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

Gunfire punctuates daily life in Englewood, a South Side neighborhood where hope battles hard against hardship. The area, home to roughly 25,000 people, has been plagued for decades by violent crime, school closures, and disinvestment.

Boarded-up homes and empty lots hint at a once-thriving community hollowed out by systemic neglect. Youth programs and nonprofit efforts exist, but momentum is hard to sustain when shootings and unemployment dominate headlines. Englewood’s struggle isn’t just one of crime—it’s about survival amid isolation.