The Most Miserable Cities in The United States (As Ranked By Residents)

If you are looking for a new place to stay, you might want to look through this list before making a decision about where you want to settle down. The following cities are ranked as the most horrible places to live in the United States by their own residents. This list was made possible by data from nationwide censuses. 

Plainfield, New Jersey, which has a population of approximately 50,000 people, comes in at number 50 on the ranking of the most depressing cities in the United States. Though 70% of the population is employed, one-fifth of them live below the poverty line, and one-third do not have medical insurance.

If Florida didn’t feature on this list of the most miserable places to live in the United States, we couldn’t possibly call it comprehensive, could we? In 2014, Miami Gardens received the distinction of being named the “stop and frisk capital of America.”

The city of Youngstown was once the third-largest producer of steel in the United States. Yet, in 1977, it began a process of deindustrialization, and ever since then, it has been steadily declining. This has had a significant impact on the city’s livability rating.

Even when there isn’t any precipitation in the forecast, North Miami Beach frequently experiences flooding. Flooding is a very serious problem that can cause endless issues for the residents of the city. It significantly affects the livelihood of many, which may well have led to a higher level of unemployment and poverty in North Miami Beach.

West Virginia isn’t exactly known for being the most beautiful state in the country, but it seems that Huntington is exceptionally awful. It has earned the dubious title of being the unhealthiest city in all of the United States.

People in Charleston, West Virginia, have a median household income of $47,000 per year, which is not a terribly low amount of money; however, they are still quite unhappy with the environments in which they work.

The pictured Huntsville penitentiary is where all lethal injections and final sentences in the state of Texas are carried out, which makes the Department of Criminal Justice the biggest employer in the city. Of course, that is a disturbing fact, whether or not you are a local.

Over the course of its history, the city of Paterson has endured more than its fair share of misfortune. Since its heyday as a prosperous silk town in the 1800s, it has experienced a steady decline in population and economic vitality.

Cicero was regarded as Al Capone’s “private playground” in the 1920s. The city still maintains some of the notoriety it once had due to the fact that it currently deals with a significant amount of gang-related crime.

In addition to having a relatively weak economy, the metropolitan area of Shreveport-Bossier City is also one of the unhealthiest places in the country. Fewer than half of the residents surveyed said that they regularly engaged in exercise lasting at least half an hour.

It is reported that more than 25% of the residents of Columbus have been diagnosed with depression by a healthcare professional. This makes the citizens of Columbus among the most depressed people in the entire country.

The overwhelming majority of Hialeah’s population is composed of Latinos, making it one of the cities in the United States with the least amount of racial and ethnic diversity. Those who lead active lifestyles are advised to avoid moving there as it has been ranked as the most unsuitable location in the country for outdoor exercise.

Reading is just one of several cities around the country that has seen its economy suffer significantly due to the closure or downsizing of manufacturing facilities. For locals, this has resulted in widespread job losses.

Regrettably, the idyllic images of Hawaii circulating online do not do the state justice in its entirety. For example, consider the town of Makaha, which has a population of just over 8,800 people but a poverty rate of 30.1%.

The high prevalence of crime in Saginaw has led to the city’s residents giving it the nickname “Sag-nasty,” despite the fact that the city’s overall crime rate has decreased over the past several years.

There are a few notable aspects of Mobile, Alabama. For instance, roughly a quarter of its citizens are smokers. In addition, it has one of the highest rates in the country for the diagnosis of cancer, and it’s among the top 10% in the nation for the number of individuals who suffer from high blood pressure. These are just a few of the health issues that plague its population.

Because of Brownsville’s location on the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, immigration problems and incidents of violent crime against visitors on both sides of the border are sadly common in the area.

There are over 90,000 people living in the Redding area, and 6.8% of them, which is the greatest percentage seen in any metropolitan area, identify themselves as “suffering.” In addition, both the city’s unemployment rate and its rate of violent crime are at alarmingly high levels.

Although there is a sufficient amount of affordable homes in Huntington Park, residents nevertheless have a difficult time buying or selling properties because of the city’s high poverty rate. People don’t tend to want to live in an area where poverty is widespread.

Camden, New Jersey, could be the ideal location for you if you are the type of person who thrives on the excitement of potential threats. This is due to the shockingly high rate of violent crime in Camden, which is far higher than the average for the country as a whole.

In recent years, Flint has been in the national spotlight on multiple occasions due to its lead-contaminated water system – a problem that has not yet been rectified. As a result, in just five short years, the city has experienced a catastrophic decline in real estate values as well as a loss of more than 5% of its population.

With a population of 42,000, Pine Bluff experienced the most significant population decline on this list between 2010 and 2018, losing about 14% of its total population. Only 52% of locals are employed, while 30% of people are considered to be living below the poverty line.

Another place that is plagued by high rates of violent crime, poverty, and lengthy commuting times is Newark City in New Jersey.  It takes an average of 35 minutes to get to and from work every day. To make a bad situation even worse, there have also been issues with lead contamination in the city’s water system, similar to Flint.

The city of Danville, Virginia, has a population of around 40,000 people. Between 2010 and 2018, the city had an astounding 5.5% population decline. Around 55% of the population is currently employed, while 21% live below the poverty line in this city.

Hemet, located in California, has a population of 85,000 individuals. The city has battled quite a bit since the global financial crisis of 2008. Nevertheless, the population has grown by an astounding 8.5% between the years 2010 and 2018. Sadly, poverty affects 23% of the population in Hemet, and the prevalence of violent crime is relatively high.

