Miami Poll -- Nice To Visit, Don't Want To Live There

Americans might like to visit Miami but few of them want to live there, a new poll by Zogby International shows.

Only three percent of respondents chose Miami when asked which of eight major U.S. cities they would like to live in. San Francisco led the pack with 13 percent followed by Chicago, Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and Houston.

Forty-nine percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable view of Miami, with a fear of crime dominating the reasons for people's negative impressions. Two thirds of those surveyed agreed with the statement "Miami is plagued by crime."

"Miami has a very good reputation as a vacation spot but it has had for a couple of decades a rough opinion when it comes to crime," said Fritz Wenzel, the director of communications for Zogby International.

"Crime is a major consideration when people think about where they would want to live," he added in an interview.

Wenzel said Miami has also taken a bit of a hit because of the housing bubble bursting and troubles in the real estate market.

"I really think that is short lived but it could also be contributing to its low ratings as a place for people to relocate," he explained.

The perception of the city as a den of criminals extended into people's thoughts about Miami's economy. Respondents said they thought illegal activities were the second largest segment of city's economy after tourism.

Zobgy conducted the online poll between January 18 and 21.