A recent report named Gary the most miserable city in America, but the Indiana town’s next mayor said he strongly disagrees.
Business Insider’s recent ranking put Gary at the top of its list of 50 cities, saying it “was once a manufacturing mecca, but those days are over.”
“I was slightly surprised by the article and disagree with the content,” said Gary’s Mayor-elect Jerome Prince. “I don’t think it is a fair representation period. It is based on empirical data. It is missing the aesthetic qualities. It is missing the human element.”
Prince said he was born and raised in Gary, calling it a “great place to live.”
Residents echoed Prince’s statements, with many saying there are good and bad parts to all cities.
The Business Insider report looked at census data from 1,000 cities, reviewing population changes, percentage of people working, median household incomes, percentage of people without healthcare, commute times and the number of people living in poverty.
According to the report, Gary has 75,000 residents, but lost 6% from 2010 to 2018. A little more than half the population works and 36% live in poverty, it states.
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Other cities named among some of the most miserable were Port Arthur, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Passaic, New Jersey; Newark, New Jersey; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Flint, Michigan; Camden, New Jersey; Warren, Ohio; and Huntington Park, California.