A little more than 60 miles east of Los Angeles, the city of San Bernardino has a population of 222,000 people, 57% of whom are employed and 30% of whom are living below the poverty line. A steel mill and an air force installation were shut down, reducing employment in the community.

There are 96,000 people living in Compton, which is located just south of the downtown area of Los Angeles. A whopping 40% of the population is unemployed, and 32% live below the poverty line.

Since the census taken in the year 2000, the population of Harlingen has increased by 12.5%, reaching a total of 65,000. While 30% of the population is considered poor, 56% of inhabitants are currently employed.

There are 37,000 individuals in Hallandale Beach, Florida, 60% of whom are employed, and 20% of whom are living in poverty. Almost a third of the population does not have any type of health coverage.

According to the census, there were fewer than 56,000 people residing in Anderson, Indiana, in 2010 compared to 70,000 people in 1970. There was a time when General Motors was Anderson’s largest employer, and the city was home to 24 of the automaker’s factories; however, when those factories were closed, 23,000 people lost their jobs.

According to the 2010 census, there were approximately 40,000 people residing in Sumter, South Carolina. There are 17.8% of people living in poverty in Sumter, while 56% of the population is employed, and the average income for a household is $31,590.

It is estimated that there has been a population loss of approximately 3.3% in the city of Farmington, New Mexico, since the year 2019. The city currently has a population of 44,372 residents. Around 60% of the city’s residents are currently participating in the labor force.

There are several factors that contribute to Detroit’s unfavorable reputation. First, it is not too difficult to understand why 6% of the city’s population moved away between 2010 and 2018. The city has been in a downward spiral ever since its thriving manufacturing sector started to collapse.

Throughout the years, Port Arthur has been known as a city cursed with bad luck. First, it is encircled by oil refineries, making the scenery significantly less desirable than it could be. Second, there is a significant amount of poverty.

Topping our list of the most miserable places to live in the United States is Gary, Indiana. Gary, which was once considered the murder capital of the United States, saw its population decrease by 6% between 2010 and 2018. A little more than half of the population is employed, but over 30% of them are still poor.

Lancaster is a desert town in California that has just under 160,000 people. Of that population, 51% work, and 23% live in poverty.

This town has struggled with crime and violence for a while now. This likely is adding to the around 5% of population that it lost in the years 2010-2018. The amount of death in the city is incredibly high.

With a mostly working-class population of 153,000 people, one fifth of those people live in poverty. The population lives next to petrochemical plants and has had known issues with race, as it was the former home and headquarters to the United State’s leading terrorist group, the KKK.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Mistake by the Lake”? That is what many residents of Cleveland, Ohio like to refer to this city as. 35% of the population lives within poverty.

Hammond, Indiana is another city that has been impacted by a population decline due to resident’s leaving. Their population decreased by 6% between 2010 and 2018.

El Monte, California once had a lead on the automobile industry. This changed after there were several forced closures of auto dealerships, which led to more and more unemployment.

The town of Albany, Georgia suffers at more than double the national average rate for unemployment. This places Albany in the top 10% of worst poverty rates in the country.

Like most of the towns listed, Trenton, New Jersey suffers from much of the same problems like the ones above it. With a high rate of crime and poverty, it is no wonder it made the list.

Like many towns in California (transplants take note!) there are way too many people in the state and overpopulation is a major issue. Well, Bell Gardens is no exception. The city depends on one casino for the majority of its tax revenue.

While it seems like California is getting a bit of a bad rap, we have all the evidence to back it up on why Palmdale is not the best place in the country to live. 59% of the town’s population is working, while 19% live in poverty (yikes!).

Saginaw, Michigan, or as some who live there like to call it–”Sag-Nasty.” Saginaw suffers from a large amount of crime, although there has been a downward trend in the commonality of it.

Like most of these so-called “miserable cities,” Warren, Ohio has also lost a large chunk of its population, at 7.7%. One of its major plants shut down and the town’s population found itself struggling to keep itself fed.

Like most of these so-called “miserable cities,” Warren, Ohio has also lost a large chunk of its population, at 7.7%. One of its major plants shut down and the town’s population found itself struggling to keep itself fed.

The city of Anchorage in Alaska is a place you want to think twice about before settling down in. As of this year the crime rate ranks at about 142% higher than the national average. That is not comeforting at all.

Hawaii, once again makes an appearance on this list but for a different city. How could anyone be miserable in Hawaii, indeed this is the reality in Honolulu. The cost of living in this city is higher than the national average making it a struggle to make ends meet.

Casper, Wyoming seems to be not as friendly as its ghost counterpart. The city of Casper has one of the lowest income growth rates in the county not to mention a 16% higher crime rate than the national average.

We kindly suggest you rapidly get out of Rapid City, South Dakota. When looking at the national household income it stands at about $61,000. In comparison, the median household income in Rapid City is only $48,900. That is considerably low in contrast.

18.3% of the Portland population in Maine is below the poverty level. We’d rethink relocating if we were you. This means that 1 in every 5 people just isn’t cutting it.

Manchester, New Hampshire is another city you may want to reconsider. Not only do its residents live below the poverty level, 18.3%, to be exact, but the school test scores rank 33% below what is the national average.

One of the positives about Kansas City is that it has the lowest percentage of teen drug users per capita in the nation, but it doesn’t come without other issues. The median income per household is 22% below the national average and it has an especially violent crime rate.

Another Illinois city makes it onto this list, Carbondale-Marion. As far as cities go, it isn’t the most horrible place to live but it isn’t the best either. It has become increasingly unpredictable and unsafe with the increase in gun violence.