Flint, Mich.

USA TODAY, June, 2008 by Christine Dugas

Flint, the birthplace of General Motors, is a shadow of its former self as a vibrant industrial town. In the late 1970s, GM employed 80,000 workers in the Flint area; now, only about 8,000 jobs are thought to be left.

The losses persist. In May, GM said it would soon cut one in three heavy-duty truck shifts at Flint Truck Assembly and three other North American factories.

In another slap, this year, Forbes magazine named Flint one of America's most miserable cities. It said Flint stood out because it had suffered so severely from the auto industry downturn and the migration of workers out of the city.

In its favor, Flint has become, for those who remain, a highly affordable place to live. In the metro area, which includes bedroom communities, home prices are down sharply from a year ago.

Flint is the county seat of ...