1 Of The Top 50 Worst Places To Live Is Right Here In MD

BALTIMORE, MD — Here's a topic for debate: A report by 24/7 Wall Street puts Baltimore among the worst quality of life cities in the country.

The publication took into account affordability, job market strength, infrastructure, commute times and other factors to come up with the rankings.

Baltimore came in at ninth worst in the country. The average household earns less than any Maryland city at $47,350 a year and the city is 12 percent more expensive for living costs than the national average. The city has a poverty rate of 21.9 percent.

"Long commutes cut into personal time and can diminish overall quality of life," the ranking said. "In Baltimore, a city with some of the most congested roadways in the country, the average commute time is over half an hour, longer than in the vast majority of American cities."

Coming in at number one on the rankings was Detroit where one out of every three residents lives below the poverty line. The median home value is $43,500 and its population shrunk from a high of 1.8 million residents in the 1950's to 700,000 today.

The remaining top five worst cities are Flint, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Cleveland, Ohio.

Do you think Baltimore's ranking is accurate? Comment below.

Check out the full 24/7 Wall St. rankings here.

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