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8. Gary, Indiana: The Steel City with a Rocky Future
Founded post-1900 around US Steel's massive steel plant, Gary expanded swiftly, reaching 178,000 residents in 1960. Today, that figure has plummeted to 66,000, a decline of over 62%. The city is perhaps most famous for producing Michael Jackson, but its economic foundation was built upon steel manufacturing.
As U.S. Steel’s industry waned, Gary faced economic hardship, crime, white flight, and urban decay. The city’s downtown is now nearly deserted, with some lovingly preserved historic sites, like Michael Jackson’s childhood home. Without diversification and economic revitalization, Gary risks further decline, and parts of it are now within the Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore.