America’s Most Miserable Cities, Ranked 1-30
It's a sad fact, but not all cities in the United States are destinations for those looking to make a move in their life. Have it be the crime rate, a cities affinity for natural disasters, or the fact that it was unable to rebuild after an economic crash; not all cities are created equal.
From Danville, Virginia, on the east coast to Lancaster, California, on the west coast, here are some of the most miserable cities in the US.
San Bernardino, California
Don't let the state of California fool you; San Bernardino isn't exactly a place to lay down roots. The city is considered one of the most poverty-stricken cities in the US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with 30% of its occupants living under the poverty line.
And that's not even taking into consideration the high crime rate; something San Bernardino has struggled with for years. According to the Morgan Quitno Press, this particular California city is one of the most dangerous in the country.
Macon, Georgia
Time hasn't been great to the city of Macon, Georgia. From 2010-2018 the city lost 1.7% of its 153,000 person population. And it's no secret as to why those people wanted to get out of the city.
In Macon, 26% of people are living in poverty with dilapidated homes and overgrown yards. According to some residents who live in the city still, Macon is losing its race against blight, and they don't have the recourses to stop it.
Pasadena, Texas
Even in a year like 2021, Pasadena, Texas, is still living back in the times of the Civil War. In the northern part of the city are the Latino people, while the southern-most part of the city houses white families.
Race issues, social class differences, and not to mention the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan, Pasadena, Texas, isn't even one of the cities that's okay to drive through. It's okay to ditch this one altogether.
Reading, Pennsylvania
According to the 2010 census, Reading, Pennsylvania, has one of the highest percentages of people living in poverty in a city of more than 65,000 in the entire country, at a solid 36%. The following year, the city of Reading was declared the poorest small city in the US.
After a mass closing of the city's factories and industry, more than 44% of households had to resort to food stamps. Life there cannot be easy.
Plainfield, New Jersey
For people who don't like other people, West New York, New Jersey, is not the place to visit. It is estimated that there are 52,800 people per square mile in the whole city, making it one of the more densely populated areas in the country.
Not only that, but the town is growing, even with 22% of the population lying under the poverty line. Even without that percentage, the sheer number of people per square mile sounds miserable.
Lancaster, California
A desert city with a weirdly high population of over 160,000, Lancaster, California isn't what people should think of when they think of the Golden Coast. With little else to do in the secluded area, issues with drug addiction have run ramped and the poverty rate is at a startling 23%.
And while Mayor R. Rex Parris is doing what he can to revamp the city's image, it still has a long way to go. Needless to say, this Lancaster isn't a tourist destination for those visiting California.
Huntington, West Virginia
First off, Huntington, West Virginia, is a coal mining town, so the people there are most likely going to have some underlying lung issues, which sounds horrible. On top of that, the city is wildly considered one of the most unhealthy in the country.
According to a Fox News article, more than half of the adults in the area are obese, with the city leading the charge in cases surrounding heart disease and diabetes.
St. Louis, Missouri
Unfortunately, when it comes to St. Louis, Missouri, crime and the city kind of go hand in hand. The city is stark with gun violence, with gun-related deaths rising 33% since 2015. With that statistic, it's no wonder people are leaving. From 2010-2018, a solid 5% of the city's almost 303,000 people have found homes elsewhere.
While the past and present mayors have been making crime their number one priority, the city is still poverty-stricken and violent, even in 2021.
Hemet, California
Ever since the 2008 recession, Hemet, California, has gone downhill very fast. Once a promising community, Hemet has around 23% of people living in poverty, even with its low-income housing that has brought people to the city.
Unfortunately, cheap housing sometimes brings not-so-great people, and the crime rate in Hemet has shot through the roof. In 2016 alone, 398 aggravated assaults were logged, 170 robberies were reported, and 623 cars were stolen off the streets. Not exactly a family-friends area. And, hello, it's prone to wildfires!
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana, doesn't really have a lot going for it. Aside from its natural beauty, this particular southern city is riddled with crime-related violence, including aggravated assault, something that doubled from 2015 to 2016.
