Hammond is an industrial city, part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It was first populated back in the 19th century; today, it is considered the oldest city in northern Lake County, and in 2020, it was also declared the one with the largest population. Instead of a thriving economy, residents are plagued with water and air pollution.
Like Newark and Flint, Hammond also struggles with lead contamination. Twenty-two percent of Hammond’s population lives in poverty, and the number of people living in the city declines continuously. Because of the population issues, the community has decreased by 6.2% since 2010.
Passaic, New Jersey
Sex education is incredibly important, and Passaic is proof. The city’s youth council claims that the sex education programs in schools across the city are incredibly inadequate. In fact, many schools provide no sex education at all. The lack of information creates severe problems with teenage pregnancy in Passaic, and teen pregnancy rates are escalating.
On top of that, roughly a third of the population lives in poverty, so having underage families does not help the city's situation one bit. With little hope for a bright future, illegal substances and violence have become prevalent problems in Passaic, so we can only hope for better days there.
Miami Gardens, Florida
When you hear Miami, you automatically think of the sun, sea, sand, tropical drinks, and party vibes. Miami Gardens, however, is a little different. The water in the city is supplied by a plant owned by the City of North Miami Beach, which pushes water prices in Miami Gardens through the roof. Subsequently, the entire cost of living in the city is sky-high.
The city also implemented a stop-and-frisk policy that led to about 57,000 people being frisked between 2008 and 2014. The system creates severe tension in the city, especially among residents who are the targets of stop and frisk.
Palmdale, California
It’s a bit of a gamble to buy a house in Palmdale. Since 19% of the population lives in poverty, Palmdale was once known as the foreclosure capital of California. It was the dream; it was the future; however, it has only been going downhill, and things are not looking as if they are going to change.
It’s hard to make house payments when you can barely afford food. Even if you do have a steady job, your life only improves minimally in Palmdale. The average commute time is 42 minutes, much higher than any other city on this list.
Harlingen, Texas
Through no fault of its own, the weather in Harlingen makes this city a difficult place to live. Harlingen is known to have very little rainfall and scorching temperatures for most of the year. Even summer lovers find this place impossible to cope with. Of the 65,000 residents in the city, only 56% have jobs. Thirty percent of the population lives in poverty.
Harlingen was put in an even worse position in 2019 when 2,000 immigrants were released into the city. The new residents strained an already struggling population as Harlingen tried to pull together some help for the immigrants using its limited resources.