Looking to give back this holiday season? A Central Valley city is one of the neediest in the nation, according to WalletHub.

The personal finance website recently ranked the Neediest Cities in America, comparing more than 180 metropolitan areas based on child poverty, food insecurity, insurance rates and other factors.

“In the neediest cities, a large number of people lack access to adequate food, health care and shelter,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo wrote, citing overcrowded housing and poor mental health care as other critical problems.

“Fixing these issues can lift people out of poverty, lower crime rates and elevate people’s mental and physical health,” Lupo wrote.

Detroit was No. 1 on WalletHub’s list of the cities with the most residents in need of vital services due in part to its high unemployment rate.

Gulfport, Mississippi, came in second place and Brownsville, Texas, was third.

Here’s where California cities ranked:Fresno ranks high

According to WalletHub, only one California city ranked among the 20 neediest cities in the nation: Fresno.

The Central Valley city was No 16 on WalletHub’s list, ranking just behind Los Angeles with an overall score of 49.32 out of 100.

Fresno was No. 23 among the neediest cities in the United States in terms of economic well-being and No. 29 in terms of health and safety, WalletHub said.

Although Fresno faced its share of criticism in 2024, with various websites calling out the city for everything from air quality to wheelchair accessibility, it received accolades as a top spot for working women and outdoor party planners.

Elsewhere in Fresno County, GoBankingRates named Clovis one of the safest and most affordable cities in the nation.

Clovis also landed on Livability’s list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the United States.

Other state cities

Los Angeles was the most needy California city on WalletHub’s list, landing at No. 15.

Several other California cities appeared significantly lower on the list, including Modesto at No. 77 and Sacramento at No. 90.

Tops in U.S.

These are the 10 neediest cities in the United States, according to WalletHub:

1. Detroit

2. Gulfport, Mississippi

3. Brownsville, Texas

4. Cleveland

5. Shreveport, Louisiana

6. Laredo, Texas

7. Augusta, Georgia

8. New Orleans

9. Corpus Christi, Texas

10. Birmingham, Alabama

Ranking system

To determine the neediest cities in the United States, WalletHub said it compared 182 cities — the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across two key dimensions: economic well-being and health and safety.

The site then evaluated those dimensions using 28 metrics, including:

• Unemployment rate

• Homelessness rate

• Median credit score

• High school dropout rate

• Share of residents without health insurance coverage

• Share of depressed adults

• Suicide rate

• Crime rate

“Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale,” WalletHub said, “with a score of 100 representing the highest level of economic disadvantage.”

The site used each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and ranked them accordingly.

WalletHub drew on data from sources including the FBI and Feeding America as well as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Housing Urban Development.