On top of that, the city is prone to flooding from the neighboring Red River, and the 26% of people living in poverty don't exactly have the funds to reconstruct their already delipidated homes and yards.
Youngstown, Ohio
Once a proud steel manufacturing city with a population of 170,000, Youngstown, Ohio, has since become a deteriorating town of 65,000 people. Of those people, a startling 37% live below the poverty line.
Interestingly, Youngstown is also a haven for organized crime and is considered to be pretty corrupt. According to The New Republic, everyone from the chief of police and the force to the county engineer and several defense attorneys is run by the local mob.
Danville, Virginia
Ever since its tobacco and textile mills shut down, Danville, Virginia, went from one of the richest towns in the Piedmont area to one of the poorest. With 21% of the 40,000 person population now living in poverty, it's no wonder people are looking to move elsewhere.
Between 2010 and 2018, around 5.5% of the population left Danville, looking for work and a new life elsewhere. Thankfully, the town is doing its best to turn things around.
Jackson, Mississippi
Mississippi might be full of southern charm, but the city of Jackson is just sad to think about. Not only is 29% of the population living under the poverty level, but in February of 2021, more than 20,000 homes were threatened with getting their water turned off due to $45 million worth of unpaid utility bills across the city.
In 2020, the city's homicide rate reached an all-time high with 79.69 homicides per 100,000 residents.
Mansfield, Ohio
Since the loss of the industrial age of work in Mansfield, Ohio, not to mention the closing of the GM factory in 2010, more and more jobs have been lost, bringing the poverty rate in the city up to 24%.
With people looking for an easy way to put food on the table, the crime rate has surged to an all-time high in the city, too, rising 37% from 2012 to 2017.
Cleveland, Ohio
Once considered the "best location in the nation" by businesses, Cleveland, Ohio, has since had a major downturn in appeal. Since losing its manufacturing industry, a solid percent of Cleveland's population lives in poverty, a solid 35%. And the crime rate has also risen, namely gun violence.
And the fact that Forbes named the place one of the most miserable cities in the United States doesn't really do much for Cleveland's character.
Harlingen, Texas
Dry, hot, and known to have little to no rainfall, Harlingen, Texas, isn't for the faint of heart. Not only does around 30% of the population live under the poverty line, but now they're experiencing something that hasn't ever really been a point of worry.
In recent years, Harlingen has experienced an absurd amount of flooding. Call it global warming or call it bad luck, but a good chunk of the estimated 65,000 residents living there don't have easy lives.
Anderson, Indiana
Since the closing of the GM motor factories in Anderson, Indiana, more than 23,000 people have lost their jobs. According to the Indiana Business Review, the city is leaning towards a negative economic trend. The journal stated that due to the downward spiral in the city's economy, there would be an "acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients."
Due to mass unemployment, around 25% of the city's population lives under the poverty line.
Fort Pierce, Florida
When people think of the sandy beaches of Florida, Fort Pierce doesn't come to mind. not only does 36% of the population live in poverty, but the city has to reapply sand to its beaches every so often because of erosion.
One a prominent citrus farming town, many of the orchards have been shut down due to disease. Now, people are just trying to get by in the tiny hurricane-prone city located between the big cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Union City, New Jersey
In 2010, Union City, New Jersey, was named the most densely populated city in the country, with 54,138 people per square mile. For people who enjoy precious “me time,” this is one miserable city. Not to mention 23% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Thankfully, Union City has gotten a bit better over the years. In 2015, it was even named one of the best small cities to live in by AARP.
Georgia Is Too Expensive
While it might come as a surprise to see Georgia on this list, there is a reason. People tend to visit Georgia, typically Atlanta, but they don't move there. On the contrary, it seems people are trying to leave the state. What it comes down to are expenses.
Governing magazine acknowledged that rent costs were up 28% in the city since 2000, compared to the nine percent raise in other states around the country. In 2018, A HotPads report found that the renting prices were rising three times faster than that of other cities. It’s no wonder people want to find other places to settle down!
