There’s a common denominator that all bad mid-sized cities have.
They are the places that have bad economies. They are the places where the school systems are in bad shape. They’re the places where people are out of work. They are the places where residents earn low salaries.
And certainly, no one wants to be there if crime is really high.
We defined mid-sized cities using Saturday Night Science as having populations between 77,000 and 119,000. The 251st through the 500th biggest cities in the United States to be exact. Many are suburbs of major cities where things aren’t going very well right now, at least according to data.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is the United States’s statewide median.
the United States statewide median: 5.2%
the United States statewide median: $332,700
the United States statewide median: $80,734
On the map
Where the worst mid-sized cities in America are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Worst Mid-Sized Cities In The US
In order to rank the worst mid-sized cities to live in America, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn’t a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy.
Using FBI crime data and the most recent 2020-2024 American Community Survey data, this is the criteria we plugged into Saturday Night Science:
We defined “mid-sized” to be the 251st through the 500th biggest cities in the United States.
- Low Population Density
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Low home prices
- A lot of uninsured individuals
- A high portion of uneducated adults
- High Crime
- High Poverty
We updated this report for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the worst mid-sized cities to live in America. This report is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment — don’t freak out.
The full list
Detailed List Of The Worst Mid-Sized Cities To Live In America
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Smith, AR | 89,805 | 6.5% | $193,977 | $54,816 |
| 2 | Beaumont, TX | 113,279 | 6.4% | $166,671 | $56,997 |
| 3 | Lawton, OK | 90,595 | 8.1% | $139,275 | $54,433 |
| 4 | Las Cruces, NM | 114,197 | 7.0% | $290,023 | $55,422 |
| 5 | Baytown, TX | 85,205 | 10.2% | $246,066 | $59,910 |
| 6 | Jonesboro, AR | 80,137 | 6.3% | $222,893 | $55,424 |
| 7 | Gastonia, NC | 82,884 | 5.7% | $277,331 | $64,059 |
| 8 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 111,038 | 7.7% | $228,947 | $51,464 |
| 9 | Trenton, NJ | 90,338 | 10.1% | $345,376 | $52,537 |
| 10 | Peoria, IL | 112,169 | 7.5% | $128,838 | $59,410 |
| 11 | South Bend, IN | 103,085 | 6.5% | $192,340 | $55,786 |
| 12 | Merced, CA | 91,953 | 11.3% | $397,876 | $63,122 |
| 13 | Lake Charles, LA | 81,143 | 6.6% | $199,012 | $59,235 |
| 14 | Temple, TX | 89,602 | 6.6% | $249,531 | $68,204 |
| 15 | Greenville, NC | 92,857 | 9.0% | $235,821 | $49,748 |
| 16 | North Charleston, SC | 119,913 | 4.3% | $309,522 | $62,956 |
| 17 | Roanoke, VA | 98,355 | 5.6% | $277,113 | $55,378 |
| 18 | Edinburg, TX | 104,550 | 6.1% | $217,345 | $59,466 |
| 19 | Lansing, MI | 113,023 | 8.2% | $163,359 | $54,382 |
| 20 | Waterbury, CT | 114,869 | 9.3% | $276,344 | $51,886 |
| 21 | Flint, MI | 80,175 | 14.8% | $65,072 | $37,646 |
| 21 | Kissimmee, FL | 81,479 | 7.5% | $358,736 | $53,758 |
| 23 | Evansville, IN | 116,116 | 5.1% | $198,977 | $53,387 |
| 24 | Pharr, TX | 80,333 | 7.2% | $164,025 | $52,814 |
| 25 | Portsmouth, VA | 97,190 | 6.6% | $260,462 | $60,491 |
| 26 | Yakima, WA | 96,961 | 8.4% | $359,876 | $62,815 |
| 27 | Warner Robins, GA | 82,990 | 6.4% | $212,129 | $66,970 |
| 28 | Reading, PA | 95,242 | 13.7% | $260,654 | $44,091 |
| 29 | Hesperia, CA | 100,775 | 9.3% | $460,687 | $72,160 |
| 30 | Wichita Falls, TX | 102,581 | 3.8% | $172,051 | $60,177 |
| 31 | Bryan, TX | 87,939 | 5.0% | $274,647 | $59,289 |
| 32 | Greeley, CO | 110,806 | 5.6% | $420,464 | $69,881 |
| 33 | Sioux City, IA | 86,101 | 4.5% | $196,299 | $68,906 |
| 34 | Mission, TX | 87,038 | 7.8% | $220,634 | $60,767 |
| 35 | High Point, NC | 116,245 | 5.2% | $249,821 | $64,561 |
| 36 | Springfield, IL | 113,330 | 6.8% | $163,198 | $66,064 |
| 37 | Pueblo, CO | 111,561 | 5.0% | $283,603 | $56,664 |
