Only in a Geography King "worst cities" video does the host spend the majority of the runtime talking about their positive sides. I appreciate this approach. Thank you Kyle!

As a Clevelander whenever I don’t see my city on a list it’s a good day 🙂

I completely agree about Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, and Las Vegas that are just huge cities with a flashy core surrounded by limitless square miles of soulless suburbs. You have to admit though, that if LA wasn't quite so large, the traffic so bad, and the housing so hideously expensive, it has everything: mountains, beaches, deserts, parks, great weather, sports franchises, multiethnic culture, music, museums, restaurants, shopping, cinematic history, fabulous hotels, all sorts of unique neighborhoods, biking, hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading, watching the freaks at Venice Beach. What's not to love?

Great video as always Kyle. I lived in Orlando for 11 years. I did the opposite of what most people do: I moved my family from Florida to Eastern upstate NY. Most of my co-workers loved it there but I didn't. Lately, the downtown area has gotten much nicer, and some neighborhoods are kind of interesting. But what I hated was the heat, the congestion, the lack of seasons and the flatness. I now live in a valley surrounded by mountains and it suits me much better.

Such an underrated channel

Whoa, first time Detroit is not on top 10 worst city in the US.

Thank you! I'm tired of the crime stat dictating EVERYTHING. Everyone in cities is NOT there against his/her will or just to get to a job! I love your channel.

Thanks for a list of cities based on what city lovers love. I lived in Chicago for 29 years and loved every minute, and now I live in Vienna (Austria). Walkability, public transportation, culture, restaruants, architecture, sports are what great cities offer.

I like how this video is "cities that are bad according to metrics that people who would live in cities would consider" rather than "cities that are bad according to metrics that suburbanites use to justify not living in cities". It seems every KZfaq "worst cities" list uses the latter metrics.

A better title would be 'Top 10 Most Disappointing Cities in the U.S.'

Las Vegas- Visiting Vegas as a tourist is a lot different than living here. It has hidden gems such as Downtown Henderson, The Smith Center, Red Rock, low cost of living, cheap airfare to anywhere in the USA, great climate except middle of summer, great buffets, great shows, no bugs, no tollbooths, etc.

I have lived in the Orlando area for 3 years and I also have to say for a metro of it's size it definitely doesn't feel like a metro area of close to 3 million people. The downtown skyline is super underwhelming. Jacksonville a smaller metro area has more of a "big city" skyline feel. Everything you said is spot on the city has historic areas but still no soul. Everything does feel cookie cutter and Orlando is nothing but constant urban sprawl. The highway system is terrible and costly. My overall perspective of Orlando is that it is a small town that was forced into becoming a metropolitan area. The cost of living just doesn't justify the overall experience you will get of living here, especially if you have zero interest in Disney and the other theme parks.

Ok, so Vegas! Moved here from Nashville, TN (schooled in Chattanooga though🤙) and here’s the main reasons I did so: 1. Proximity to National Parks and Hiking/Camping. I’ve been here for under 5 months and here’s where I’ve been able to go reasonably with only a couple free days, sometimes just one day: Death Valley, Grand Canyon South, Sequoia, Zion, Bryce, Big Sur, Pinnacles. And then more locally, Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston, Red Rock, Sloan Canyon, Valley of Fire, etc etc. Basically, it’s kinda a perfect epicenter for desert/mountain hiking and nature. 2. Cost of living is cheaper than any other city it’s size. Definitely cheaper than Nashville, even. Especially if you’re renting. I’m paying hundreds less a month. 3. Major Airport. Cheapest flights in the country to almost anywhere, including international. 4. Proximity to other great cities that I don’t wanna pay to live in. Within 8 or so hours that includes LA, San Diego, San Jose, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Sedona, etc. 5. City Park infrastructure. Hundreds of parks, all connected by greenways and all kept in tip top shape. It’s honestly crazy how nice the parks are. The only place I’ve seen have similar infrastructure is Madrid, Spain. 6. The weather. Yes, summers are hot, but it’s easily escaped by going up in elevation for recreation. The other three months, it’s like 65-75 and sunny every single day. You want snow? Drive 30 minutes. 7. NO TRAFFIC. because the city is newly built, and they planned well for the large population, it takes 20 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other pretty much anytime of day, any day. I can definitely understand the gripes with Vegas. It’s a very very young city, and you’ll be hard pressed to find much historical architecture and such, but that also means the infrastructure isn’t crumbling like it is in TN. Is there suburban sprawl? Absolutely. But that’s everywhere now. A cool thing that I’ve noticed here that I didn’t expect is the sheer amount of small businesses that are able to exist. It seems to be much more affordable to have a storefront/brick and mortar style business here than in other cities that are growing. It also seems that because of this, the neighborhoods and areas, especially in the city proper, are very integrated both racially and Socioeconomically. It’s actually a really beautiful thing to see after coming from Nashville, one of the most segregated cities there is. Will I stay here for the rest of my life and put roots down? Maybe not. If you had asked me even two years ago if I would live in Vegas, I would’ve said fuck no! Before I actually came here I assumed it was terrible. But in an effort to purge cynicism I gave it a chance, and so far I’ve really liked it. I expect once the pandemic becomes less of an issue, the fun will ramp up even more. I don’t drink or gamble, which also makes living here feasible haha Anyway great video, love your channel and watch it all the time. Take care of TN for me 💫

