Some of the biggest Powerball winners come from some of the country's smallest towns. Here are some of those big Powerball wins from small towns.
You might presume that big Powerball winners come from the big cities. And it’s not uncommon to see headlines featuring the metropolitan areas of New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, or Miami. But big wins happen in small towns, too. So, if you reside in a more rural community with small-town USA vibes, you have just as much of a shot at the Powerball jackpot as the big city folks. Here are a few Powerball winners that hail from some of the smallest towns in the country.
There are plenty of small towns that dot along the Illinois River in Illinois. And Marseilles, Illinois, is one such community. With an average population of just 5,000 residents, it’s a town where everyone knows everyone. So, when Circle K gas station on Main Street recognized it had sold a $1 million winning Powerball ticket, word got around fast. As of April, the winner had yet to come forward. Although everyone in town is hopeful it’s someone local, it just proves little towns can produce big winners, too.
You probably have never been to Lonaconing, Maryland, unless you’re up on your baseball trivia. Baseball’s legendary Lefty Grove hails from this small town, miles from any major city. But it was here, at the Coney Market convenience store, that a $731.1 million Powerball winning ticket was sold. With only about 300 families calling Lonaconing home and a poverty rate of 22%, this struggling coal-mining town certainly could use the good news. Anonymous winners eventually came forward, calling themselves the “Power Pack” and claiming the lump sum option of $546.8 million.
Marie Holmes lived in Shallotte, North Carolina, where she raised four children on her own. The town, situated on the South Carolina border, is only home to roughly 4,000 people. To make ends meet, Holmes held down multiple jobs, including shifts at Wal-Mart, Food Lion, Subway, and Mcdonald's. But the 25-year-old mother wouldn’t have to work all those jobs for long. She had big hopes and would occasionally play Powerball. When she matched six numbers, along with two other winners for that drawing, she took home $188 million as her third share of the jackpot.
John Robinson and his wife Lisa told reporters that they didn’t plan to squander their $327 million lump-sum Powerball winner payout. They wouldn’t be buying a new house or quitting their jobs. Instead, and in true Tennessee fashion, they did say their daughter wanted a horse. Nashville, TN headquarters is where the couple went to claim their Powerball prize. But they reside in the small town of Munford, TN, with a population of around 6,000 residents. It was there, at their local grocery store, that they purchased their ticket, worth $1.6 billion, which they split with other nationwide winners for that drawing.
Dearborn, MO is a super-tiny, rural agricultural community, barely noticeable even on the map. And nothing exciting has happened here since the Jesse James days, that is until Mark and Cindy Hill won the Powerball jackpot. The couple purchased their Powerball ticket from the local gas station, the Trex Mart. By the end of the week, they were in national headlines as one of the winners of the $578.5 million Powerball jackpot.
No matter how big your hometown is, you too can be a Powerball jackpot winner. These past winners prove that even the biggest stories can hail from the tiniest towns.