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

Not far from the city’s booming downtown, Columbus’s South Side limps along quietly. Factories that once employed thousands are now graffiti-tagged shells. Opioid addiction has hollowed out families, and property crime eats away at community morale.

While nonprofits try to plug gaps in services, residents face long waits for housing aid, food assistance, and healthcare. The area’s diversity—refugees, blue-collar workers, aging locals—is its greatest strength, but also means many needs go unmet.