What are the saddest cities on us?

The "saddest" or most miserable U.S. cities often top lists due to high rates of depression, poverty, unemployment, and crime, with Billings, MT, Detroit, MI, Cleveland, OH, and cities in West Virginia (like Charleston) frequently appearing due to factors like economic decline, isolation, and lack of resources, although residents' experiences vary. Billings, MT, leads in depression rates (around 31%), while Detroit consistently ranks high for overall misery from stress, poverty, and health issues.


What is the saddest city in the US?

There's no single "saddest city," as it depends on metrics like depression rates, economic hardship, or misery rankings, but Gary, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, and Billings, Montana frequently appear; Gary often tops lists for economic woes (steel collapse, poverty, blight), Billings for high reported depression rates, and Detroit for urban decay and economic disaster. Other cities like Cleveland, Ohio, Memphis, Tennessee, and parts of the Deep South (Beaumont, Albany) also rank high on "unhappy" or "miserable" lists due to various factors. 

What are the top 10 most depressed states?

Based on CDC data, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Vermont, Alabama, Louisiana, Washington, Missouri, and Montana consistently rank among the states with the highest prevalence of depression, with West Virginia often leading, reflecting high rates of adult depression and anxiety, influenced by factors like stress, poverty, and limited access to care, with similar trends seen in recent surveys.
 


What is the least happy city in the United States?

The data set ranges from depression rate, to income-growth rate, to average leisure time spent per day. Cleveland will hold the title this year as the least happy city in America, finishing last out of all 182 cities surveyed.

What is America's unhappiest state?

Based on recent studies, particularly WalletHub's 2025 analysis, Louisiana and West Virginia consistently rank as the unhappiest states, often swapping the bottom spots, with Louisiana frequently cited as the absolute least happy due to factors like high depression rates, long work hours, low sleep quality, and high divorce rates, while West Virginia struggles with high adult depression and poor sleep. Other states often in the bottom ranks include Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. 


Top 10 List ~ The Most Depressing Places In USA



What is the most stressful city in America?

According to recent studies, Detroit, Michigan, consistently ranks as the most stressed city in the U.S., followed closely by cities like Cleveland, Baltimore, and Gulfport, MS, primarily due to high rates of unemployment, poverty, financial strain, and inadequate sleep, with Rust Belt and Southern cities often dominating the top spots. 

Where do the most depressed people live?

Depressive disorders are more common in urban than in rural populations and, in general, the prevalence is higher in groups with adverse socio-economic factors (for example in homeless people). Data on the relative prevalence of major depression among different ethnic groups have reached no clear consensus.

What is the most unhealthy city in the United States?

According to recent analyses, Brownsville, Texas, consistently ranks as the unhealthiest city in America, struggling with low physical activity, obesity, limited access to healthy food, and poor healthcare metrics, with similar Southern/Southwestern cities like Gulfport (MS), Shreveport (LA), Columbus (GA), and Laredo (TX) also appearing at the bottom of lists based on WalletHub and other studies. These cities often score poorly due to factors like high rates of chronic disease, lack of green spaces, and fewer healthy food options. 


What is the most mentally ill city in the US?

Based on the data, the U.S. city with the most depression is Billings, Montana. CEUFast says about 31% of residents out of a population of 181,000 have been told they're depressed by a professional. Meanwhile, Kingsport, Tennessee, ranks second, with 30.6% of residents told they have depression.

What state has the worst mental health care?

While rankings vary slightly by report, Texas, Nevada, Alabama, and Arizona consistently appear as some of the worst states for mental health care, citing high uninsured rates, low access to providers, significant gaps in youth mental health services, and high prevalence of untreated mental illness. Other states like Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida also rank poorly due to similar access issues, with Texas frequently topping lists for its barriers to treatment. 

Who are the most depressed people in America?

Overall, prevalence was highest in adolescents ages 12–19 (19.2%) and lowest in adults age 60 and older (8.7%). A similar trend was observed in females, where depression decreased from 26.5% among those ages 12–19 to 10.6% among those age 60 and older.


