California scores high on new misery index

February 13, 2011

Times are tough in California, but are they miserable? According to a new survey, the answer may be a resounding “Yes.” [BBC]

Four California cities are ranked in the top five, according to the latest America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities index, released annually by Forbes magazine.

Stockton claimed the top spot for the second year in  a row, followed by Merced (3), Modesto (4), and Sacramento (5). Other California cities in the top 20 include Vallejo (9), Fresno (17), Salinas (18) and Bakersfield (20).

The non-California towns identified were Miami (2), Memphis (6), Chicago (7), West Palm Beach (8), Cleveland (9), Flint (10), Toledo (12), Ft. Lauderdale (13), Youngstown (14), Detroit (15), Washington, D.C. (16), and Jacksonville (19).

The new report concludes that “the Golden State has never looked less golden”.

California is at the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis, unemployment is way above the national average and high taxes are crippling business.

The Forbes ranking takes into account a range of factors – including the economy, crime levels, the climate and social factors, such as how the local sports teams are doing.

Stockton, for example, has seen property values drop 67 percent since 2005.