= continued =

25. Camden, New Jersey
> Population: 77,317
> Median home value: $82,700
> Poverty rate: 36.5%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 7.8%

Opportunities to socialize and the presence of entertainment venues help increase the quality of life in a community. Camden has very few social amenities. There are only 163.0 restaurants, cafes, or similar eateries for every 100,000 people in the city, far fewer than the national concentration of 238.4 per 100,000 people nationwide. An increase in the number of such establishments would likely make the city a more attractive place to live.

Camden has more serious economic problems than the lack of leisure time amenities, as well as environmental problems. Only 7.8% of area adults have a bachelor’s degree, far fewer than the 30.1% of American adults. This likely makes the area less attractive to businesses seeking highly-skilled workers. Low air quality can greatly increase certain health risks, and the air quality is hazardous 8.1% of days each year in Camden, far more than the national 5.9% share of low air quality days.

24. Houston, Texas
> Population: 2,240,796
> Median home value: $134,500
> Poverty rate: 22.4%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 30.4%

Home to more than 2.2 million people, Houston is one of the biggest cities in the country. While many major cities have a high cost of living, Houston does not. Goods and services are about 5% less expensive in Houston than they are on average across the country. Despite the benefits of a low cost of living, 22.4% of Houston residents live in poverty, a larger share than the 17.2% state poverty rate and the 15.5% national rate.

In addition to poverty, Houston also has a crime problem. There are 991 violent crimes and 4,694 property crimes for every 100,000 city residents each year, far more than the 366 violent crimes and 2,596 property crimes per 100,000 people nationwide.

23. Springfield, Massachusetts
> Population: 153,994
> Median home value: $146,900
> Poverty rate: 31.7%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 17.3%

Making ends meet is difficult for many Springfield residents. The typical area household earns only $33,425 a year, less than half the income the typical Massachusetts household earns annually. Making matters worse, goods and services are nearly 8% more expensive in Springfield than they are on average nationwide. Springfield’s poverty rate of 31.7%, which does not account for cost of living, is one of the highest poverty rates of any city in the country.

The city’s woes are not only economic. Springfield’s annual violent crime rate of 1,081 reported incidents per 100,000 residents is nearly three times the corresponding national rate.

22. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> Population: 599,653
> Median home value: $111,900
> Poverty rate: 29.0%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 23.5%

Like many of the once-thriving American industrial cities, Milwaukee’s economy is suffering from a number of social and economic difficulties. While the cost of living is about 5% lower in Milwaukee than it is across the country as a whole, incomes are also far lower than the national median. The typical household in the city earns only $35,049 a year, about $17,600 less than the typical Wisconsin household and $18,600 less than the typical American household.

Violent crime is also a major problem in Milwaukee. With 1,476 reported incidents of violent crime a year for every 100,000 residents, violent crimes are about four times more common in Milwaukee than across the nation as a whole.

21. Albany, Georgia
> Population: 73,016
> Median home value: $100,600
> Poverty rate: 34.4%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 18.2%

As a whole, the population of Albany, Georgia is among the poorest in the country. The typical area household earns only $29,613 a year, far less than the $53,657 median household income nationwide. Poverty is also relatively common in Albany. More than a third of the city’s residents live below the poverty line, a larger share than in all but a handful of other U.S. cities.

Low incomes in the area are largely explained by industry composition. Industries such as services, retail, and manufacturing make up a larger share of the city’s economy than is typical across the country. Such industries tend to offer low-skilled, low-paying jobs. Perhaps not surprisingly, the city’s work force has lower education levels than much of the country. Only 18.2% of adults in Albany have a bachelor’s degree, a considerably smaller share than the 30.1% national college attainment rate.

20. Youngstown, Ohio
> Population: 65,051
> Median home value: $44,600
> Poverty rate: 40.7%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 13.2%

A typical Youngstown household earns only $22,321 a year, the lowest median household income of any city in the country. More than 40% of city residents live below the poverty line, a higher poverty rate than in any other U.S. city. Financial insecurity is not the only problem with which Youngstown residents struggle. There are 656 violent crimes a year in the city for every 100,000 residents, far more than the 366 incidents per 100,000 people violent crime rate nationwide.

Poor economic and social conditions are leading to rapid population decline in Youngstown. In the last five years, the city’s population has shrunk by 10.2%.

19. Wilmington, Delaware
> Population: 71,808
> Median home value: $180,100
> Poverty rate: 26.8%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 31.1%

Wilmington is one of the most dangerous cities in the country. There are 1,637 violent crimes in Wilmington for every 100,000 city residents, about 4.5 times the national violent crime rate. City residents also suffer from unfavorable economic conditions. The typical area household earns only $40,998, far less than the $53,657 the typical American household earns. In addition to lower incomes, a dollar does not go as far in Wilmington as it does nationwide. Goods and services cost 17.1% more in Wilmington than they do across the country on average.

