In this article, we will list the 30 most hated cities in the US. However, before listing the most hated cities, let’s look at some of the reasons for the hate toward the United States from within and outside the country.
The United States was a runner-up on our list of the 30 most hated countries in the world. One of the primary reasons why the country is hated by foreigners is its military intervention and influence over the political systems of other nations.
In our article about the most hated countries in Europe, however, we explored other reasons for hatred toward the United States as well. In a 2021 Pew Research Center report that published findings from surveys of nationally representative samples of 17 advanced economies, many people around the world believe that discrimination is common within the country. Those who fall on the left side of the ideological spectrum see discrimination in the US as a serious problem.
Another finding of the survey was that contrary to the common belief, the US democracy does not serve as an ideal. Nearly 57% of the respondents to the survey believed that the democratic system in the country used to serve as an ideal, but this is not the case anymore. In addition, 23% of respondents to the survey believed that the democratic system of the country was never a good example. These sentiments are shared by Americans as well, as 72% of them say that their democracy used to be a good example, but it is not the case anymore.
In our piece about the most hated states in America, we learned that hatred toward certain states, such as Ohio, Texas, and New York as the most disliked states in the US is woven into the historical fabric of events and controversies. Historical elements such as racial tensions, cultural conflicts, and political controversies fuel hatred toward certain states
The Center for American Progress also highlights that more recently, there has been a documented resurgence of white supremacy in mainstream politics. It has significantly contributed to the polarization and division in the United States.
One of the reasons for hate toward the United States, both from within and abroad, is laws that are unpopular around the world. A recent Supreme Court decision to allow states to regulate abortion has resulted in a spectrum of reactions across the country. This resulted in some states enacting stringent measures against abortion while others took steps to safeguard abortion access.
The hatred toward the United States and its states stems mostly from policies and laws. However, through our research on public forums, we were able to identify that hatred toward cities stems from much smaller issues that affect an individual’s daily life. Factors such as housing, employment, traffic, population, crime, and activities contribute to the hatred or love for a city. We found that while people favor cities with less hectic traffic, they also hate emptier cities because there is not much to do there. If we were, however, to identify one major reason for hatred toward most hated cities in the US, it is the perceived crime rate.
With that backdrop, let’s look at the 30 most hated cities in the US.
Methodology
To curate our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US, we used a consensus approach and considered 5 (1,2,3,4,5) sources. Each time a city was mentioned by one of these sources, we noted it along with its ranking on the source. Then, we summed up the total number of times each city appeared on our sources and called this frequency. To rank the cities objectively, we also came up with the ranking factor, which is dependent on the overall ranking of the city on our sources.
The calculation of our ranking factor is as follows: 30 / (sum of ranking x 100). The higher the sum of ranking (i.e. the lower the city ranks overall on our sources), the lower the ranking factor. We designed the ranking factor so that it will always be in decimals.
Then, for our Insider Monkey Score, we simply added frequency to the ranking factor. In this way, more importance is placed on the number of times the city appeared in our sources while also considering the city’s rank in our sources. If, for example, city A has an Insider Monkey Score of 2.02, its frequency is 2, and the ranking factor is 0.02.
Note: For clarity, we have mentioned the Insider Monkey Score to the nearest two decimal places, which is why many cities appear to have the same score. However, there were no ties in reality, and a city mentioned in the 28th spot is more hated than the one mentioned in the 29th spot, even if their score appears to be the same.
30 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Insider Monkey Score – 1.04
Colorado Springs is 30th on our list of the most hated cities in the US. Some of the reasons why people dislike the city include its perceived crime rate and limited nightlife.
29 – Gary, Indiana
Insider Monkey Score – 1.05
Gary, Indiana, has a population of less than 70,000 people. The city has been on a decline over the past couple of decades. Today, ghost buildings and vacant houses are a common sight there. The city does not have to offer anything when it comes to nightlife, and it has one of the highest homicide rates in the US.
28 – Nanakuli, Oahu, Hawaii
Insider Monkey Score – 1.06
Nanakuli, Oahu, Hawaii, has beautiful beaches. However, the city is mostly rural, which is why people hate it.
27 – Albany, Georgia
Insider Monkey Score – 1.08
Albany, Georgia, ranks 27th on our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US. The city is considered unsafe and has a high crime rate. In addition, some people in public forums also feel that the city has ‘sad and reserved’ people.
26 – Camden, New Jersey
Insider Monkey Score – 1.08
With an Insider Monkey Score of 1.08, Camden, New Jersey, is 26th on our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US. Violent crime is quite common in the city with rampant use of guns.
25 – Monroe, Louisiana
Insider Monkey Score – 1.10
Monroe is located in the southern part of Louisiana. Many people point out that the town is conservative and has high crime rates.
24 – Englewood, New Jersey
Insider Monkey Score – 1.15
Englewood, New Jersey, ranks 24th on our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US. One of the reasons why people hate the city is its lack of attention toward the public school system. According to many users on public forums, it is not a good place to raise children simply because of the inadequate schooling system.
