Miamians don’t care about each other, report says
Miami, it’s time for a New Year’s resolution: We need to care about each other more.
The cities of Miami and Hialeah rank as two of the least compassionate places in the country, according to a new report from personal finance website WalletHub.
The study examined the 100 most populated cities in the United States. It looked at 32 indicators, including the percentage of homeless people given shelter, number of volunteer hours per person, percentage of income donated to charity, student-teacher ratios and voting rates for citizens.
Miami came in at No. 93 on the list of most caring cities. Hialeah finished at 92.
Both Miami and Hialeah fared poorly in the categories that included violent crime, driving fatalities, child poverty, insurance rates and homelessness. They did better in the category that included the number of doctors, nurses, firefighters and mental-health professionals per capita.
Shootings targeting young people and drug-related overdoses were major problems in Miami this year. And in February, the city counted the highest number of people living on its streets since 2006, even as Miami-Dade County’s overall homeless population dropped.
WalletHub’s analysis looked at cities, not counties or metro areas. That means other communities in Miami-Dade did not factor in.
There’s no question good work is happening locally: In November, the charitable drive known as Give Miami Day raised $9.1 million, a new record.
WalletHub listed the five most compassionate cities in the country as Madison, Wisconsin; Lincoln, Nebraska; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Boise, Idaho; and Honolulu, Hawaii.
Big cities like New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., made the top 20. Los Angeles and Detroit both ranked below Miami.
Finishing at the very bottom was San Bernardino, California.
Nicholas Nehamas: 305-376-3745, @NickNehamas
This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Miamians don’t care about each other, report says."