D.C. Comics and the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce designated Metropolis, Illinois, as Superman’s hometown in 1972. And the Illinois General Assembly passed a resolution of its own to make the same designation.
Shortly after the Illinois General Assembly designated Metropolis the official hometown of Superman in 1972, the New York Times mentioned that the city was bleeding jobs, and young people were fleeing for greener pastures.
Fast-forward more than 40 years, and the problems are the same. The hope placed in a superhero is also still there.