23 – Florida City, Florida
Insider Monkey Score – 1.30
Florida city has one of the highest crime rates in the United States. It has a crime rate of 64 per one thousand residents.
22 – San Diego, California
Insider Monkey Score – 2.00
With an Insider Monkey Score 2, San Diego, California, is the 22nd most hated city in the United States. The city has a high cost of living and is currently going through a housing shortage.
21 – San Francisco, California
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
It might be surprising to see San Fransisco, California, on the list of the most hated cities in the US. However, the city has a huge problem of homelessness, which makes many people hate the city.
20 – San Antonio, Texas
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
San Antonio, Texas, is among the 20 most hated cities in the US. One of the reasons why people are leaving the city is that per capita income there is on the decline.
19 – Kansas City, Missouri
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Kansas City, although incredibly affordable, is one of the most hated in the United States. Some people hate the city simply because it is landlocked and there is not much to do. Others hate the city because of its extreme weather and the possibility of tornadoes.
18 – Orlando, Florida
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Orlando is one of the most touristy areas in Florida. However, the city has a bad reputation because of its property crimes, such as burglary and larceny. In addition, most jobs in the city are in the service sector, which is not everyone’s cup of tea.
17 – New Orleans, Louisiana
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
New Orleans ranks 17th on our list of the most hated cities in the US. Many people hate the city because of its rainy weather, as it is one of the rainiest cities in the United States.
16 – Tampa, Florida
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Tampa, Florida, has a huge wastewater and sewage problem. Illegal sewage pollution is quite rampant in the city. In addition, the city is also prone to stormwater pollution.
15 – Atlanta, Georgia
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Atlanta, Georgia, is among the top 15 most hated cities in the US. The city is facing challenges with crime and its economy. Its citizens perceive the crime rate in the city to be extremely high and the economy dwindling. Some people also point out transportation as one of the greatest issues in Atlanta.
14 – Cleveland, Ohio
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Although Cleveland has a robust and nationally recognized community development sector, it is facing issues with housing affordability. In addition, it is also known as the most stressful city in the US.
13 – Charlotte, North Carolina
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
Charlotte, North Carolina, ranks 13th on our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US. Housing and homelessness are the major problems in the city.
12 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Insider Monkey Score – 2.01
With an Insider Monkey score of 2.01, Las Vegas, Nevada, ranks 12th on our list of the 30 most hated cities in the US. People dislike the city because of its water usage and traffic issues.
11 – St. Louis, Missouri
Insider Monkey Score – 2.02
St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the declining cities in the US, with its death rates surpassing birthrates. In addition, the city suffers from neighborhood disinvestment and strained community relations with law enforcement.
10 – New York City, New York
Insider Monkey Score – 2.02
New York City is among the 10 most hated cities in the US. The city has record levels of homelessness and high crime rates. Some of the people also complain about the city’s rat problem.
9 – Chicago, Illinois
Insider Monkey Score – 2.02
Chicago has a problem of crime and violence, which is why its residents continue to leave the city. It is also one of the most stressful cities in the country.
8 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Insider Monkey Score – 2.02
Philadelphia ranks eighth on our list of the most hated cities in the US. One of the problems in the city is income disparity.
7 – Trenton, New Jersey
Insider Monkey Score – 2.03
With an insider monkey score of 2.03, Trenton ranks seventh on our list of the most hated cities in the US. The city has a considerably high crime rate.
6 – Newark, New Jersey
Insider Monkey Score – 2.04
With an Insider Monkey Score of 2.04, Newark, New Jersey, is the sixth most hated city in the United States and the top most hated city in New Jersey. The city is facing the problem of school disconnection, where thousands of young people are neither in school nor employed.
5 – Miami, Florida
Insider Monkey Score – 3.01
Miami, Florida, is among the top five most hated cities in the US. The city has a high crime rate and it also consistently ranks high for the worst traffic in the United States.
4 – Baltimore, Maryland
Insider Monkey Score – 3.01
Baltimore, Maryland, is often ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Its crime rate is typically well above the national average of the US.
3 – Los Angeles, California
Insider Monkey Score – 3.02
Los Angeles, Michigan, is among the top 3 most hated cities in the US. The city has problems involving homelessness, crime, and affordability.
2 – Flint, Michigan
Insider Monkey Score – 3.02
Our runner-up for the 30 most hated cities in the US is Flint, Michigan. Some of the problems in the city include a shrinking population and a lack of jobs.
1 – Detroit, Michigan
Insider Monkey Score – 3.08
Detroit, Michigan, is the most hated city in the United States. The city has a serious problem with violent crime, and the city’s population is declining. The city also has poor public transit.
Suggested Articles:
- Top 30 Most Hated Countries in the World
- 12 Most Hated Countries in Europe
- 15 Most Hated States in America
Disclosure: None. 30 Most Hated Cities in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey.
