The Ninth Most Miserable City in the U.S. Is Charlotte, North Carolina

The biggest surprise on the [most miserable cities] list is Charlotte, North Carolina, which is ranked ninth.

Charlotte has undergone tremendous economic growth the past decade, while the population has soared 32%. But the current picture isn't as bright.

Employment growth has not kept up with population growth, meaning unemployment rates are up more than 50% compared with 10 years ago.

Charlotte scored in the bottom half of all six categories we examined and ranked 140th for violent crime.

Odd, I remember in 1982 my husband and I researched cities in the U.S. that were considered favorable places to live; and Charlotte, North Carolina was one of the top ten, as I recall. We didn't decide to relocate there from Ohio, however. Instead, we wound up in Atlanta which I believe is still ranked as a pretty nice place to live. Now, I live in the low country of South Carolina, a great place for me.