What state has the highest rate of anxiety?

Key Observations
  • Highest Anxiety Rates: California (20.2%), Oregon (19.7%), and Nevada (19.6%) are among the states with the highest reported anxiety rates.
  • Lowest Anxiety Rates: North Dakota (17.5%), Hawaii (17.6%), and South Dakota (17.6%) have some of the lowest percentages of anxiety disorders.


What is the #1 most violent city in the US?

While rankings vary by source and year, Memphis, Tennessee, frequently appears as the #1 most dangerous city in America based on recent violent crime rates (per 100,000 people) for cities with populations over 100,000, followed by cities like Detroit, Oakland, and Baltimore, according to reports from 2024 and 2025. These lists consider factors like homicides, assaults, and property crimes, with Memphis often leading due to high rates of violent offenses. 

What is the most lonely city in the US?

The report, which analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data, highlights a significant cultural shift as more people embrace solo living, whether by choice or circumstance. The study identifies Washington, D.C. as the loneliest city in the country, with nearly 48.6% of households occupied by just one person.


What is the most loved city in the USA?

1. New York City, NY. There's no other city quite like New York City. In 2023, New York attracted over 9 million international visitors, making it the most visited city in the United States for overseas travelers.

What city has the worst quality of life?

Global Liveability Index

Copenhagen was ranked the most liveable city in 2025, while Damascus was ranked the least liveable.

What is the #1 best city to live in America?

There's no single "number one" city, as it depends on what you value, but New York City often tops global lists for culture/vibrancy (World's Best Cities 2025), while Brookline, MA, and Washington, D.C. rank high for quality of life/livability by U.S. News & Real Estate and RentCafe, respectively, focusing on amenities, safety, and schools; other top contenders vary by criteria, with suburbs like Naperville, IL, and cities like Charleston, SC, leading for small-town feel or food scenes. 


What is the most depressed city in America?

While rankings vary by study, Billings, Montana, often appears as the city with the highest rate of depression, with about 31% of residents reporting a diagnosis, followed closely by areas like Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA, and Knoxville, TN, according to 2022 data from CEUfast and WATE 6 On Your Side. Other cities frequently cited for high depression or unhappiness include Charleston, WV, Huntington, WV, and Detroit, MI, often factoring in well-being, stress, and economic factors. 

What country has the worst mental health?

The United States, Colombia, the Netherlands and Ukraine tended to have higher prevalence estimates across most classes of disorder, while Nigeria, Shanghai and Italy were consistently low, and prevalence was lower in Asian countries in general.

Where is sad most prevalent?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is most common in regions far from the equator with shorter winter days, like Alaska, Canada, New England, and Scandinavian countries, affecting more women and young adults, due to reduced sunlight disrupting circadian rhythms and serotonin, though lower latitudes like Florida and Hawaii have the lowest rates. 


Which city is best to settle in the USA?

Table of Contents
  • New York City, New York.
  • Los Angeles, California.
  • Houston, Texas.
  • San Francisco, California.
  • Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Austin, Texas.
  • Chicago, Illinois.
  • Atlanta, Georgia.


What's the most stressful job in America?

There isn't one single "most stressful job," as stress varies, but Urologists often top lists due to high stakes, demanding patient care, and increasing workloads; other highly stressful roles include Public Safety Telecommunicators, Nurse Anesthetists, Firefighters, and Airline Pilots, frequently cited for intense pressure, split-second decisions, danger, or erratic schedules. Jobs in sectors like Leisure & Hospitality also rank high due to irregular hours and demanding customer interaction. 

What is the most relaxed state to live in?

For the most relaxed state, rankings vary slightly by study, but South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Vermont, and Hawaii consistently appear as top contenders with low stress, good work-life balance, strong health/safety, or low anxiety rates, often highlighting the Midwest, New England, and the island state for peaceful living.