Toughest U.S. Cities To Live In

Crafting a thriving city isn't easy, especially when you have natural disasters working against you. Between high poverty and crime rates to unending natural disasters, these are the roughest cities to make a living. Some have been able to turn things around for the better, but many suffer from civilian and economic blight.

Reading, Pennsylvania

In 2011, the New York Times listed Reading as the poorest city in the United States. The city struggled after factories closed down and laid people off. Today, an estimated 44% of households are on food stamps.

Advertisement

Next Page →

The More You Know

  • Portland was named by a coin flip. Had the coin landed the other way, the city would be known as Boston, Oregon.
  • A German and British aeroplane shot each other down in Norway during WWII. The crew met and helped each other survive. Two of them later visited each other many years after the war was over as friends.
  • It costs the U.S. Mint almost twice as much to mint each penny and nickel as the coins are actually worth. Taxpayers lost over $100 million in 2013 just through the coins being made.
  • Dueling is legal in Paraguay, as long as both parties have been registered as blood donors.
Next Page →