40. Lynwood, California
Ironically, Lynwood’s motto was once “the best place to live best”, however the construction of Interstate 105 drastically changed the city’s landscape and prospects. This is because the highway was built right through the heart of Lynwood, meaning 1000s of homes and businesses were demolished, leading to a significant disruption and displacement for its residents. Therefore, the aftermath of such destruction contributed to its decline.
39. Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville, Texas has a significant deterrent for potential residents due to it being involved with Huntsville penitentiary, whereby all the state’s executions are conducted. Along with this, the city faces other disheartening challenges like its unemployment rates remaining alarmingly high, and a disgusting 35% of the residents live in poverty, leading to the cities misery.
38. Paterson, New Jersey
The city of Paterson has faced some unfortunate events over the years, in the 1800s it was a bustling silk town, however its experienced a steady decline since. In 2011, for example, the city was flooded after Hurricane Irene, which led to an abandonment of 1,250 homes. And then today, with socioeconomic challenges like how only 57% of its residents are employed, and nearly 30% live in poverty.
37. Albany, Georgia
Albany has significant challenges with joblessness, it’s unemployment rates have surpassed double the national average, and therefore has been ranked in the top 10% of the worst poverty rates in America. Along with this, the city also struggles with high rates of violent crimes, again landing it in the top 10% of worst crime rates in America. So you can imagine that this city isn’t the happiest!
36. Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey once thrived as an industrial city, however nowadays it faces numerous issues with gangs, gun violence, and an awful poverty rate of 27%. These factors of course add to the reasonings as to why the city is one of the most miserable places to live in America, since the community’s well-being and safety has been significantly compromised.
35. Cicero, Illinois
Cicero’s history as Al Capone’s “private playground” has left an everlasting mark on the city’s reputation. Even today, Cicero is associated with gang-related crime which continues to be a huge issue, and lets not even mention the high poverty rate and difficulties it faces by its inhabitants! In addition, the residents also face the burden of a long average commute time to their daily outings.
34. Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana
This city faces multiple challenges that contribute to being included on this ‘most miserable states’ list. Along with being a notably weak economy, the city is also known as one of the least healthy cities in the country. Less than 50% of its residents report going on regular exercise for at least 30 minutes. And with the poverty rate at 14.8% and the median household income at just over $36,000, it’s no wonder this city faces difficulties.
33. Union City, New Jersey
Union City has one of the most unique challenges that has lead it to be on this list, which is that its the most densely populated cities in the US. It’s population is around 70,000, but they are all packed within just 1.28 square miles, so the lack of personal space can be quite overwhelming for its residents. This made it one of the most miserable places to live, due to the scarcity of breathing room and privacy.
32. Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia is quite an obvious miserable city, due to the fact that nearly 1/4 of its population has been diagnosed with depression by medical professionals (and that’s just the people that have gone to see a doctor about it!). Various factors may play a role in this, like 23% of residents not liking the area due to issues related to access to basic needs like medication and food.
31. Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens faces significant issues related to overpopulation, which has led to a strain in resources and infrastructure within the city. Also, the city has a heavy reliance on a single casino for a substantial portion of its tax revenue, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in the gambling industry. However, despite the casino accounting for over half of the city’s tax revenue, Bell Gardens still struggles with poverty, at rates of 30%.