A Ranking of the Toughest Places to Live in the U.S.

Central City wears its trauma in plain sight. After Hurricane Katrina, recovery here lagged while other neighborhoods rebuilt. Nearly 13,000 people live within its aging shotgun houses and public housing complexes.

Crime—including murder—remains disproportionately high. Education and employment prospects lag behind city averages. Yet resilience is everywhere: second-line parades twist down the street, Creole cuisine pours from corner kitchens, and jazz echoes from bars that never close.