15 Small Towns Where Americans Are the Least Happy

Some small towns look charming from the outside, but daily life can feel very different for the people who live there. A town’s happiness can depend on many things, including access to jobs, health care, grocery stores, parks, restaurants, entertainment, and a sense of community. When several of those pieces are missing, even a beautiful place can start to feel isolated or difficult to live in.

To identify small towns that residents and visitors often describe as unhappy, 24/7 Tempo reviewed online discussions, local comments, and firsthand opinions from people who shared their experiences in towns across the country. This is not a scientific ranking, and it is not meant to suggest that these places have no value or appeal. Every town has people who love it, and many have history, natural beauty, or close-knit communities that outsiders may overlook.

For this list, we focused mostly on towns and small cities with populations under 30,000, then narrowed the selection to 15 places that came up often in negative discussions about quality of life. Click through to see which small towns made the list, and why some people say they are among the least happy places to live in America.

• Total Area: 4.33 square miles
• Population: 1,990
• Things To Do: Fourche La Fave River and explore the agriculture of the town

On Reddit, users from Danville, Arkansas, and people who've driven through the tiny town list it as a sad place. To be fair, there isn't much to do. You can explore the town in less than 30 minutes. Any entertainment is in cities nearby, and the population continues to decrease.

• Total Area: 9.11 square miles
• Population: 1,523
• Things To Do: Fort Defiance Park, Magnolia Manor, and A. B. Safford Memorial Library

Cairo, Illinois' story is similar to many cities and towns in the U.S., where they boomed when river trade was at its peak. Plenty of industries were thriving in Cairo until the 1960s. Sadly, racial tensions rose fast as desegregation was happening nationwide, and riots started after a black soldier was found hanged. While police ruled it a suicide, the community didn't believe it was, leading to racial unrest for the next ten years. This sad history, mixed with jobs leaving the area to go overseas, has led to the rapid decrease in population. Most of Cairo now sits abandoned.

• Total Area: 0.24 square miles
• Population: 5
• Things To Do: Drive through and see this strange, toxic ghost town and the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train

Centralia, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1866, after previously being known as Centreville. At its peak, the town welcomed 2,449 people during the 1940s, many of whom were miners. Now, five people remain in the town, as it's a toxic ghost town. Why? Well, for decades, a coal mine fire has been burning beneath the town. It's expected to burn for another 250 years.

• Total Area: 1.01 square miles
• Population: 457
• Things To Do: Waconda Lake and the largest ball of twine in the world

Cawker City is more like a village. At its peak in the early 20th century, Cawker City's population was just over 1,000. But why? Well, it's hard to be happy when there are few jobs and little to do in the area. Main Street is a small strip with minimal buildings.

• Total Area: 7.58 square miles
• Population: 26,523
• Things To Do: The Clemens Center, Clinton–Columbia Historic District, and Elmira Civic Historic District

Technically, Elmira, New York, is classified as a city, but it feels small enough to be considered a town. Less than 30,000 people live in this Upstate New York city, and the population continues to decline. In the 1950s, life in Elmira was great, with a peak population of about 50,000. So, what happened? Why is this town sad? Well, like in other towns in the U.S., manufacturing companies left, leaving people jobless. It's hard to be happy when there isn't any work and bills are piling up.

• Total Area: 19.75 square miles
• Population: 23,526
• Things To Do: Sweetwater Events Complex, Bunning Park, and Rock Springs Family Recreation Center

There isn't a lot to do in Rock Springs, which also means there aren't many jobs either. Someone on Reddit commented that while they had some great memories living there, the memories aren't strong enough to drag them back.

• Total Area: 1.05 square miles
• Population: 1,240
• Things To Do: Shooting Star Casino

Small towns aren't for everyone. One of the unhappier ones, according to some internet users, is Mahnomen, Minnesota, which is only home to about 1,000 people. This tiny town is small enough to see in just a ten-minute drive.

• Total Area: 8.84 square miles
• Population: 12,720
• Things To Do: Tam O'Shanter Park, Cowlitz County Historical Museum, and Lake Sacajawea Park Japanese Gardens

While the population in Kelso has steadily increased since 2000 by a little less than 1%, it's still listed as one of the unhappiest small towns in the country by internet users because of its lack of jobs and things to do.

• Total Area: 1.27 square miles
• Population: 937
• Things To Do: Peabody Downtown Historic District and Peabody City Park

Being young and living in a small town like Peabody, Kansas, can be tough. There aren't many events or things to do, and jobs are scarce. During the 1920s, the population peaked at about 2,455, but it continues to decrease.

• Total Area: 0.85 square miles
• Population: Approx 1,000
• Things To Do: View old buildings

There isn't really much going on in Lambert, Mississippi, which might be why some Redditors noted it as being an unhappy town. Many of the town's buildings sit abandoned, and there are few things to do here. Most people also work in towns nearby, but not within Lambert, contributing to its 'sad' title.

• Total Area: 21.53 square miles
• Population: 27,959
• Things To Do: Coso Rock Art District, Walker Pass, and the Maturango Museum

Ridgecrest is primarily a military town, with few jobs available except for those at NAWS China Lake. There is a lot of natural beauty in Ridgecrest, but the heat and elevation aren't for everyone.

• Total Area: 11.01 square miles
• Population: 13,485
• Things To Do: Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville Speedway, and Piedmont Arts

Martinsville's economy has seen better days. Finding a stable and good-paying job isn't as easy as it used to be. During the town's early years, plug chewing tobacco manufacturing was the moneymaker, although the industry collapsed after the American Civil War. Years later, the town became known for furniture manufacturing, but that industry also declined.

• Total Area: 2.2 square miles
• Population: 20
• Things To Do: Nothing legally

Another toxic town with few people, if any, remaining is Picher, Oklahoma. Unrestricted mining and excavation of lead and zinc left the town with giant piles of toxic metal-contaminated mine tailings (chat). Children were getting sick and buildings were collapsing in the 1980s and 1990s, which led to the state getting involved. In 2009, Oklahoma disincorporated the city of Picher. As of the 2020 Census, the population was recorded as zero, and the town is considered uninhabited due to environmental hazards and government buyouts.

• Total Area: 8.97 square miles
• Population: 8,072
• Things To Do: Tuba City Trading Post, Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks, and Coal Mine Canyon

Tuba City is another town listed under a Reddit forum for being a sad place. But why? According to internet users and locals, it's a mix of having limited entertainment other than hiking trails and a lack of jobs.

• Total Area: 11.06 square miles
• Population: 13,788
• Things To Do: The Park Theater, Cumberland Caverns, and Falcon Rest Mansion & Gardens

Although it is one of the larger towns in Tennessee, McMinnville isn't considered the happiest place to live, according to some internet users. Some people say this is because there are drug use problems throughout the small town. Of course, not everyone agrees, as McMinnville is home to plenty of outdoor attractions and a lively historic downtown.