Compton, California
While Compton, California, is in no way as dangerous as it was back in the 1970s, the city still isn't' the greatest and is in no way a place people want to visit on vacation. Riddled with gang violence, a high poverty level of 23%, and a whole lot of unemployment, Compton is arguably one of the more miserable cities in the country.
Of course, people from Compton are loyal to the city to their very core.
Hammond, Indiana
Unfortunately for Hammon, Indiana, the one thing keeping its residence employed is the very same thing that’s making it one of the most polluted cities in the country. Since Hammond came to be, its main focus has been industry, meaning a whole lot of smokey factories.
The thing is, all of the factories have done a number in terms of air and water pollution, a huge concern for the 76,000 people living there.
Saginaw, Michigan
Cold, icy, and was it mentioned it's cold? Saginaw doesn't have the same charm as other cities across Michigan. In the late 20th century, industry throughout the city rapidly declined, leading to a huge surge in unemployment. Now, around 34% of the population lives in poverty.
The city's recent population loss has also given way to urban blight, with people abandoning their homes and criminals using the buildings as their "bases of operation." Saginaw is just a domino effect, with the last piece being overall hardship.
Cicero, Illinois
Since the 1920s, when Al Capone used Cicero, Illinois, as “his own private playground,” the city has lived up to the phrase. Known for its long-running issue with government corruption, the most recent scandal should have its 81,500 residents making other living arrangements.
Town President Betty Loren-Maltes took $12 million in funds. He’s currently getting cozy in federal prison. Sorry, but that little mishap is awful for overall town morale and isn't a way to get people to visit or live there.
Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah, Florida, is a good lesson in “just because a place is located on the coast, that doesn’t mean it is a good or even an active city.” In fact, in 2018, WalletHub went ahead and put together a bunch of finance data, including average monthly fitness club fees, number of fitness centers per capita, and the amount of physically inactive adults, to name a few.
Their result: Hialeah, Florida, is one of the worst cities in the country to have an active lifestyle.
Brownsville, Texas
With 35% of residents living below the poverty line, Brownsville, Texas, is often cited by sources as being one of the most impoverished cities in the country. On top of that, the city is located right on the border, making it one of America's most heavily patrolled areas.
That's not exactly something that says, "come and visit this city; it's super fun and inviting." It's actually one of the main reasons residents have trouble selling their homes.
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Don't let the fact that the popular Rutgers University is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey because that and some of the local eateries are the only things the city has going for it.
This particular city in New Jersey has one of the highest poverty rates, a staggering 37%, with only 54% of the total population actually having jobs. Not to mention that gun control has all but gone out the window. Since 2017, gun violence has risen 67%.
Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey, has a bad reputation for being one of the most dangerous cities in the country, with NeighborhoodScout naming it one of the top five most dangerous since it began the list.
With the average household income at $26,105 and the 37% of residents under the poverty line, there is only so much Camden can do to dig itself out of its very deep hole. Thankfully, it sounds as though crime is slowly decreasing, with only 22 homicides in 2017—the lowest number since the 80s.
Huntington Park, California
It's no surprise Business Insider ranked Huntington Park, California, the number tenth-most miserable city in the county. It has a staggeringly low average household income of $36,397 and high a poverty rate of 28%.
Even so, the city is considered a "working-class and immigrant haven," according to The Los Angeles Times, as the housing is affordable. Many of the residents aren't here legally, making the local governments slow to offer their support.
Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan, really can't catch a break. In the mid-2000s, it became known as one of the most crime-ridden and dangerous cities in the country. On top of that, from 2002 to 2004 and from 2011 to 2015, the city was under a state of financial emergency.
Now, they're in the middle of a public health emergency due to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia, and lead-contaminated water.
Gary, Indiana
One a booming place of manufacturing, Gary, Indiana, is now nothing more than a has-been town whose best days are long gone. During an interview with The Guardian, a Drug Enforcement Agent who grew up in the town laid it all out.
He said, "We used to be the [killing] capital of the US, but there is hardly anybody left to kill. We used to be the drug capital of the US, but for that, you need money, and there aren't jobs or things to steal here."
