America's Unhappiest Cities (quality, live, better, place)

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by PDX_LAX

And yet people still move to Portland in droves for the lifestyle and livability. They must be doing something right.

I would not exactly call 4000 people a year droves

[Thomas R.]

Originally Posted by westcoast30

If Binghamton, NY is on that list, so should Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA. Ever been there? I was there visiting family over Easter and the sun did not come out once. It also rained. 212 cloudy days a year and 52 sunny. Gloomy and depressing. Several of my family members discussed the the political corruption, unemployment, foul suicidal weather, and crumbling infrastructure. Pretty much every city in Pennsylvania should be on that list, with Scranton, PA being the poster child of the unhappiest city!

I was planning on putting Scranton, even had a "The Office" related joke ready, as it was in the bottom ten on "city optimism" and I think might have been low on general well-being. However it was eighth from the bottom on "city optimism" and I wasn't sure I wanted to list that many metros. Also I think we have some Scranton defenders here who'd get mad. And finally it wasn't in their bottom ten for overall well-being.

Originally Posted by evmafioso

1. Portland
2. St. Louis
3. New Orleans
4. Detroit
5. Cleveland
6. Jacksonville
7. Las Vegas
9. Nashville
10. Cincinnati
11. Atlanta
12. Milwaukee
13. Sacramento
14. Kansas City
15. Pittsburgh
16. Memphis
16. Indianapolis
18. Louisville
19. Tucson
20. Minneapolis
21. Seattle

America's Unhappiest Cities: Portland, Ore. - BusinessWeek

There is no way Portland, Oregon is the unhappiest city in the USA. It should not even be in the top 21. When I was in Portland so many people there seemed happy with life and many people from there seem like that too. Portland also has a pretty good quality of life and is in the top 10-15 for cities in the USA.
I also don't think Seattle should be in the top 21(21st place). I also think Minneapolis should not be in the top 21.

Also Baltimore, Little Rock, and Orlando has to be put on the top 21 cities for being the most unhappy and miserable. I cant believe they weren't put in the top 21.

However, I do agree with ever other city on the list for most unhappiest cities such as Memphis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Saint Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Sacramento, and Tucson.

So I strongly agree with 18 of them but strongly disagree for 3 of them.
So instead of Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis being on the list I would have Baltimore, Orlando, and Little Rock on the list instead.

I would also like to see the list for most happiest cities!

[openheads]

Originally Posted by po-boy

Interesting, it is surprising to see Portland at the top of this list. St. Louis, New Orleans, Detroit and Cleveland all make sense to me as being top (bottom) five, but Portland was not one that I expected.

Why?
I bet you a good number of the people from those places are harder than nails & are willing to see the good in things before acting like children who didn't get their way when hard times are upon them.
Truth be told.................. Pressure busts pipes & under pressure; I'd put my faith in someone from Detroit rather than Portland any day of the week.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by

However, I do agree with ever other city on the list for most unhappiest cities such as Memphis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Saint Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Sacramento, and Tucson.

What makes Nashville unhappy?

[westcoast30]

Originally Posted by Thomas R.

Also I think we have some Scranton defenders here who'd get mad.

Really? They're probably paid by the mayor and his cronies as well as the thugs (aka County Commissioners). You should have a list of the most corrupt cities for judges (aka Wilkes-Barre and "Kids for Cash").

[Thomas R.]

Originally Posted by

I would also like to see the list for most happiest cities!

Well using the Gallup links I had Honolulu was tops on Life Evaluation and Emotional Health. For "city optimism" their top five among large cities was...

Austin-Round Rock, Texas metro
Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina metro
San Antonio, Texas metro
Oklahoma City metro
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas metro

Their top five in "city optimism" for metros of all sizes was

Provo-Orem, Utah metro
Austin-Round Rock metro
Huntsville, Alabama metro
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas metro
Raleigh-Cary metro

U.S. City Wellbeing Tracking

I can't seem to find if businessweek did one.

Originally Posted by Thomas R.

Well using the Gallup links I had Honolulu was tops on Life Evaluation and Emotional Health. For "city optimism" their top five among large cities was...

Austin-Round Rock, Texas metro
Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina metro
San Antonio, Texas metro
Oklahoma City metro
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas metro

Their top five in "city optimism" for metros of all sizes was

Provo-Orem, Utah metro
Austin-Round Rock metro
Huntsville, Alabama metro
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas metro
Raleigh-Cary metro

U.S. City Wellbeing Tracking

I can't seem to find if businessweek did one.

Actually that similar website says these are the top 5 large metros for well being:
Washington DC metro
Austin Texas metro
San Jose California metro
Seattle metro
San Francisco metro
Boulder, Colo., Leads U.S. Metro Areas in Wellbeing (Scroll down a bit on the website and you will see it).

What is interesting is that this website says Seattle and its metro is the 4th happiest/highest well being in the USA so one of the happiest and highest well being but the OP's website link says Seattle is one of the most miserable cities/metros in the nation and 21 st place for most miserable.

[Thomas R.]

They're measuring different things is my guess. Businesweek is including things like depression, suicide, jobs (unemployment and job loss), and crime rates. Gallup's overall "well being index" is not really the same as a happiness index, even though I think they themselves sometimes confuse it. Instead they're including things like physical health, healthy behaviors, work environment, and access to basics of life. Although "Life Evaluation" and "Emotional Health" are specific to happiness and are about reported happiness and whether they feel they're doing okay.

Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index - Methodology

So mostly with Gallup I kind of ignore their overall "well being index", when dealing with happiness, in favor of how a place scores on the LE and EH measures.

Another issue is businessweek is another one of those places equating weather to happiness/unhappiness. I love an overcast day, but generally what they mean is the cloudier/rainer a place is the "sadder" it must be. So Seattle is hurt there. It may not be as rainy as claimed, but I believe it is pretty cloudy from what I've heard.

[PDX_LAX]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

I would not exactly call 4000 people a year droves

My mistake. What I meant to say was:

"Young, educated professionals are moving to Portland in droves despite the bad economy and utter lack of jobs, because the lifestyle is just that desirable".