Why?
While living in an ideal city by no means assures personal contentment, conditions like crime, unemployment, and inordinately high living costs can detract from the quality of life in any city.
24/7 Wall St. created an index consisting of over two dozen measures to identify the worst cities to live in in every state. Our list includes cities, towns, villages, boroughs, and Census designated places. We did not include places with fewer than 8,000 residents in our analysis. Because no two states are exactly alike, the kinds of issues affecting the cities on this list vary considerably.
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For many of these cities, the problems are serious and deeply entrenched. In 23 of the 50 cities on this list, the violent crime rate is higher than in at least 90% of all other American cities tracked by the FBI – and in another eight, violence is more common than in at least 75% of U.S. cities. The effects of violent crimes like robbery and aggravated assault can extend beyond their immediate victims, often pushing down property values and driving out business. Indeed, in many of these same cities, real estate values are depressed and unemployment is soaring.
In a handful of cities on this list, the situation is less dire. In some less populous states like South Dakota and Wyoming, their worst cities are on this list largely due to their distance from the nearest hospital or a lack of local entertainment options like movie theaters, restaurants, nature parks, and museums.
Though they vary in severity, these conditions can make any city less appealing. It is likely no coincidence that some cities on this list are located in some of America’s fastest shrinking metro areas.
SAINT PAUL, MN — A new report finds that Minnesota's capitol is the worst city to live in the state. Researchers at 24/7 Wall St. created an index listing the least-desirable city to live in for every state in America."The kinds of issues affecting the cities on this list vary considerably," the report reads.Here's what they found for Saint Paul:Population: 300,820Median home value: $187,400 (state: $199,700)Poverty rate: 20.4 percent (state: 10.5 percent)Violent crimes per 100,000 people: 651 (state: 238)"Crime, especially violent crime like robbery and homicide, can greatly detract from quality of life in any city," states the report."In St. Paul, there were 651 violent crimes for every 100,000 people, more than double the violent crime rate of 238 incidents per 100,000 people across Minnesota as a whole. Crime is often concentrated in poor areas, and in St. Paul 20.4% of the population lives below the poverty line, nearly double the 10.5% state poverty rate."So in short St. Paul Needs improvement.
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