Posted on 11/30/2011 8:15:56 AM PST by equaviator
If you want record-setting sunshine, St. Petersburg is your city—it once soaked up a Guinness-certified 768 straight days of rays. But there's an asterisk: The people of St. Pete also have the darkest clouds hanging over their heads. We put America on the therapist's couch and discovered that not only is St. Petersburg our Saddest City, but Florida in general seems to be a depressing place to live.
Of course, we aren't shrinks, so our diagnosis is more statistical than psychological. We calculated suicide rates (CDC) and unemployment rates (Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of June 2011). Then we tapped SimplyMap for the percentage of households that use antidepressants as well as the number of people who report feeling the blues all or most of the time.
Saddest Cities
100. St. Petersburg, FL F 99. Detroit, MI F 98. Memphis, TN F 97. Tampa, FL F 96. Louisville, KY F 95. St. Louis, MO F 94. Birmingham, AL F 93. Miami, FL F 92. Reno, NV F 91. Las Vegas, NV F
90. Toledo, OH F 89. Bakersfield, CA F 88. Jacksonville, FL F 87. Atlanta, GA F 86. Winston-Salem, NC F 85. Sacramento, CA F 84. Cincinnati, OH D- 83. Phoenix, AZ D- 82. Orlando, FL D- 81. Washington, DC D-
80. Wilmington, DE D- 79. Greensboro, NC D- 78. Jackson, MS D- 77. Columbia, SC D 76. Newark, NJ D 75. Fresno, CA D 74. Cleveland, OH D 73. Kansas City, MO D 72. Chicago, IL D 71. Riverside, CA D
70. Albuquerque, NM D 69. Portland, OR D 68. Richmond, VA D 67. Tucson, AZ D 66. Milwaukee, WI D 65. Los Angeles, CA D+ 64. Denver, CO D+ 63. Colorado Springs, CO D+ 62. Providence, RI D+ 61. Oakland, CA D+
60. Philadelphia, PA D+ 59. Nashville, TN D+ 58. El Paso, TX D+ 57. Charlotte, NC D+ 56. Aurora, CO D+ 55. Little Rock, AR D+ 54. Charleston, WV D+ 53. Stockton, CA C- 52. Baltimore, MD C- 51. Baton Rouge, LA C-
50. Indianapolis, IN C- 49. Houston, TX C- 48. Dallas, TX C- 47. Seattle, WA C- 46. Fort Wayne, IN C- 45. Boise City, ID C- 44. New Orleans, LA C- 43. Fort Worth, TX C- 42. Norfolk, VA C 41. Tulsa, OK C
40. Pittsburgh, PA C 39. New York, NY C 38. Bridgeport, CT C 37. Buffalo, NY C 36. Columbus, OH C 35. Corpus Christi, TX C 34. San Diego, CA C 33. San Antonio, TX C+ 32. Wichita, KS C+ 31. Santa Ana, CA C+
30. Cheyenne, WY C+ 29. Lubbock, TX C+ 28. Billings, MT C+ 27. Oklahoma City, OK B- 26. Anchorage, AK B- 25. Laredo, TX B- 24. Durham, NC B- 23. Salt Lake City, UT B- 22. Lexington, KY B- 21. Raleigh, NC B-
20. San Francisco, CA B 19. Austin, TX B 18. Jersey City, NJ B 17. Des Moines, IA B 16. Portland, ME B 15. San Jose, CA B 14. Minneapolis, MN B+ 13. Chesapeake, VA B+ 12. Virginia Beach, VA A- 11. Lincoln, NE A-
Blues-proof towns
10. Plano, TX A- 9. Burlington, VT A- 8. St. Paul, MN A- 7. Sioux Falls, SD A- 6. Madison, WI A- 5. Boston, MA A- 4. Omaha, NE A 3. Fargo, ND A 2. Manchester, NH A 1. Honolulu, HI A+
MORE GREEN MEANS LESS BLUE
Pot isn't the only plant that can groove your mood. Dutch researchers found that city dwellers living near parks and gardens were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those with nary a patch of grass in sight. Study author Jolanda Maas, Ph.D., says that frequent exposure to nature may help people recover from the stress and mental fatigue of urban life.
DON'T STOP NOW
Be patient with those pills: Spanish researchers found that half of men quit taking their antidepressants after just 2 months--1 month sooner than the meds sometimes need to kick in. Experts say one reason men quit too early may be that they don't think the drugs are working. So guys, do not stop popping any Rx med without first talking to your doctor.
Let’s fix that formatting.