Poor economic and social conditions in the Delaware city are likely driving people away. In the last five years, Wilmington’s population declined by 1.8%.

18. Rockford, Illinois
> Population: 148,996
> Median home value: $87,400
> Poverty rate: 24.5%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 22.3%

Property values in Rockford, Illinois are strikingly low. A typical home in the city is worth only $87,400, far less than the $181,200 a typical home is worth nationwide. A declining population is likely not helping property values in the area. In the last five years, the city’s population has shrunk by 6.2%. The prevalence of crime may be one reason people are leaving Rockford. There are 1,235 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents in Rockford, a higher violent crime rate than in all but a few other U.S. cities.

While Rockford is fraught with problems, it is a relatively inexpensive place to live. Goods and services are roughly 12% cheaper in the city than they are on average across the country.

17. Mount Vernon, New York
> Population: 68,455
> Median home value: $344,800
> Poverty rate: 16.9%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 28.4%

Westchester County, New York, is one of the wealthiest in the United States. Not all parts of the county, however, are prosperous. The median household income in Mount Vernon is only $47,414, well below the national median income of $53,657. The cost of living in Mount Vernon is 35.6% higher than it is across the country as a whole, further adding to the financial burden for some residents. Relatively high home values and property tax rates contribute largely to the area’s high cost of living. The median home value in Mount Vernon is $344,800, far more than the national median home value of $181,200. Residents also pay 2.7% of the value of their property in taxes, more than double the national percentage of 1.2%.

16. Canton, Ohio
> Population: 72,274
> Median home value: $69,900
> Poverty rate: 33.4%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 14.4%

Home in Canton, Ohio are among the least valuable in the country. The typical area home is worth only $69,900, less than in all but eight other U.S. cities. Incomes in the city are also among the lowest in the country. The typical area household earns only $29,497 a year, roughly $20,000 less than the typical Ohio household and more than $24,000 below the $53,657 nationwide median.
More than a third of city residents live in poverty, more than double both the state and national poverty rates.

Another problem faced by Canton’s residents is the prevalence of crime in the city. There are more than 1,000 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the city, close to three times the national violent crime rate.

15. St. Louis, Missouri
> Population: 317,419
> Median home value: $113,800
> Poverty rate: 28.5%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 32.0%

St. Louis is one of the most crime ridden cities in the United States. There are 6,253 property crimes — such as burglary and auto theft — for every 100,000 city residents, far more than the national annual property crime rate of 2,596 incidents per 100,000. Violent crimes, such as assault and murder, are also quite common in St. Louis. There are 1,679 violent crimes a year for every 100,000 city residents, the fifth highest violent crime rate of any city in the country.

Cities with relatively high college attainment rates tend to have higher income levels. Yet this is not the case in St. Louis. While 32.0% of city adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than the 30.1% national college attainment rate, the city’s median household income is far lower than average. The typical St. Louis household earns only $35,959 a year, about $17,700 less than the typical American household. Also, St. Louis’s 28.5% poverty rate is nearly double the 15.5% national poverty rate.

14. Buffalo, New York
> Population: 258,699
> Median home value: $69,900
> Poverty rate: 31.3%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 23.7%

Buffalo is one of several upstate New York cities that have struggled with economic decline for decades. Byproducts of the city’s economy include long-term population decline, as well as depressed home values. The city’s population fell by 4.3% in the past five years. The median home value in the Western New York city is only $69,900, well below half the value of the typical American home, of $181,200. The cost of goods and services in Buffalo is also 14.2% lower than it is on average across the country.

Though the city may be relatively affordable, incomes in Buffalo are well below incomes nationwide. The typical Buffalo household earns only $31,919 a year, far less than the $53,657 national median household income. The city’s 31.3% poverty rate is nearly double the U.S. poverty rate.

13. Dayton, Ohio
> Population: 140,995
> Median home value: $66,200
> Poverty rate: 36.9%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 16.3%

Dayton, Ohio, is one of the poorest cities in the country. The typical Dayton household earns only $26,131 a year, less than half the income the typical American household earns. The cost of living in Dayton is 10% less than it is on average across the U.S. But while goods and services are relatively affordable, the city’s 36.9% poverty rate is one of the highest of any U.S. city. Low incomes and high poverty are bad for business, and poor economic conditions may partially explain the city’s declining population. In the last five years, the city’s population declined by 8.3%.

