Although the recession ended in 2009, some cities are still feeling the pain.
Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate is 5.0 percent (the region's lowest jobless rate since the spring of 2008), but median household incomes are seeing a relatively slow increase compared to the cost of living. Additionally, about one in every 10 mortgaged homes in metro Atlanta is "underwater."
As bleak as this sounds, there are areas in Georgia far worse off.
TIME analyzed the differences in median household income in counties across the U.S. to determine those that have recovered the least from the recession. Three counties in Georgia were among the 10 most affected:
1. Stewart: $37,149 median income in 2009, $21,880 median income in 2014 (41 percent decrease)
6. Wheeler: $39,187 median income in 2009, $27,629 median income in 2014 (29 percent decrease)
7. Brooks: $44,924 median income in 2009, $31,686 median income in 2014 (29 percent decrease)
Here's how median household incomes (after adjusting for inflation) were affected in metro Atlanta counties:
• Clayton: $48,738 in 2009 and $40,314 in 2014 (17.3 percent decrease)
• Gwinnett: $71,649 in 2009 and $60,329 in 2014 (15.8 percent decrease)
• Henry: $71,502 in 2009 and $60,269 in 2014 (15.7 percent decrease)
• Rockdale: $61,249 in 2009 and $52,341 in 2014 (14.5 percent decrease)
• Douglas: $61,063 in 2009 and $52,997 in 2014 (13.2 percent decrease)
• Fulton: $64,430 in 2009 and $56,642 in 2014 (12.1 percent decrease)
• Cobb: $73,166 in 2009 and $64,657 in 2014 (11.6 percent decrease)
• DeKalb: $57,170 in 2009 and $50,799 in 2014 (11.1 percent decrease)
• Fayette: $89,326 in 2009 and $79,993 in 2014 (10.4 percent decrease)
• Cherokee: $72,872 in 2009 and $67,371 in 2014 (7.5 percent decrease)
Here are the five counties that fared the best in the country:
1. Loup, Neb., 60 percent increase
T2. Williams, N.D., 44 percent increase
T2. Garza, Texas, 44 percent increase
4. Dimmit, Texas, 43 percent increase
5. Garfield, Mont., 41 percent increase
Click here to find out how median household incomes in other counties across the U.S. were affected by the recession.