100. St. Petersburg, FL F
99. Detroit, MI F
98. Memphis, TN F
97. Tampa, FL F
96. Louisville, KY F
95. St. Louis, MO F
94. Birmingham, AL F
93. Miami, FL F
92. Reno, NV F
91. Las Vegas, NV F
90. Toledo, OH F
89. Bakersfield, CA F
88. Jacksonville, FL F
87. Atlanta, GA F
86. Winston-Salem, NC F
85. Sacramento, CA F
84. Cincinnati, OH D-
83. Phoenix, AZ D-
82. Orlando, FL D-
81. Washington, DC D-
80. Wilmington, DE D-
79. Greensboro, NC D-
78. Jackson, MS D-
77. Columbia, SC D
76. Newark, NJ D
75. Fresno, CA D
74. Cleveland, OH D
73. Kansas City, MO D
72. Chicago, IL D
71. Riverside, CA D
70. Albuquerque, NM D
69. Portland, OR D
68. Richmond, VA D
67. Tucson, AZ D
66. Milwaukee, WI D
65. Los Angeles, CA D+
64. Denver, CO D+
63. Colorado Springs, CO D+
62. Providence, RI D+
61. Oakland, CA D+
60. Philadelphia, PA D+
59. Nashville, TN D+
58. El Paso, TX D+
57. Charlotte, NC D+
56. Aurora, CO D+
55. Little Rock, AR D+
54. Charleston, WV D+
53. Stockton, CA C-
52. Baltimore, MD C-
51. Baton Rouge, LA C-
50. Indianapolis, IN C-
49. Houston, TX C-
48. Dallas, TX C-
47. Seattle, WA C-
46. Fort Wayne, IN C-
45. Boise City, ID C-
44. New Orleans, LA C-
43. Fort Worth, TX C-
42. Norfolk, VA C
41. Tulsa, OK C
40. Pittsburgh, PA C
39. New York, NY C
38. Bridgeport, CT C
37. Buffalo, NY C
36. Columbus, OH C
35. Corpus Christi, TX C
34. San Diego, CA C
33. San Antonio, TX C+
32. Wichita, KS C+
31. Santa Ana, CA C+
30. Cheyenne, WY C+
29. Lubbock, TX C+
28. Billings, MT C+
27. Oklahoma City, OK B-
26. Anchorage, AK B-
25. Laredo, TX B-
24. Durham, NC B-
23. Salt Lake City, UT B-
22. Lexington, KY B-
21. Raleigh, NC B-
20. San Francisco, CA B
19. Austin, TX B
18. Jersey City, NJ B
17. Des Moines, IA B
16. Portland, ME B
15. San Jose, CA B
14. Minneapolis, MN B+
13. Chesapeake, VA B+
12. Virginia Beach, VA A-
11. Lincoln, NE A-
Blues-proof towns
10. Plano, TX A-
9. Burlington, VT A-
8. St. Paul, MN A-
7. Sioux Falls, SD A-
6. Madison, WI A-
5. Boston, MA A-
4. Omaha, NE A
3. Fargo, ND A
2. Manchester, NH A
1. Honolulu, HI A+
Housing costs increase exponentially as you get closer to parks...in other words, they're testing for affluence without realizing it.
I have never liked areas where you can see for miles and nothing seems to change in the scenery.
Without researching I’ll guess the vast majority are “blue”, too.
That's a weird case of deja vu. Back in the mid-'50s a was hitching a ride in the back of a pickup truck going through St. Pete. We got out to grab some coffee and even though it was a bright sunny day, I got the feeling of a pall of gloom over the place. There were all these old people sitting on benches and staring. It looked like they were just waiting to die and it creeped me out.
Years later we were at an RV park when a big bus-type motor home pulled in and the typical "little-ole-lady-in-tennis-shoes" steps down out of the drivers seat. Wife and I remarked was a difference between old people then and now. Maybe nothing has changed in St. Pete.
A quick perusal shows that Baton Rouge and New Orleans are the only Louisiana cities on this list. The rest of us are extremely happy! :-)
63. Colorado Springs, CO D+
Beautiful place to live, but the city gov would rather dump $$$ down the olympic training center drain than keep real businesses here. Oh, and they like the dark also, with half the street lights turned off to save money.
There’s a reason FL is sometimes called “Heaven’s waiting room”.
#2 is Manchester, NH. Yeah, right.
This place is old. No new economic development occurs.
The weather generally sucks 6 months per year.
But, I guess maybe we have the lowest use of anti-depressants, however they determined that.
Then why not go further and leave the city.
“Then why not go further and leave the city.”
Some liked to call it “white flight” into the suburbs from Detroit but much of that was just post-war growth and expansion and if the grass looked a whole lot greener on the other side of the fence then maybe it really was and still is.
It was all downhill when one Jerome P Cavanagh got elected.
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