Report: Gary, Indiana, Named Most ‘Miserable’ U.S. City

The city of Gary, Indiana, was ranked the most “miserable” place to live on a list of the 50 most miserable cities in America, according to a report from Business Insider.

Business Insider ranked Gary, Indiana— just outside of Chicago— as the most miserable city followed by Port Arthur, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan.

The publication said it relied on U.S. Census data— specifically statistics on crime, population changes, drug addiction, job opportunities, household incomes, abandoned homes, and how likely a city would face problems with natural disasters.

The outlet said that what all “miserable” U.S. cities had in common were “few opportunities, devastation from natural disasters, high crime and addiction rates, and often many abandoned houses.”

For example, Gary has one of the highest crime rates in America. Statistics show that the odds of becoming a victim of violent or property crime is one out of 25 in Gary, according to crime rate tracker Neighborhood Scout.

The city was also known for selling a handful of homes for $1 back in January to reverse the decades of blight that had plagued the city.

Many cities in California and New Jersey were the states that made up the remainder of the list, with ten in California and nine in New Jersey.

The ten California cities made a strong showing on the list:

Bell Gardens (14); Compton (41); El Monte (22); Hemet (44); Huntington Park (10); Lancaster (50); Lynwood (21); Montebello (40); Palmdale; and San Bernardino (42).

The nine New Jersey cities also made a significant showing on the list:

Camden (8); Newark (5); New Brunswick (11); Passaic (4); Paterson (19); Plainfield (30); Trenton (17); Union City (15); and West New York (29).