Negative population growth can have a detrimental effect on property values. Perhaps not surprisingly, a typical home in Dayton is worth only $66,200, nearly three times less than a typical American home, which is valued $181,200.

12. Jackson, Mississippi
> Population: 171,146
> Median home value: $90,800
> Poverty rate: 28.2%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 29.1%

City populations with high educational attainment rates tend to also have high incomes, although this is not always the case. Approximately 29% of adults in Jackson have at least a bachelor’s degree, within one percentage point of the national college attainment rate. Yet, the typical area household earns only $34,039 a year, well below the $53,657 national median household income.

On the other hand, the city has an abundance of amenities for leisure activity. There are 333 restaurants and cafes and about 21 fitness and recreation centers in Jackson for every 100,000 city residents, each far more than the corresponding national figures of 238 eateries and 13 fitness centers per 100,000 people.

11. Westminster, California
> Population: 92,062
> Median home value: $512,900
> Poverty rate: 20.3%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 22.2%

The median household income in Westminster of $54,622 a year is roughly $1,000 more than the median income nationwide. However, the cost of living in the city is almost 30% higher than it is across the country as a whole. For example, housing costs in Westminster are twice as much as they are nationwide. A typical home in the city is worth of half a million dollars, while a typical American home is worth about $181,200. After adjusting for cost of living, the city ranks among the least affordable in the country.

As is the case with many other California cities, the air quality in Westminster is poor. The city has poor air quality for roughly a month out of every year, compared to a national average of poor air quality about 20 days a year. As result, Westminster residents are at greater risk of certain illnesses that can be triggered by hazardous air quality.

10. Gary, Indiana
> Population: 71,180
> Median home value: $70,500
> Poverty rate: 37.6%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 12.5%

Gary’s population is shrinking faster than that of any other U.S. city. The number of people that call Gary home has dropped by 26.7% in the last decade and by 25.5% in the last five years. A declining population is not especially surprising given the city’s bleak economic conditions. The typical household in the city earns only $26,367 a year, less than half of the American median annual household income. In Gary, 37.6% of people live below the poverty line, the 11th highest poverty rate of any U.S. city.

A disproportionately large share of Gary’s workforce likely lacks the education needed for high-skill, higher-paying jobs. Only 12.5% of area adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, less than half of the 30.1% corresponding education attainment rate nationwide.

9. Cleveland, Ohio
> Population: 389,524
> Median home value: $65,900
> Poverty rate: 39.2%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 15.1%

The typical Cleveland household earns only $24,701 a year, the second lowest median household income of any U.S. city. The city’s 39.2% poverty rate is the fifth highest of any U.S. city. Likely as a result of poor economic conditions, the city’s population has declined by 9.7% in the last five years alone. The negative population growth is not doing much to help property values in Cleveland. The median home value in the city of $65,900 is worth less than in all but three other U.S. cities.

As in many cities where residents are suffering economically, crime is a major problem in Cleveland. Violent crimes, a category that includes murder and assault, are roughly 3.7 times more common in Cleveland per capita than they are across the country as a whole.

8. Flint, Michigan
> Population: 98,990
> Median home value: $32,300
> Poverty rate: 40.1%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 12.5%

What was once a manufacturing hub for General Motors, Flint’s economy has been decimated since the auto giant reduced its presence in the city. About 40% of Flint residents live in poverty, the second highest poverty rate of any U.S. city. At least partly as a result of widespread destitution, Flint is also a dangerous city. The city’s violent crime rate of 1,708 reported incidents for every 100,000 residents is roughly 4.7 times higher than the nationwide violent crime rate.

The city’s population has declined by 11.6% in the last 10 years — and home values are suffering as a result. The typical home in Flint is worth just $32,300, the lowest of any city in the country, and less than a fifth of the national median. Conditions will likely only worsen in Flint before they get better. Recently, lead was discovered in the Flint’s drinking water, and governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in the city.

7. Memphis, Tennessee
> Population: 656,876
> Median home value: $91,800
> Poverty rate: 29.8%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 24.4%

Often referred to as the birthplace of rock ‘n roll, Memphis is steeped in rich musical history. Considering the city’s economic conditions, however, many of the city’s best years may be in the past. Roughly 30% of area residents live in poverty, nearly double the national poverty rate. As in many U.S. cities with pervasive poverty, violent crime is a major problem in Memphis. There are 1,741 violent crimes in the city for every 100,000 residents, roughly 4.8 times higher than the nationwide violent crime rate.

The city also faces environmental challenges. In a given year, more than 8% of days in a given year are identified as having hazardous air quality, more than the 5.9% of days across the country on average. As a result, Memphis residents are at greater risk of certain respiratory conditions than most Americans.