You know it's a good day when Geography King uploads

I basically agree with this whole list. I live in Pittsburgh and I used to bitch and complain about this city until I started traveling around to other cities, especially the ones mentioned here. I now feel downright privileged that while Pittsburgh isnt perfect and has its own issues, it at least has character and isnt just one huge sprawling suburb. We have that older city feel of smaller streets and enough density to feel like an actual city and although I wish our mass transit was better, at leat we HAVE it compared to most of the cities you mentioned here. Orlando just seems like a soul sucking place, other than Disney World.

This has to be the first time a list like this wasn't peppered with places in Michigan. This list is far better than many I've seen, that seem to only take data of blighted areas to make a city bad. I've been greatly enjoying your lists, maps and road trip videos. Michigan is amazing for road trips. Thank you for all your work!

The only reason to live in Orlando is if you're a massive fan of theme parks or if you work in the amusement industry. For that it's the best in the world. For everything else its a massive pain.

This list is more like cities that punch below their weight

A breath of fresh air for a St. Louisian

Spot on with Vegas. I lived in my car and did door dash as a job in spring valley and other part and it truly is one of the most uninspiring cookie cutter places ever. Everything is new and gated and there are no pedestrians to be seen anywhere. Beautiful area around Vegas but the city it’s self has no soul it seems. Whenever I left the city limits I felt relief and rejuvenation.

Return on investment isn’t always about money. Thank you! I love the way your brain works.

To me, the number one metric is living around the people you want to live around. I'll take that over great bars any day.

Interesting perspective. Very surprised to see Orlando, Vegas, and Phoenix on this list. Was expecting to see Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, and St. Louis but I guess the emphasis was on the cities charm and personality vs crime and urban decay. Its somewhat refreshing to see this type of ranking as opposed to the usual predictable laundry list.

Being from Michigan it’s refreshing to see Detroit not on this list or a list of “worst cities”. It seems everyone likes to crap on it. Detroit is such a fun and historic city with some of the richest culture in the US.

10 best cities next? Keep up the good work!

As someone from Dayton, I can say that people only really live here because they were born here and haven't yet moved away or they work at the air force base in Fairborn. Nobody really stays here. Edit: I should also include that Dayton has an absolutely amazing history to it, so if you love history like I do (especially geographical history) Dayton is great for it.

Absolutely love your videos Kyle, you are making KZfaq the best it can be, thank you so much man. I’ll always watch your vids!!!

The comments on PHX are spot on. It's one huge suburb with no there, there. I've always said it has the worst of LA (traffic, pollution, crime) but none of best (climate, beach, things to do). Still, I grew up in PHX and Tempe and had a good childhood. One positive thing tho is if you like day trips and long weekends, and like the outdoors, there's a lot.

Cities that are tourist driven tend to not be great places to live. Vegas and Orlando are prime examples of this. They focus more on those who come and go while neglecting permanent residents.

It’s interesting the top 3 cities mentioned share similar characteristics: relatively new cities where the population growth exploded in the 90s. To me, this is a commentary on the development patterns at the time: cookie-cutter, gated, sprawling communities. The desirable downtown elements expected in large cities were outpaced by residential growth; so now they’re playing catch-up. I’d be keen to see this list in 10 years time and compare - these are the types of cities where opportunities exist. Enjoy your vids GK, keep up the good work.

