Chicago 4th On Latest Forbes ‘America’s Most Miserable Cities’ List

I really hate this time of year in Chicago. Yeah, the cold, wintry days here in the concrete jungle have a lot to do with it. But it’s also that part of the year when Forbes releases their “America’s Most Miserable Cities” list. And the recent trend has seen Chicago moving higher- i.e., more miserable- up that list. Forbes just released their latest installment.

And the trend remains intact.

Chicago climbs to number 4 on the 2013 list of “America’s Most Miserable Cities,” up from 6th last year and 7th in 2011.

From the Forbes website:

Chicago has passionate supporters, but residents must endure the misery of long commutes, plummeting home prices, brutal winters and high foreclosure rates. The migration rate out of Chicago is the sixth worst among the 200 largest metros.

Kurt Badenhausen added in the accompanying article:

Two cities on our list, Chicago (No. 4) and New York (No. 10) may surprise readers, though they’ve been here before. Both offer a myriad of opportunities and positives as the homes of financial centers, world-class culture, leading universities, sports teams galore and high-end restaurants. But it isn’t easy living in either city, particularly if you don’t earn a lot of money (even if you do it can be tough).

Chicago residents must endure long commutes (31 minutes on average), plummeting home prices (37% the past five years), brutal winters and high foreclosure rates (3.3% of homes in 2012 says RealtyTrac). Many residents are giving up on the Windy City with a net migration out of the city of 107,000 people the past five years, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Regrettably, another Illinois city- Rockford- accompanies Chicago in the “top 5,” which includes:

5. Modesto, CA
4. Chicago, IL
3. Rockford, IL
2. Flint, MI
1. Detroit, MI

To make matters worse, the county north of Cook- Lake County- was named to the number 9 spot this year.

Illinois residents couldn’t be more proud, I’m sure.

You can see the entire 2013 list of America’s “Most Miserable Cities” here.

By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)