Chicago has higher than average rates of poverty, unemployment and foreclosure filings, and reduced spending on sewers and utilities. Chicago previously ranked at No. 8. Its 2.8 million people make the city the third largest in the U.S. The bright side: If you'd rather see stuffed rats, you might catch some on the Wilderness Walk exhibit in the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Other creatures can be seen at the Brookfield Zoo and the Lincoln Park Zoo.