I have no idea how I ended up at this channel, but after watching a couple of videos, I REALLY like it. I'm subscribing! I live in Dallas /Ft. Worth metroplex, and you are spot on Kyle!

Lmao I literally recently moved FROM Vegas TO Orlando! I have to say... You're exactly right about Vegas. The only things to do there are the tourist activities and there is little to nothing locally. Orlando though I think you're wrong about... I feel like more than any other mid-sized city I've been to, every neighborhood has stuff to do. Just within 5 miles of where I live we have Mills 50, Lake Eola, Wall st, Magnolia st, SoDo, College Park, Milk District, Ivanhoe Village, Garden District, and Maitland with museums. I think the established part of orlando has a TON to do in comparison to other cities of it's size. And I'd have to drive 20+ minutes to get to one of the massive HOA type of neighborhoods.

Thanks for going into detail that most other “best cities” list leave out. I think a lot major cities feel “soulless” and are great for people who don’t care about the history or culture of where they actually live. Whereas some midsize cities (St. Louis) are often on the “worst cities” list strictly because of what the journalist read on a crime statistics list. Despite that they are far cheaper to live in and have many quality amentities and culture for their size.

Lyrics from an old Austin Lounge Lizards song immediately come to mind: "I'm goin' back to Dallas, Texas, to see if anything could be worse than losing you."

Big fan of your channel, I’ve definitely spent a lot of time binge watching your channel. My girlfriend has also shown your videos in her classroom for her students. Keep up the great work!

I love your videos. They are well researched and informative.

The fact that Detroit or Flint didn’t make the list is incredible

I hear you on some of the Orlando beef. The toll roads are really frustrating. The largest city in the US to have only one Interstate (I-4), and basically the only other way to get around town is to pay for it. The nightlife is pretty solid though as so many of the people that live there are in the service industry and always ready to party. Some really good restaurants too if you are willing to drive around a lot (Boat House & Paddlefish were both in the top 50 for independent restaurant revenue in the US for 2020). Love the channel, keep grinding👍🏻

I was at a wedding party in Hanover PA in 2008, realized that I didnt' want to hang out with ANY of the people there (including my gf at the time) so I took our rental car and drove to Baltimore (1 hr south) to check out the night life... Got back to Hanover at about 6 AM the next day and EVERYONE in was completely freaked out that I had went to Baltimore "by myself" and wasn't murdered/robbed... I'm from rural TN so I usually assume the best of people and had a great time with some "sketchy" people in Baltimore. I guess it could have went bad... I know, cool story bro...

I trust this channel more than any other channel of the same genre.

Did I expect Rochester to be on here? Yes. Am I still upset? Also yes.

Vegas offers year round mountain access for rock climbing, biking, kayaking, etc. combined a lower cost of living relative to other popular outdoor oriented towns and cities. Plus it’s always cheap to fly home

I always enjoy your videos, and your assessments and rankings are usually spot-on. But I really have to commend you on your excellent taste in music, though. X is one of my favourite bands, EVER, and Under The Big Black Sun is nearly my favourite album. Just wanted to give you your due props on that account.

Enjoyed this and all your others. Thank Kyle.

You sure got #1 right. I only visited, but *everyone* there seemed so unhappy.

I lived in the out skirts of Orlando by way of southwest Florida and lasted 11months. You’re 100% spot on with the sterol feeling, very little soul and just about everyone is a transplant. It never gave a homey feel to it and in my opinion is over littered with brand new subdivisions. It also spreads well into Lake and Polk counties so it feels like “Orlando” is really about a 100 mile radius.

Really great video! That first note is a great point

I’m from Phoenix, and while I understand why it’s ranked high, I think that a lot of the people who live here would say they value the nature. One of the most underrated benefits of living in Phoenix is how accessible outdoor activities are for such a big city. Hiking, off-roading, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, hunting, fishing, just about anything you can ask for that’s not on the ocean is available either within the city, or within a 1-2 hour drive. The mountains in the city are gorgeous and have an abundance of trails. No snow in the winter is also a huge benefit for such a big city. I think Phoenix is the most unique place as far as being able to have a combination of big city amenities and outdoor amenities. Personally, our family is huge on hiking and off-roading, and Phoenix is probably the most ideal big city in the country for us to pursue those hobbies. I really love it here! Thanks for the video, they’re always great!!

I’m a geography and urban planning student graduating from ASU in a couple weeks. You nailed Phoenix. I’m hoping to change that in the next 10 years though!

