Forbes released their list of America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities today. Their “Misery Measure” takes into account: “unemployment, taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years. We also factored in two indexes put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that gauge weather and Superfund pollution sites. Lastly we considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each area as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
We expanded the list of cities under consideration this year to include the 200 largest metro areas (in years past we’ve examined 150) which led to a shuffling in the ranks. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was eligible.”
- Cleveland, Ohio tops the list at number one. Followed by:
- Stockton, California
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Detroit, Michigan
- Flint, Michigan
- Miami, Florida
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Buffalo, N.Y.
- Canton, Ohio
- Chicago, Illinois
- Modesto, California
- Akron, Ohio
- Kansas City, Mo.
- Rockford, Illinois
- Toledo, Ohio
- New York, N.Y.
- Sacramento, California
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Gary, Indiana
- Philadelphia, Pa.
Yikes, Ohio really took a hit! How do you feel about this list? Do you live in or have you visited any of these cities? Share your thoughts.
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11 Responses to America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities
Awww come on!!! Philly is only number 20? Once again we got robbed. We should at least be number 5!!! (haha!)
That’s funny, Erin, but WRONG. Philly has a wonderful charm.
What’s NYC doing there? I “get” that these cities may fail on these crucial misery measures, but do they get any exttra points for their own unique and wonderful attractions? You can walk the most historical square mile in the US in Philly, and need I say more about NYC than BROADWAY???
Look what didn’t make the list…two of my favorite cities, “the Cradle of Liberty” (Boston) and Washington, DC. Glad to see it.
Yeah, it’s hard for me to imagine places like NYC and Philly that have such a rich history and access to a lot of culture as being “worst”. Places like Stockton, that have city problems such as crime without the benefits of city life (I think of Stockton as pretty much still a hick town) – those I can see.
Though honestly, these lists are pretty arbitrary, aren’t they? They smush together a bunch of factors and spit out a ranked list but does it really speak to the way *real* people live in those cities? I’m not sure it does.
Philadelphia is full of corruption, our sports teams (other than my Phils) rarely win and if they make it the big games, they choke…let’s see Philadelphia has a wage tax that you have to pay whether you live in the city or not (for example if you work in the city but live in the suburbs, you still pay Philly wage tax) oh and if you live AND work in the city, your wage tax is double!
I think it’s hilarious too! I love my city and I love the personality of the average Philadelphian. We’ll knock you out if you look at us the wrong way but we’ll also go the extra mile to help our neighbors and friends.
Unemployment….check…
Yeah, I can see why we made the list
Like I said, I love it ….it’s my home but it’s definitely not without it’s flaws.
No taxes in Phillly for just visiting, though.
I like your hospitals, the zoo, the museums, your cheesesteaks, your Catholic churches (you’ve got 2 of the American Saints,) and the rowers out on the river when I drive in. I had my picture taken with your mayor 2 years ago! We are lucky to live so near this great city.
I’m sorry about the sports teams, Erin. I know they have disappointed many of my family members over the years, too.
The city that I live in did not make this list and I was kind of surprised. Los Angeles. I guess our weather kept us out of the running.
I have been to Stockton and Modesto and would not want to live in either city but am still kind of surprised they made the list. Did not realize they were that large of a city to make the list.
I love Chicago and New York. My husband and I have considered moving back to the midwest and he would like to make Chicago his home. Love those Cubs!
I never had a desire to see New York City and thought that would be the last place I enjoyed but my son wanted to go there and so we took him for his high school graduation present. I absolutely loved the city and I could actually see myself living there when I was younger. I think you would have to have some money thought to be comfortable there.
Some of these make sense, i.e. Detroit and Flint (due to corruption and horrible economy), but others leave me scratching my head. Why would Memphis be #3???
No Bakersfield?
Poor Ohio. I never imagined it as a state to avoid. I was surprised to see Miami. I guess I have the whole “fun in the sun” image of it. I wasn’t surprised to see Detroit either but NYC did throw me for a loop.
I can’t believe Los Angeles is not on the list! I have lived here my whole life and if my family did not live here I would move in a second. We have the highest unemployment we have ever had. Being a business owner in this city, just means taxes upon taxes. Our sales tax is almost 10.5% and we get nothing for it! No matter where you turn you are getting hit up for more money! The parking meters that were .25 for an hour are now $1.00 an hour. We have Los Angeles City Council-members getting $178,789.00 a year salaries and another $100,000.00 in a “discretionary fund” to use as they “see fit”. We have a Mayor, Anthony Villaragosa, who spends more time on “travel junkets” and “photo ops” than working here in L. A. In fact I just read that he was out of the State filming an episode of All My Children! Yes he is in “Pine Valley” speaking with Erica Cane at a “green jobs submit”! You couldn’t make this stuff up!
Holly, I have heard about your mayor – he gets around, doesn’t he?
I am in northern California and we have many meters that are $2.00 an hour.
I do feel for business owners in California, I really do.
This “list” is highly subjective and a load of crap that appeals to people’s inate need of such lists. I live in the suburbs of NYC and despite any negatives (Knicks and Mets suck), NYC is still is great. What shows the greatest flaw of this list is the absence of Washington DC. This hellhole is loaded with the lowest form of scumbags and criminals and cheats, drug addicts, sex fiends and the dregs of society. And that’s not counting the people outside congress and the once hallowed halls of government. No, if such a misery index existed, the readings would be off the scale in this cynical dungheap.