The Most Miserable Cities in New Jersey

With that headline, I can sense the suspense building up. But, before we get into the details, let's clear things up – I'm just here to share the information collected, so this is definitely one of those "don't shoot the messenger" type scenarios! And, for those New Jersey cities that found their way onto the list, don't blame me – I'm simply relaying the information. Here's how it all came together.

Every ten years, the US Census population count determines how many people live in each place. This count is crucial because it decides how many people each state is allotted for the House of Representatives. But this count isn't only about politics – it also gives us clues about different things in the country, like how much crime there is, how much money people make, and how long people spend going to work.

Using all this information, the Herald Weekly has put together this list that they called 'The Most Miserable Cities in America' — a pretty dramatic headline, but I get it; it's more intriguing. I looked over their list and pulled out a couple of cities from around the country, then listed the ones from New Jersey and highlighted why they believed they should be on this list.

Here are a few cities identified in the census and highlighted by the Herald Weekly:  San Bernardino, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Irving, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Huntington, West Virginia; North Miami, Florida; Flint, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Jacksonville, Florida; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Bringing our focus back to New Jersey, listed from the largest population to the smallest, here's what the list included (along with a short description of why each city made the list):  

• Newark, New Jersey: Lead-contaminated water and extreme racial tensions leading to violence and riots.

• Jersey City, New Jersey: High crime rates, particularly gang activity and gun violence.

• Paterson, New Jersey: Natural disasters like flooding and a relatively high poverty rate.

• Elizabeth, New Jersey: High crime rates, including violent crime and property offenses.

• New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rise in reported assaults with guns and a relatively high poverty rate.

• Trenton, New Jersey: Economic decline, high crime rates, including gang activity and gun violence.

• Union City, New Jersey: High population density and lengthy average commute, along with a significant poverty rate.

• Passaic, New Jersey: Teenage pregnancy problems and a significant poverty rate.

• Plainfield, New Jersey: High crime rate and ongoing challenges related to poverty.

What are your thoughts on the New Jersey cities that are featured on this list?  To view the complete list of over 45 cities that are included, you can visit this link.