America's Least Favorite Cites

In contrast to my previous post, the Businessweek survey also asked which states were the least favorites by the Americans. Among the decision factors selected by the respondents includes environment, affordability and the image of the city itself. Here are the top 10 list:

1. New York- interestingly, Americans have a love/hate relationship with the Big Apple. It does have loads of high-paying jobs but but people sacrifice to live here, paying sky-high rents for tiny apartments, and enduring long, crowded subway commutes. And by the way, the city's top restaurants sometimes require customers to make reservations months ahead of time. The high cost of living is an unattractive attribute of New York, according to 72% of respondents.

2. Detroit- the city has bit of an image problem. The population is dwindling, many of the city's residents are in poverty, the auto industry housed here is near collapse, and former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went to jail last month for perjury in a sex scandal.

3. Los Angeles- like NYC, Los Angeles is a city that brings out strong feelings. It's an exciting place to live but it's expensive, polluted, and traffic-clogged.

4. New Orleans- the city has seen its population shrink, its murder rate increase, and tourism suffer since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The job market has gotten a bit of a boost from the heavy investment in rebuilding the city.

5. Chicago- winters in the Windy City are simply too cold. The city also has a tough image that dates back to the era of Al Capone. Among the city's worst attributes, according to the survey: environment (including climate), community (connectivity and sense of place), and affordability.

6. Washinton D.C- the nation's capital has a reputation for expensive home prices and high crime rates.

7. Las Vegas-the Sin city economy has taken a hit with falling home prices and struggling casinos. Clark County, which includes the city of Las Vegas, recently estimated that its population dropped for the first time in a decade.

8. Cleveland- the population has been falling at a dramatic rate. The city has lost 8% of its population—about 40,000 people, since 2000. Like many rust-belt cities, Cleveland is feeling the impact of a weak manufacturing industry.

9. Dallas- their economy is doing better than many other parts of the country partly because of Texas' robust energy industry. But the city has a reputation for traffic, crime, and sprawl.

10. Miami- like much of South Florida, is facing a foreclosure crisis. Home prices are plunging and the economy has problems. The city also has a reputation for crime that hasn't completely dissipated since the Miami Vice television show spotlighted the city's drug and gun problems.