Deyang, China

With a population of over 3.4 million, this industrial powerhouse in Sichuan province is no picturesque getaway. The GDP per capita of 65,745 RMB is higher than the Sichuan average, but the average annual wage of 63,585 RMB lags behind. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the government struggled to rehouse all earthquake victims within its initial one-year timeline. And the climate, while subtropical, brings strong winds from March to May. This gritty, manufacturing-focused city is best suited for those seeking job opportunities in heavy industry, not a peaceful, pastoral life.