhoods.

The Four Corners Region stands out on the map for the number of distressed communities. This is the geographic and cultural region where the corners of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona meet. The area contains a significant portion of the Navajo Nation (and other tribal lands).

Perhaps unsurprisingly the Black Belt also stands out on the map. The Black Belt is consistently cited in studies as one of the most economically disadvantaged and distressed regions in the entire United States.