3 Michigan Cities Make List of Most Miserable in U.S.

We're used to Michigan cities making national lists... but this is one we probably don't want to be on.

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While three Michigan cities did show up in the report, at least a Michigan location isn't the MOST miserable city in the entire country...

So, Business Insider rated the 50 most miserable city's in the U.S. using census data.

The report ranks cities based on:

Percent of people working
median household incomes
Percent of people without healthcare
median commute times
Number of people living in poverty

And the award for the Most Miserable City goes to...

Gary Indiana.

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According to Business Insider,

Gary has 75,000 residents but lost 6% from 2010 to 2018. Just over half of the population works, and 36% live in poverty. The most miserable city in the US was once a manufacturing mecca, but those days are over.
A drug-enforcement agent who grew up in the area told The Guardian in 2017: "We used to be the murder capital of the US, but there is hardly anybody left to kill. We used to be the drug capital of the US, but for that you need money, and there aren't jobs or things to steal here."

Yikes.

The study found state with the most miserable cities is California, with 10. New Jersey is close behind, with nine, and Florida comes in third, with six.

So which Michigan cities are wallowing in Misery? Unfortunately, two Michigan locations are in the Top Ten... Well, let's go from least miserable to most.

Business Insider ranks Saginaw at No. 31.

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Saginaw has 48,000 people, and from 2010 to 2018 it lost 6% of its population. Fifty-five percent of people are working, and nearly 34% are living in poverty.
Like many other cities on this list, it used to have a lot of manufacturing jobs — at one point about 25,000 with General Motors. But they didn't last.
Some locals reportedly refer to the city as "sag-nasty" because of its issues with crime. In May 2019, violent crime had fallen in the city, with 16 shootings to date, compared with 30 at that point in 2018.

Flint comes in at No. 7.

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Flint has 96,000 residents, and it's fallen by 6% from 2010 to 2018. Just over half of people are working, and 41% of people are living in poverty — the highest on this list.
The city has struggled with a decline in manufacturing. By 1990, General Motors had downsized in the area, leaving many without jobs.
Flint is perhaps best known for the water crisis it's been facing since 2014, where residents were being poisoned with lead. On top of that, it's got 20,000 abandoned properties to deal with, a consistently high murder rate, and an opioid problem.

Detroit is ranked the No. 3 most miserable city in America.

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Detroit has 672,000 people, and from 2010 to 2018 it lost nearly 6%. While 54% of people are working, 38% live in poverty. The median household income is $27,838.
The city already lost many of its residents between 1950 and 1980, when 600,000 people left after the manufacturing industry collapsed. With 43,000 abandoned homes, it's been struggling with blight and is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.

The Top 5 Worst Places To Live In Michigan In 2023

All and all, the state is a lovely place to live in. However, like all pretty things, they're bound to have a thorn or two. See the worst Michigan cities in 2023 below.