12 of the Worst Places to Live in the U.S.

These places look terrifying to me. How can a rich first world country have cities like these? 

12. St. Louis, Missouri Over 14% of St. Louis’ population is living below the poverty line. Out of 100,000 residents, every year 35.3 are murdered, which ranks it as one of America’s most dangerous cities too. 11. Reno, Nevada Reno was the gambling capital of the US until Las Vegas was developed and “The Biggest Little City in the World” has been in economic decline ever since. Reno experiences nearly 39 annual crimes per 1,000 residents. 10. Modesto, California Despite being home to the largest winery in the world, the unemployment rate was nearly 13% in 2014. Modesto ranks number one in the country for car theft and out of 200,000 residents, up to 10,000 are reported to be gang members. 9. Oakland, California The economy in Oakland is strong with a good median household income. ($51,683.) However, home to around 50 gangs and a high violent crime rate, Oakland also suffers from high traffic congestion and poor air quality. 190% worse than the national average. 8. New Orleans, Louisiana The “murder capital of the country," also has one of the worst toxic-substance records. New Orleans has still not recovered from Hurricane Katrina, and was ranked number two in “America’s Dirtiest Cities.” 7. Birmingham, Alabama 27.3% of residents live below the poverty line. Out of every 100,000 residents, 1400 are victims of violent crimes due to the prominent drug trade and high poverty rate. 6. Stockton, California In 2012, the city filed for bankruptcy. Forbes voted Stockton as one of the most dangerous cities in America due to its high crime rates with over 20,000 violent and property crimes committed last year. 5. Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is the largest city on the Mississippi River with over 20% of its inhabitants living below the poverty line. In Memphis you stand a 1 in 12 chance of being a victim of crime. 4. New Haven, Connecticut Home of Yale University, the surrounding areas of New Haven are impoverished and crime ridden. Nearly 68 crimes occur annually for every 1,000 residents. 3. Cleveland, Ohio Aside from being one of the most corrupt cities in the country, Cleveland also has harsh weather conditions, with an average of 60 inches of snowfall each year. 2. Detroit, Michigan The city is suffering from urban decay with over 32% of residents living below the national poverty line. According to FBI Reports, Detroit has the highest rate of violent crime of any city over 200,000. 1. Camden, New Jersey Camden has been on Forbes’ list of “America’s Most Miserable Cities” for years. Riddled with urban decay and political corruption, over 42% of its residents live below the poverty line. It also has 560% more crime than the national average.