Top 10 Most Miserable Cities in America
The 24/7 Wall St. has released the top 10 most miserable cities and the top 10 most content cities in America.
See: Top 10 Most Content Cities in America
24/7 Wall St. reviewed all metropolitan areas assessed by the Gallup-Healthways 2012 Well-Being Index. This index calculates well-being for the United States, as well as for states, metropolitan areas and occupations. Scores range from 0 to 100, with 100 representing ideal well-being. The index is composed of six sub-indices that measure access to basic needs, healthy behavior, work environment, physical health, life evaluation and emotional health. 24/7 Wall St. also considered income, poverty and educational attainment figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, all from 2011. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the local unemployment rates as of January 2013 were reviewed. Violent crime rates for 2011 by state from the FBI Uniform Crime Report Program were also considered.
10. Spartanburg, S.C.
> Well-being index score: 63.4
> Obesity: 26.7%
> Median household income: $40,167
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 81.8%
Spartanburg residents had among the lowest well-being scores in the nation, according to Gallup. Relative to the rest of the United States, they were far more likely to have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, to have been diagnosed with diabetes or cancer, or have a heart attack. Nearly 51% of residents were classified by Gallup as “suffering,” while just 45.8% were qualified as “thriving,” one of the lowest figures in the country. In the area, median household income was $40,167, more than $10,000 lower than the national median. Many residents lacked the education necessary to earn higher incomes. In Spartanburg, less than 21% of residents have a college degree, versus 28.5% of all Americans.
9. Rockford, Ill.
> Well-being index score: 63.1
> Obesity: 28.8%
> Median household income: $45,191
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 86.4%
Rockford rates as one of the worst metro areas in the nation on Gallup’s emotional health index. Area respondents were among the most likely to have said they were disrespected, stressed and angry within the past day. Additionally, just 70.2% of residents were satisfied with their city, and only 38% thought Rockford was improving — both among the worst figures in the United States. With 706.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2011, Rockford was one of the most dangerous places in the country. Among the most prevalent violent crimes, relative to the rest of the nation, were robbery and aggravated assault.
8. Evansville, Ind.-Ky.
> Well-being index score: 63.1
> Obesity: 29.3%
> Median household income: $46,721
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 89%
Only one metropolitan area, Lafayette, La., was rated by Gallup as having poorer healthy behavior than Evansville. The metro area had one of the highest rates of smokers and among the lowest percentages of residents who exercised regularly or ate healthy all day. Possibly because of these poor practices, the city receives low marks for physical health, with residents facing higher likelihoods of having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Just 45.9% of residents were described by Gallup as “thriving.” After a year in which the unemployment rate declined substantially nationwide, it rose in Evansville by 0.7 percentage points to 8.4% over the 12 months ending in January.
7. Bakersfield, Calif.
> Well-being index score: 63.0
> Obesity: 29.6%
> Median household income: $45,224
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 72.8%
As of January, Bakersfield had one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates, at 14.1%. With an extremely weak job market, many people struggled with access to basic necessities. Respondents also were far more likely than most Americans to say they lacked the money they needed to buy food, afford adequate shelter or ensure proper health care. According to Gallup, nearly 30% of residents polled had no health insurance, one of the highest rates in the nation. According to the Census Bureau, 24.5% of the area’s population lived below the poverty line in 2011, one of the highest rates in the country.
6. Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla.
> Well-being index score: 62.9
> Obesity: 28.9%
> Median household income: $35,965
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 82.8%
According to the Census Bureau, the median household income in the Fort Smith metro area was $35,965 in 2011 — one of just 15 metro areas with a median figure below $36,000. One reason for this may have been the limited education of many residents. As of 2011, only 15.7% of adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, among the lower figures in the nation and well below the 28.5% nationwide. But while many residents of Fort Smith lack a college education, they also are surprisingly more likely to enjoy their jobs. More than 91% of residents were satisfied with their work, and nearly 88% feel they work in a trusting environment, among the highest proportions in the country. Fort Smith is one of the worst metro areas for almost all major factors considered by Gallup, but ranks as one of the highest for quality of residents’ work environments.
5. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.
> Well-being index score: 62.7
> Obesity: 32.1%
> Median household income: $38,923
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 79.0%
Nowhere else in the nation did people have as negative an evaluation of their lives as in the Hickory metro area. A major reason was that survey respondents living there were less optimistic about their life in five years than respondents in almost all other parts of the country. Hickory residents also were rated poorly for emotional health, with survey respondents telling Gallup they felt sad or depressed more often than in almost all other metro areas. As of January, the Hickory metro area had an 11.5% unemployment rate, among the higher rates in the country. Many residents lacked the formal education necessary to work in higher paying jobs. Just 79% of residents had at least a high school diploma, and 18.2% at least a bachelor’s degree, versus 85.9% and 28.5%, nationwide.
4. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
> Well-being index score: 62.5
> Obesity: 32.5%
> Median household income: $43,176
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 84.1%
Some 75.3% of residents in the Beaumont area were satisfied with the city, one of the lowest figures in the nation. Among their concerns, less than 60% of residents felt safe going out at night. One possible reason is that, as of 2011, the area had a high crime rate — at 545.9 violent crimes per 100,000 people. That was well above the U.S. benchmark of 386.3 per 100,000. Additionally, just 15.7% of all residents from the Beaumont-Port Arthur area have a college degree, versus 28.5% across the United States. This likely prevents many workers from getting jobs that appeal to their strengths and satisfy them. Only people in one area nationwide, Fayetteville, N.C., gave their work environments lower ratings.
3. Mobile, Ala.
> Well-being index score: 62.4
> Obesity: 33.7%
> Median household income: $42,372
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 83.8%
The area was ranked as one of the worst in the nation for both emotional and physical health. Respondents to Gallup’s survey from the area were more likely to say they were sad, angry, worried or depressed than those in nearly all other metro areas. Just 74% of residents had no health problems that prevented them from age-appropriate activities, while just under 65% were well rested the day before, both among the lower proportions in the country. In addition to poor health, Mobile had one of the nation’s higher crime rates in 2011, at 608.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, compared to 386.3 crimes per 100,000 nationwide. Worse, Mobile had 11.3 murders per 100,000 people that year, the 10th highest figure of any metro area in the country.
2. Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio
> Well-being index score: 61.2
> Obesity: 37.7%
> Median household income: $36,894
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 83.7%
The Huntington area rates as one of the nation’s worst metropolitan areas for healthy behavior and emotional health, as well as the single worst for physical health. In addition to infrequent exercise, residents also worried and stressed more than nearly all other Americans. Among survey respondents from the area, just 77% told Gallup they had enough energy to do the things they wanted to, while only about two-thirds could participate in age-appropriate physical activities — both among the worst figures in the United States. In 2011, the area’s median household income was $36,894, while 19.9% of people lived below the poverty line, both considerably worse than figures for the nation overall.
1. Charleston, W.Va.
> Well-being index score: 60.8
> Obesity: 32.9%
> Median household income: $40,990
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 85.5%
Charleston was the worst performing metro area on Gallup’s well-being index for 2012. The area scored lower for emotional health than anywhere else in the U.S., with residents among the most likely to report they were stressed, angry, sad and worried. Additionally, only the Huntington metro area received a lower score for physical health. Charleston residents reported the highest rate of smoking and the worst access to a safe place to exercise, which may contribute to the fact that it is the second-most obese metro area in the nation.