It's a valid question, and a lot of people do leave. But only those who can feasibly do so. I am a former Flint resident, and it isn't that easy for a lot of people. When you're poor, you are stuck in a cycle of poorness. In other economies, you have a better chance of climbing out of that spiral. However, not in Flint. The closest thing they have are their families, and they don't want to leave them behind. So they are all in it together, being poor together, and a lot of them will eventually succumb to their environment. Older residents suffer from malnutrition and sometimes die in the cold winter months. Younger residents often get involved with crime and are shot to death. The number of young black males between 18 and 30 who have been to jail or prison will surprise you. Once you have a criminal record, your chances of finding employment in depressed city are very low, which keeps you poor and increases the likelihood to turn to crime. The cost of living in Flint is also among the lowest in the nation. That also perpetuates a lifestyle of poorness. For example, my apartment rent in Flint back in college (a few years ago) was only $325 a month including heat. Houses sell for $0 to $15,000 on average. So you could have two people working full time retail jobs and be able to afford a house and keep the lights on. But once you have that overhead, it's hard to make changes and just up and move. A lot of people just walk away from their house when they are done with it, instead of trying to sell it. Typically the residents that leave (like myself) are educated and white, which is a trend called "white flight" that has been happening in various waves since the 1960s.