US City rankings

Worst Cities in America

Chicago, IL ranks 3rd on Least Desirable Rank, followed by Detroit, MI (5th) and Los Angeles, CA (6th); rank 1 is the worst. Indianapolis, IN ranks last (48th).

CultureEconomicsHealth115 cities · 12 metricsUpdated Oct 28, 2026Original page
5 sources
33 of 477 cities
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Least Desirable Rank

Darker green is better (rank 1 is the worst, so a higher rank number is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 33 ranked

Worst first; rank 1 is the worst and has the longest bar.

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

What correlates with Least Desirable Rank?

Pearson r against 50 other city metrics sharing at least 20 cities. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that rank better on Least Desirable Rank tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Cleanliness ScoreCleanest Cities in the United States
    r = +0.38 · moderate · n = 21
    Plot
  2. Houses w/ RodentsCleanest Cities in the United States
    r = +0.33 · moderate · n = 21
    Plot
  3. Economics RankBest Cities for Single MenA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.32 · moderate · n = 32
    Plot
  4. Divergence RankMost Racist Cities in AmericaA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = +0.31 · moderate · n = 29
    Plot
  5. Days of Good Air Quality in 2024Cleanest Cities in the United States
    r = +0.29 · weak · n = 21
    Plot
  6. RapeMost Violent Cities in America
    r = +0.20 · weak · n = 26
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that rank better on Least Desirable Rank tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Nonwhite-White DissimilarityMost Racist Cities in America
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  2. Price Level (Goods)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 33
    Plot
  3. Segregation IndexMost Racist Cities in America
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 29
    Plot
  4. # of HomicidesMurder Rate by City
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 25
    Plot
  5. Houses w/ CockroachesCleanest Cities in the United States
    r = −0.42 · moderate · n = 21
    Plot
  6. Divergence ScoreMost Racist Cities in America
    r = −0.41 · moderate · n = 29
    Plot

Quick answers

Which US city ranks first on Least Desirable Rank?
Chicago, IL ranks first on Least Desirable Rank, at 3rd, followed by Detroit, MI (5th) and Los Angeles, CA (6th). Rank 1 is the worst US city.
Which US city ranks last on Least Desirable Rank?
Indianapolis, IN ranks last of the 33 US cities with data, at 48th.
Where does this worst cities in america data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: America’s 50 Worst Cities to Live - 247 Wall St.; The Best (and Worst) Places to Live in 2025, According to Americans - Clever Offers; City Crime Rankings - Open Crime; Measuring America's People and Economy - United States Census Bureau. Last updated 2026-10-28.