I watch Kyle to restore my sanity, and to see what shirt he's wearing. Never let's me down on either. Love you buddy

Another great video, Kyle. You did exactly as you said making this a quite different video.

Cool video. And bonus points for the great X album in the background. Great album, and great cover art.

why are u not on 100k subs yet. u really deserve it

One I would of added is Chesapeake Virginia. It’s a suburb of Norfolk, and has a population of almost 250,000 making it the 2nd most populated city in the state. The main problem here is that there’s nothing to do. We don’t have any sort of downtown, little night life and bars, and very few unique shops and restaurants. We only really have a mall (well technically we have 2 but ones dead), and also bunch shopping centers with like Walmart and target. Most people drive over to Virginia Beach or Norfolk on weekends because there’s more stuff to do. Also traffic here is horrible, since like half the interstates are under construction here, and a barge also hit a pretty important bridge that connects the northern and southern parts of the city, which resulted in the bridge being closed down for god knows how long. Traffic is especially horrible during the summer time, since all the tourists form up north have to drive through our crappy 4 lane expressway to get to the outer banks. The only good thing about it is that most of schools are good, which is why people are moving here. I realize that the city is essentially a suburb, but I feel like it should at least have something fun and unique for having a population of almost 250,000 people. When the most exciting thing in your city is Walmart, then there’s something wrong.

Hey buddy. I just found your channel and I absolutely love it. I've been to about a dozen US metro areas. My family and friends think I'm weird for naming Chicago as my dream vacation. I look forward to checking out more of your videos. Keep up the great work! If you haven't already, my area has quite a gnarly side. East Vancouver. Thanks brother!

Brilliant video GK. very informative, cheers

I'm from Alabama and I'm gonna be mad if Birmingham isn't on the list.

Kyle, as always thanks for another video. Been watching your channel for a while and I always look forward to the next upload. Thanks for all the work you put into these, we appreciate them! Btw, consider letting us get some Geography King merch!

I grew up in Dallas, TX and have moved out to Philly to live with my husband now. You are so right that Dallas doesn’t feel like a city for its size. Everyone is spread out in the suburbs and the actual city is very boring with very little draw to it besides Deep Ellum. The traffic is atrocious there too! All the homes and buildings are new and there are very few historic sites. However, I still miss my home town sometimes.

Brilliant video ….really appreciate this kind of analysis

As a Portlander I often see my city on these types of lists for issues that are often blown way out of reason. I always love your videos and can't wait for the next upload!

Thank you for taking a more nuanced spin on this type of list!

Nice job with this video! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks a lot for your Videos, really interesting stuff

That's the firts time I don't see Detroit, St. Louis and Cleveland in the same list. I like this channel.

Great video! A suggestion I have is top 5 places to live in California, so many people talk trash about it but I think that there are some hidden gems in the state

Great videos - and have to shout out your album covers. From Too $hort to X to Grateful Dead to Jethro Tull and so much more. Fn love it

I really appreciate your insight-- Las Vegas is soul-less. Vegas is a very unique city, but it gets old fast. When I lived in Las Vegas, I sensed very little intellectual and cultural vitality. Young people have no ambition. I lived in Vegas (in a gated apartment complex right by the High Roller)for nearly 2 years and moved back to New York City before the lockdown. After my "affair" with Vegas, I fell in Love with NYC again--with wisdom and commitment. New York City offers such a wealth of all sorts of resources for its residents to enrich their lives and dreams. I still want to go back to visit the stripe, downtown Vegas and Red Rock Canyon. I miss Vegas and will visit it soon--the mysterious allure of Las Vegas!

Hot take! I love it and concur. Like you said, it's refreshing to see a "Worst Cities" type video that doesn't have St. Louis or Memphis as #1.

THANK YOU for addressing the incredibly skewed metrics and city/metro inequities that make most “worst” and “dangerous” lists complete trash. Well done!

A brave video indeed, Kyle. I enjoyed it tremendously.

I have that X album your displaying. Great video, i have been binge watching since I've sub'ed.

Thank you for that opening. I've seen some of those views that only look at 1-2 negative features and decide that's all that matters.

As ex Los Angelino, I 100% agree with your assessment Kyle. The traffic and high cost of living definitely factored into why I decided to leave. It really is sad when I listen to my own grandparents tell me how living in LA used to be and how the area has gone downhill during the past few decades. I just hope for the sake of my friends and family that are still living there that the situation improves.

