I drove through the worst parts of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. This Rust Belt City is easily one of the poorest, most dilapidated, and dangerous places in America. With a violent crime rate 295% over the national average, and a poverty level over 30%, it is nothing short of tragic. So many abandoned homes, businesses, and broken dreams.
After the industrial decline decades ago, McKeesport, PA suffered dramatic economic collapse. With the combination of steel factories shutting down, a 1976 downtown fire, and major retail stores folding up, this city has never recovered from it. Jobs were gone and the people had to move away. The population was 55,355 in the 1950's, now down to 17,082 as of 2023. Let's take a drive and check some of the hardest hit parts!