Rochdale, United Kingdom

Life in Rochdale is not for the faint of heart. With a 5.1% national swing from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2010 election, the local bureaucracy can be a persistent headache. And while the Green Party's Caroline Lucas won her seat in nearby Brighton Pavilion, the city itself saw the British National Party achieve their highest ever vote share nationally at 1.9%. This gritty, politically divided town is best suited for those with a strong stomach and a thick skin.