| 38 | Yuma, AZ | 100,139 | 6.3% | $301,508 | $65,482 |
| 39 | Compton, CA | 92,698 | 8.0% | $637,961 | $78,465 |
| 40 | Odessa, TX | 115,322 | 5.9% | $251,239 | $73,472 |
| 41 | Waukegan, IL | 89,076 | 6.4% | $235,401 | $71,919 |
| 42 | Springdale, AR | 88,160 | 3.7% | $338,447 | $69,787 |
| 43 | Longview, TX | 82,923 | 3.1% | $230,973 | $63,340 |
| 44 | Fall River, MA | 94,082 | 6.5% | $445,781 | $56,673 |
| 45 | Albany, NY | 100,492 | 7.8% | $320,506 | $61,986 |
| 45 | Miami Gardens, FL | 113,177 | 9.0% | $469,434 | $63,627 |
| 47 | Davenport, IA | 100,913 | 4.6% | $187,412 | $66,200 |
| 48 | Santa Fe, NM | 89,019 | 5.1% | $580,022 | $73,482 |
| 49 | Asheville, NC | 94,535 | 5.1% | $460,994 | $71,102 |
| 50 | Santa Maria, CA | 110,462 | 7.3% | $658,011 | $84,746 |
| 51 | Hemet, CA | 91,326 | 8.0% | $444,334 | $57,719 |
| 52 | Tyler, TX | 109,215 | 4.5% | $251,563 | $67,486 |
| 53 | Erie, PA | 93,850 | 7.1% | $198,492 | $46,113 |
| 54 | Inglewood, CA | 104,569 | 8.3% | $763,568 | $72,750 |
| 55 | South Gate, CA | 91,483 | 7.4% | $700,783 | $74,571 |
| 56 | Richmond, CA | 115,505 | 8.3% | $606,427 | $95,391 |
| 57 | Rapid City, SD | 77,946 | 2.6% | $361,496 | $70,870 |
| 58 | San Angelo, TX | 99,674 | 3.9% | $220,605 | $65,864 |
| 59 | Pasco, WA | 79,575 | 5.3% | $418,088 | $85,586 |
| 60 | Perris, CA | 80,511 | 7.9% | $543,988 | $88,911 |
| 61 | Fayetteville, AR | 99,319 | 4.0% | $377,910 | $62,695 |
| 62 | Rialto, CA | 104,143 | 7.7% | $588,566 | $88,857 |
| 63 | Dearborn, MI | 107,423 | 6.6% | $245,068 | $65,324 |
| 64 | Chico, CA | 102,188 | 6.8% | $466,204 | $66,977 |
| 65 | Lynchburg, VA | 79,497 | 5.3% | $262,101 | $57,947 |
| 66 | Kennewick, WA | 85,295 | 5.1% | $430,870 | $73,576 |
| 67 | Hawthorne, CA | 85,191 | 7.9% | $883,585 | $75,848 |
| 68 | Boynton Beach, FL | 81,435 | 5.4% | $401,877 | $70,074 |
| 69 | New Bedford, MA | 100,998 | 8.3% | $434,262 | $56,981 |
| 70 | El Monte, CA | 106,109 | 6.3% | $765,444 | $68,030 |
| 71 | Ogden, UT | 87,413 | 4.1% | $400,514 | $72,575 |
| 72 | Conroe, TX | 102,360 | 3.9% | $313,986 | $76,206 |
| 73 | Danbury, CT | 87,263 | 6.5% | $478,979 | $83,393 |
| 74 | Antioch, CA | 116,477 | 7.4% | $598,211 | $97,465 |
| 75 | Redding, CA | 93,409 | 5.3% | $388,869 | $70,466 |
| 76 | Avondale, AZ | 92,477 | 3.6% | $398,568 | $86,123 |
| 77 | Racine, WI | 77,633 | 6.1% | $208,908 | $57,740 |
| 78 | Champaign, IL | 89,996 | 4.8% | $231,273 | $56,118 |
| 79 | Federal Way, WA | 99,493 | 5.4% | $601,744 | $86,909 |
| 80 | Auburn, WA | 85,676 | 6.0% | $614,182 | $97,884 |
| 81 | Lawrence, KS | 96,051 | 4.4% | $331,113 | $65,009 |
| 82 | Medford, OR | 86,315 | 5.3% | $406,689 | $73,230 |
| 83 | Cicero, IL | 82,797 | 5.0% | $264,526 | $70,842 |
| 84 | Westland, MI | 83,633 | 6.0% | $211,889 | $62,076 |
| 85 | El Cajon, CA | 104,449 | 9.6% | $816,317 | $67,511 |
| 86 | Green Bay, WI | 106,253 | 3.7% | $278,024 | $66,206 |
| 87 | Jurupa Valley, CA | 107,011 | 5.7% | $672,514 | $97,550 |
| 88 | Sparks, NV | 110,024 | 5.2% | $529,283 | $89,056 |
| 89 | Brockton, MA | 105,386 | 8.6% | $503,833 | $80,115 |
| 90 | Gresham, OR | 112,378 | 5.6% | $471,181 | $77,795 |
| 91 | Rancho Cordova, CA | 81,849 | 7.3% | $535,997 | $89,585 |
| 92 | Everett, WA | 111,845 | 5.8% | $662,786 | $83,512 |
| 92 | Elgin, IL | 114,934 | 6.1% | $329,682 | $90,282 |
| 94 | Billings, MT | 119,434 | 3.5% | $392,209 | $73,712 |
| 95 | Wyoming, MI | 77,353 | 4.1% | $286,890 | $73,677 |
| 96 | Spokane Valley, WA | 106,365 | 5.2% | $408,888 | $74,042 |
| 97 | Bellingham, WA | 93,438 | 5.6% | $668,589 | $66,755 |
| 98 | Provo, UT | 114,766 | 5.1% | $484,203 | $64,171 |
| 99 | Suffolk, VA | 98,796 | 5.0% | $384,301 | $92,666 |
| 100 | Bethlehem, PA | 77,956 | 6.6% | $351,353 | $68,879 |
Source: FBI crime data + U.S. Census ACS. The 251st through 500th biggest US cities.
Summary
Summary: The Worst Mid-Sized Cities In America
These are the mid-sized cities in the U.S. where crime is high, people are broke, and the public schools are lousy.
The worst mid-sized cities in the United States are Fort Smith, AR, Beaumont, TX, Lawton, OK, Las Cruces, NM, Baytown, TX, Jonesboro, AR, Gastonia, NC, Tuscaloosa, AL, Trenton, NJ, and Peoria, IL.
