Forbes Survey: South Florida Is Miserable
(MIAMI) CBS4 - According to Forbes Magazine, South Florida sucks.
In a new ranking of the most miserable cities in America published by the business magazine's website, Miami ranks as the second most miserable city in America, right behind...
Wait for it...
Stockton, California.
Stockton, where employment is almost 14 percent, where the housing market has virtually collapsed, and where residents have to contend with a state income tax as well as a severe lack of tropical beaches and sunshine.
Oh, and the crime rate is among the nation's top 10.
Miami has them as a next door neighbor in misery? And according to Forbes, it gets worse. West Palm Beach is in the top 10, and Ft. Lauderdale makes the top 20. That means from Jupiter to Homestead, Forbes considers us among the most miserable places in the nation.
And, it could be worse. Forbes says, "The good weather and lack of a state income tax are the only things that kept Miami out of the top spot."
Ouch.
They credit our infamous government corruption, saying 404 public officials have been convicted in Florida in the last decade. They also think our crime rate is too high.
In 2009, Miami made the list at #9. In 2010, we moved up to number 6. You have to wonder if we will finally break through to #1 in 2012.
West Palm Beach made the list at 8 because of high unemployment and a home value average down almost 40 percent, and still headed lower.
Ft Lauderdale was parked at #13 because of a cooling economy and high foreclosure rate.
One more Florida city made the list as well. Jacksonville, at #19, has residents that suffer from high crime, high foreclosures, and a football team that has taken a 10-year break from the playoffs.
But according to Forbes, as bad as it is in parts of Florida, California really stinks up the place as far as misery is concerned. 8 California cities, almost half the list, are considered among the most miserable places in the nation.
The rest of the places are mostly in the rust belt. Detroit. Cleveland. Flint. Toledo. Even the Windy City, which was chided for a sales tax rate over 10%.
Washington made the list, and most people thought they just made the rest of the nation miserable.
Local pride aside, an honest person has to admit we have more than a few problems to fix. But, of course, this is an arbitrary list created to sell magazines, and it's almost too much to accept that Miami is more miserable than, say, Chicago.
10 degrees today in Chicago. 79 Degrees in Miami.
At least today, company loves misery.
