Most dangerous U.S. cities

Most dangerous U.S. cities

Press recently analyzed FBI statistics to rank the most dangerous cities in the nation. Based on violent crime findings, the study exposed cities big and small, notorious and not. Find more about the study, including the methodology.

Dayton

 Dayton, the 20th most dangerous city, is not nearly the largest city in Ohio.

Hartford

Hartford is the capital of Connecticut and is sometimes known by this moniker, because it's home to companies including Aetna and Travelers.  Hartford is also the nation's second-poorest city. Unlike Hartford, the country's poorest city is not among the most dangerous. 

New Haven

New Haven is home to an Ivy League school and claims to be the birthplace of a favorite American food. As one of the state's largest cities

Buffalo

Buffalo is the second-largest city in New York and near a landmark. Though it is the 17th most dangerous city, Forbes ranked it favorably.

Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, is a college town. A bulk of the population attends college, including one of the nation's biggest universities.

Little Rock

Little Rock is the largest city in and capital of Arkansas. Why is it called Little Rock.

Jackson 

Jackson is the capital of and most populous city in Mississippi. Despite its rank as the 14th most dangerous city, it was lauded by Forbes in 2009. A famous police killing occurred there in the 1970s.

New Orleans 
The current population of New Orleans is much smaller than before Hurricane Katrina. The population greatly increases during Mardi Gras. 

Memphis

Memphis has the highest population in Tennessee. One religion thrives in Memphis, and so does the second-most-visited home in the United States.  Whose home?

Baltimore

Baltimore is the biggest city in Maryland. It is the 11th most dangerous city, but crime there has decreased. HBO capitalized on the city's criminal reputation, with a popular crime series shot there. Which one?

Birmingham

Birmingham is the most populous city in Alabama.

Gary

 Gary is a small city in Indiana and neighbors one of the biggest cities in the nation. In 2008, Gary police were caught in a civil rights violation.

Compton

 Compton is among the largest cities in California. Compton's rank as the 8th most dangerous city follows a history of violence. The city's Gifts for Guns program may reverse the trend.

Cleveland

Cleveland has a shrinking population. Though known as the "Comeback City" in Ohio, its danger ranking has increased.

Richmond

Richmond is in a large metropolis in California. Richmond's police notoriously acknowledged crime. What did they say? The city is one of the state's smallest municipalities

Oakland

Oakland is mere miles from the safer San Francisco. Oakland has a large population. The city had a record number of homicides in the '90s.   

Flint

Flint is far from being the biggest city in Michigan. Recent years have been especially violent in Flint. The mayor spoke solemnly last year.

Detroit

Detroit is known as "Motor City" and "Motown." Detroit has a criminal reputation, but crime is decreasing. The city's 8 Mile Road is notorious. Remember the Eminem movie, "8 Mile"?

Camden

Camden is a small city in New Jersey. Camden's danger rank has been up and down. A serial killer attacked in 1949.

St. Louis

St. Louis is not the largest city in Missouri, but it is the largest metropolis.

America's Most Miserable Cities 2011

 America's Most Miserable Cities 2011

Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the governor of California at the end of 2003 amid a wave of optimism that his independent thinking and fresh ideas would revive a state stumbling after the recall of Gov. Gray Davis.
The good vibes are a distant memory: The Governator exited office last month with the state facing a crippling checklist of problems including massive budget deficits, high unemployment, plunging home prices, rampant crime and sky-high taxes. Schwarzenegger's approval ratings hit 22% last year, a record low for any sitting California governor.
California's troubles helped it land eight of the 20 spots on our annual list of America's Most Miserable Cities, with Stockton ranking first for the second time in three years.

 No. 5: Sacramento, Calif.
No state taxes $50,000 of income like California, with a rate of 9.55% for that middle-class tax bracket. Sacramento is a one-team sports town, and that team has been awful in recent years. The NBA's Kings have won just 26% of their games the past two-plus seasons.

 No. 4: Modesto, Calif.
The median home was valued at $275,000 in 2006; today it is $95,000. And don't leave your car on the street in Modesto, where 3,712 vehicles were stolen in 2009, making for the second-highest auto theft rate in the country. It ranked first in four of the previous five years.

 No. 3: Merced, Calif.
The economic downturn and busted housing market hit Merced harder than any other area in the country. Average unemployment of 16.2% since 2008 is the highest in the U.S., as is the city's 64% drop in median home prices

 No. 2: Miami, Fla.
The sun and lack of a state income tax are the only things keeping Miami out of the top spot. Foreclosures hit one in 14 homes last year. Corruption is also off the charts, with 404 government officials convicted of crimes this decade in South Florida.

No. 1: Stockton, Calif.
Unemployment has averaged 14.3% the past three years, which is third worst in the country among the 200 largest metro areas. The housing market collapsed as well, with home prices down 58% over the same time. All the California cities on the list are struggling with the inherent problems the state is facing, including high sales and income taxes and service cuts to help close massive budget shortfalls.

Source : Yahoo