Fastest-dying American towns

School systems are running out of money, and major cities scramble to find ways to provide basic services.

Detroit’s issues are well known. Other major American cities are hurting, too.

But not everyone lives in the big town. In small town America, some communities have been in decline for a decade or more.

Forbes used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to assess the state of things in communities with populations between 20,000 and 65,000. The magazine assessed income growth, rate of domestic in-migration, change in poverty, and percentage of population with a college degree.

According to those figures, here are the 10 most challenged places, in reverse order:

10. Middletown, Ohio
9. Burton, Mich.
8. Grandview, Mo.
7. Hamtramck, Mich.
6. Spanish Lake, Mo.
5. Austintown, Ohio
4. Asheboro, N.C.
3. Kokomo, Ind.
2. Candler-McAfee, Ga.
1. Bensenville, Ill.

To read about these cities, and to see a slideshow, visit Forbes.

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