As late as 2000, times were pretty good. Poverty was a minuscule 6.5%, incomes were growing and folks were relocating to Bensenville from outside the state at a steady rate.

But Bensenville's fortunes have since changed. Incomes have dropped by 11.4% (without accounting for inflation), poverty has more than doubled and domestic in-migration has... See more

Median incomes can drop if young workers or immigrants are moving to an area and taking newly formed jobs at lower salaries, which isn't necessarily a sign that times are tough. However, if the number of folks under the poverty line surges while incomes drop, it's a sign of economic decline instead of transition. This is what's happening in places... See more