America's Top 15 Emptiest Cities
These Once Boom Cities Are Now Quickly Turning Into Recession Ghost Towns
By ZACK O'MALLEY GREENBURG
Forbes.com
Feb. 22, 2009
Call it a modern-day tale of two cities.
Las Vegas edged Detroit for the title of America's most abandoned city. Atlanta came in third, followed by Greensboro, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio.
For decades, Las Vegas, ripe with new construction and economic development, burgeoned into a shimmering urban carnival. Detroit, once the fulcrum of American industry, sagged and rusted under its own weight.
These days, it's the worst of times for both.
Las Vegas edged Detroit for the title of America's most abandoned city.
Atlanta came in third, followed by Greensboro, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio.
Our rankings, a combination of rental and homeowner vacancy rates for the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, are based on fourth-quarter data released Feb. 3 by the Census Bureau. Each was ranked on rental vacancies and housing vacancies; the final ranking is an average of the two.
Those who live in the U.S. love and hate these 10 spots.
In Depth: America's Most And Least Popular Cities
Looking to start over?
Those who have lost their jobs, defaulted on their mortgages or are simply searching for a change might want to consider Denver. The city-- known for its skiing, culture and bustling singles scene--is where Americans would like to live the most, according to a recent survey conducted by Washington, D.C.-based group Pew Research Center.
In Depth: America's Most And Least Popular Cities
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Americans say they'll stay clear of Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Minn., and Kansas City, Mo.
Good old Beantown is looking better and better every year.
10 comments:
I choose Lexington, MA.
Las Vegas... Detroit... Cincinnati... Atlanta...Denver....
There seems to be a mix of red state cities vs blue state cities, as oppose to there being a pattern.
Amazing. Alan Greenspan assured everyone the 'modern risk management paradigm' was intact. Don't worry, be happy. The 'markets' are a perfect mechanism.
Go figure.
Actually, dmarks there is a pattern. All were Republican in 2004 except Detroit.
The realignment is just beginning, not some established existing pattern.
Arthurstone....Alan Greenspan just announced that nationalization is something that we just might have to do every 100 years or so...
Guess the markets are not perfect....and need to start over every 100 years.
I guess there really will be ghost suburbs & towns soon.
Great, now everyone is going to move here (Denver). I can't blame them though. It's young, it's hip and it's clean (compared to many big cities).
It's a friendly big city too. It's a big city but the attitude is that of a warm welcoming rural town.
Plus, the weather is great--even in winter there is a lot of sunshine. Colorado gets 300 some sunny days a year.
Here's a silver lining.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123518630430139343.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1&#articleTabs%3Dcomments
It's awesome up here in the blue states of New England. Except RI, where the unemployment rate is high. Still lots of nice places here!
Hmm. Minneapolis does have a bustling singles scene, great culture, and even some skiing nearby (but nothing like Colorado in terms of verticals). We also have high taxes, poor city government and January and February.
You can avoid some of the taxes and the bad city government by living outside Minneapolis, which is easy enough. But the winter is harder to avoid.
Boston has the taxes and government; while we have ice and snow, you have the Kennedys.
"while we have ice and snow, you have the Kennedys."
Both can cause one to go off a bridge to a watery doom if one is not careful.
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