All Things Considered, I'd Rather Not Be in Charlotte

Would one of you please explain to me how Charlotte, North Carolina can simultaneously be the best place to live in America and ninth on the list of America's 10 most miserable cities?

First, the good:

Charlotte's diversity of housing options and home affordability were two of the reasons users nominated the city, Nickerson said. The city's strong economy, boosted largely by the banking industry, was another selling point.

But then, an ugly surprise ...

The biggest surprise on the list is Charlotte, N.C., which is ranked ninth. Charlotte has undergone tremendous economic growth the past decade, while the population has soared 32%. But the current picture isn't as bright. Employment growth has not kept up with population growth, meaning unemployment rates are up more than 50% compared with 10 years ago. Charlotte scored in the bottom half of all six categories we examined and ranked 140th for violent crime....

....*Misery Measures are derived at by ranking the 150 largest metropolitan areas on six criteria -- income tax, violent crime, Superfund sites, commutes, weather and unemployment – and then adding their ranks. For example, New York ranked worst (150th) for commutes, 150th for income tax, 99th for unemployment, 78th for number of Superfund sites, 105th for violent crime and 86th for weather, which add up to its Misery Measure of 668.

Whatever. My hometown is fourth on the "Misery" list. I wish some of the zillions of tourists who throng New York year-round now knew that. (And Philadelphia is fifth, so take that, Duncan Hack!)