ROI- a really great concept to evaluate cities. Thank you.

Great analysis considering many things that others do not, just as you mentioned. 👏 👏 👏 👏

Love your simple approach in making Geography Videos. No music, and no excessive animations. Keep up this theme in your videos.

My dad lived in Polk County, FL in the late 50’s and early 60 ‘s and loved the area. His dad grew citrus and shipped it around the south. Our family sold all of our property around Orlando in the 1970’s after several land disputes with developers. I spent several summers there as a child but my dad took me to Walt Disney World a few weeks after it opened and got so pissed about the crowding that we never went back. I don’t even recognize the place now. Almost nothing remains from my childhood and like you said everything looks the same. If I lived there, I’d probably need a GPS just to find my house. 😎

When I heard your criteria, I had a feeling my hometown Birmingham would make the list, haha. In our defense, as little as there is to do in the city now, it's SOOO much more than it was when I was growing up. Though I do fear that the progress has slowed in recent years. You mentioned Southside (Five Points South), but next time you're here, check out some of the restaurants and breweries in the trendy gentrified area in and around Avondale. I appreciate that you made the effort to be original by using different measuring sticks than are typical for this type of list, but it still feels weird to not see Cleveland or Detroit on here, haha!

really enjoy your vids thank you

I was literally just watching youre 8 worst places in the US video when this notification poped up

I lived in Rochester and loved my time there-- one of my favorite cities... but I can't disagree with you. You are spot on about its shell of a downtown and Park Ave and Monroe not making up for the size of the city. I will say it has the best bike paths in Upstate NY though. Oh and I explored that Sykes abandoned building you showed! Was in the Urban Exploration club...great thing to do in that city lol. LOVE your approach to this ranking and I completely agree. You have done a great job in analysing bad cities in ways everyone else overlooks.

Sir,, you are truly awesome 😎 thank you for your time and information...

You have one of the BEST albums ever in your background. That's worth subscribing

*Kyle tellin' it like it is! That's why I like this channel.*

Great video. As someone from SJ, CA, I'm surprised it didn't make this list. Talk about punching below one's weight in both population and housing cost.

I love a different approach to this overused topic, great video!

Listening to your channel I just subscribed I find it very informative and interesting

Nicely done Kyle! Novel and interesting approach. My birthplace of Birmingham, Alabama deserved to be on this list. I much prefer nearby Atlanta, my adopted hometown away from home.

You’re on your way to 100 thousand subs. It’ll be nice to see that plaque on the wall. 👍

Also graduated from UCF and i absolutely loved living in orlando. Im a big theme park enthusiast so there might be some bias in there. I am also from south florida so having a large latin community helped to feel like I am still at home. You're right about the traffic, getting to work is definitely a hassle, it's never been a deal breaker for me because there's always toll roads in florida so it's just something I'm used to. It's fairly well centered to the rest of florida, so you're never too far from everything else the state has to offer. So in between the attractions, the nearby springs and beaches, the rise in our mls and college football team, that has really helped give us something to root for, I love O-town and I'm hoping to move back in the future. Seems like I'm in the minority though. Love your work, so glad I stumbled across your channel.

Insightful again, thank you. Request: could you try to rank best/worst U.S. places to live without a car? Criteria could include for example commuting by bike or public, transportation pedestrian-friendly downtown areas, retail and entertainment not concentrated in malls at the outskirts of towns etc.

My dude! Love the videos.

I love your perspective. I thought I was the only one to see cities this way.

Just a compliment on ALL of your videos. Interesting, well documented and presented in a very logical and timely fashion. No fluff, just great information. Keep up the great work.

Another interesting video. Thanks for keeping us thinking.

The into to this video is excellent. I am one of those people who likes to live in cities. It's true, it comes down to so much more than housing costs and crime, I'm glad that you explicitly pointed out the inconvenience to benefit ratio that city dwellers make.

Its so refreshing to see one of these videos that isn't ruined by the suburban mentally and paranoia towards crime.

I believe that there is more to a city and region than lower taxes, because I have lived in NC, California, and NY, and can find pro's and cons' about each place. But your rankings and comments make a lot of sense, glad to see someone that has a soul!

I'd enjoy a video rating governors' official residences. I bet some are a lot better and more interesting than others. Maine's is pretty blah.