23. Hartford, Connecticut—1,140 per 100,000
Not far from the 27th worst city, Springfield, Massachusetts, Connecticut’s capital struggles to escape massive poverty. One in three people in Hartford lives below the poverty. In a group of ten people, at least one will suffer unemployment. Developing countries brag better statistics than this; better living conditions too.
22. Washington, District of Columbia—1,269 per 100,000
The last thing one wants to see in the most powerful country on the planet is that the capital of the nation is on this list. Sorry, but it’s true. This city where the wealthiest people in the nation, sometimes the world, rub elbows with the most powerful people in the same regard, suffered 162 murders in 2015. Draw your own conclusions, but it’s not poverty. D.C. has comparatively low poverty and unemployment rates. People just turn up dead there for some reason.
21. San Bernardino, California—1,245 per 100,00
Some of the data on San Bernardino was the result of the 2015 act of terrorism. You may recall the husband and wife duo in 2015 who went on a rampage, killing 14 people? San Bern doesn’t get off the hook for violence outside of that incident, though. Until 2013, it was the largest city to file bankruptcy. Detroit took that title from them.
