Least Educated: East Los Angeles, Calif.

Population aged 25 and older with a high school degree:* 46.5 percent
Total population: 122,386
U.S. average: 85.3 percent

In 1968, more than 30,000 students from five East Los Angeles high schools walked out to protest the status of education, according to pbs.org. More than 40 years later, it appears the area’s schools still have room for improvement. Less than half the adult population has completed high school, the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 data indicate. Demographics may play a role, as East L.A. remains an immigration hub: 46 percent of residents are foreign born, and in nearly all households a language other than English is spoken, according to 2005-09 Census Bureau estimates. Preliminary data from California’s Employment Development Dept. show the area’s unemployment rate in December was 17.7 percent.

(Note: *Includes high school equivalency)

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Surveys 2009 (only includes places with populations of 65,000 or more) and 2005-09