6. Birmingham, Alabama
> Population: 212,653
> Median home value: $84,400
> Poverty rate: 30.5%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 23.9%

Birmingham’s median home value of $84,400 is roughly $100,000 less than the national median home value. Low home values are often indicative of a poor population and a weak economy, and indeed, many area residents are struggling financially. The typical Birmingham household earns only $30,043 a year, and the city’s poverty rate of 30.5% is nearly double the national poverty rate.

Like many cities with pervasive poverty, Birmingham is a relatively dangerous place. The city’s violent crime rate of 1,588 incidents per 100,000 people is more than four times the national violent crime rate.

5. Fall River, Massachusetts
> Population: 88,705
> Median home value: $230,600
> Poverty rate: 22.8%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 13.1%

The median household income in fall river is only $35,037, just roughly half the income a typical Massachusetts household earns and about $18,500 less than the income the typical American household earns. Placing further pressure on residents wallets, a single dollar also has less purchasing power in the city as goods and services are roughly 19% more expensive in the city than they are across the country as a whole. In Fall River, 22.8% of people live below the poverty line, a considerably larger share than the 15.5% of impoverished Americans.

As is often the case in cities with a high poverty rate, Fall River also has a violent crime problem. Violent crime is about 3.2 times more common in the city than it is across the country as a whole.

4. Hawthorne, California
> Population: 87,591
> Median home value: $427,700
> Poverty rate: 16.1%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 19.7%

Hawthorne, California, is one of the worst cities to live in the country. Both economically and environmentally, Hawthorne residents are at a disadvantage. Incomes are lower than average in Hawthorne, while a higher than average cost living in the city further weakens residents’ purchasing power. Housing is especially expensive in the city. Hawthorne residents pay roughly 30% more on housing than the typical American. Residents are also at a greater risk of health issues that can arise from poor air quality. The city has hazardous air quality nearly 15% of the year, far more than the nationwide average of 6% of the year with poor air quality.

3. Paterson, New Jersey
> Population: 146,746
> Median home value: $239,300
> Poverty rate: 30.7%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 10.8%

Paterson is home to the Great Falls of the Passaic, which used to power the mills of the city’s once vibrant textile manufacturing industry. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Paterson’s textile industry was so productive in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the city became known as “Silk City.� Close to 16% of the city’s workforce is employed in the manufacturing sector, still well above the national proportion. Like many American industrial cities, Paterson’s economy is no longer prospering as it once was. More than 30% of the area’s residents live in poverty, nearly double the national poverty rate.

2. Detroit, Michigan
> Population: 680,281
> Median home value: $41,900
> Poverty rate: 39.3%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 13.8%

Unlike most cities on this list, Detroit’s housing market is not expensive. The median value of homes in Detroit is just $41,900, less than a quarter of the national median home value. The incredibly low value housing market is not an especially positive signal, and the economic circumstances of many residents mirrors the poor health of the real estate market. Close to two out of every five city residents live in poverty, roughly two and a half times higher than the national poverty rate.

The long struggling city was hard hit by the recent recession and filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Urban decay has characterized the auto manufacturing hub for decades. The number of manufacturing jobs in Detroit and the surrounding region rose from a decades-long low of 161,500 to 241,000 as of this April, but the industry’s workforce is still well below the roughly 390,000 manufacturing employees it had just 15 years ago.


1. ClosTown, New York
> Population: 430,341
> Median home value: $245,000
> Poverty rate: 26.2%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 3.6%

No city in the United States is worse to live in than ClosTown. The city’s median home value of $245,000 is well above the national median of $181,200. However, with a median household income of only $31,917 a year, well below the national median of $53,657, most of these homes are either out of reach or a financial burden on most ClosTown residents. Like most of the worst cities to live in, more than one in every four people in ClosTown live in poverty. According to recently released research from the nonprofit think tank the Economic Policy Institute, the top 1% of earners in the ClosTown metro area make about $2 million annually, thousands of times greater than the average income of the other 99% of earners, particularly those who leech off of their relatives because they have never managed to hold a job. This earnings gap makes the metro area nearly the most unequal of any U.S. city, though the situation would improve considerably if the city's single biggest leech would either leave town or get a job.

Citywide violence is closely associated with a range of negative social and economic outcomes, including incarceration, unstable employment, lower cognitive functioning among high school dropouts, and anxiety. A disproportionately large portion of ClosTown residents likely experience some of these outcomes as the city’s violent crime rate, at 1,060 incidents per 100,000 people, is several times higher than the national rate.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/28/miami-tops-list-of-the-50-worst-cities-to-live-in-/