By Bryan Navarro
MEDFORD, Ore. -- Medford was recently named at the top of a nationwide list of cities...but it's not a list you want to lead.
A new report says Medford is the fifth "brokest" city in United States. The report by "The Daily Beast" listing the "brokest" cities is based on three factors: income, debt, and unemployment. Officials say the last number may be the most important. Medford ranks fifth across the country and there are plenty of people in the city that are hurting.
Jodie Riddle, her son Keith, and dog Baxter live in Medford. In October of last year, she was laid off and is trying to make ends meet.
"It's not that my house payment's not reasonable and that the space rent's not reasonable. It's just not enough. I lost a thousand dollars in income when I was laid off," says Jodie.
Jodie is one of thousands in Southern Oregon without a job. The report from The Daily Beast has Medford's median household income at just over $40,000; average personal debt, just over $25,000, and maybe most importantly, unemployment at 11.2%.
"Unemployment drives debt. If you're not working, you're not going to maybe pay existing credit accounts, may be using your credit cards more," explains Jan Safley with Consumer Credit Counseling Service.
Unemployment also means a lower income and dipping into savings. Jodie says she managed a couple of months on savings, but that was it. One year after being laid off, she's in danger of losing her home, so some payments just have to wait.
"Things that need to be repaired here that I can't do right now. A washing machine has broken the dishwasher is broken... you know it's just little things," she says.
As of a few weeks ago, however, Jodie finally feels like she's not going in circles: she found a job. "Took a year and 8 days, but I got one!"
The report listed 30 of the brokest cities. Some notables: Detroit, Michigan at 18, Las Vegas at 30, and the number one brokest city, according to the report, is Columbus, Georgia.