Based on the 150 largest metropolitan areas, with populations of at least 378,000 and nine categories:
Commute times
Corruption
Pro sports teams
Superfund sites
Taxes (both income & sales)
Unemployment
Violent crime
Weather

2008 (it's first list)
Detroit, MI
Stockton, CA
Flint, MI
NY, NY
Philadelphia, PA
chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA
Modesto, CA
Charlotte, NC
Providence, RI

2009
Stockton, CA
Memphis, TN
chicago, IL
Cleveland, OH
Modesto, CA
Flint, MI
Detroit, MI
Buffalo, MI
Miami, FL
St. Louis, MO


NYC did not make this lousy list this year. Yeeppy!


Here's a story about how that self described phenomenal town chicago got to be the top three most miserable. Ha, ha!
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/06/most-miserable-cities-business-washington_0206_miserable_cities.html