Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America in 2026

The past year has been a real test of how effectively local governments are being run. City leaders have faced a range of challenges, from economic pressures such as high inflation to ongoing public safety concerns, including more than 400 reported mass shootings in 2025, keeping gun violence at the center of national debate.

Even in more stable periods, managing a city is no easy task. As cities grow, so does the complexity of governing them. Beyond representing residents, local officials must balance competing community priorities with limited financial resources. This often means making difficult trade-offs—deciding which services are most essential, which departments should receive more or less funding, and whether taxes need to be adjusted.

So, how can we assess the effectiveness of local leadership? One approach is to evaluate a city’s operating efficiency. Put simply, this means comparing the quality of public services delivered to residents against the city’s overall budget to understand how effectively public funds are being managed.

Using this framework, WalletHub analyzed 148 of the largest U.S. cities to identify those with the most efficient operations. The study developed a “Quality of Services” score based on 36 metrics across six key service areas, and then compared those results with each city’s per-capita budget.

chip lupo

“The best-run cities in America use their budgets most effectively to provide high-quality financial security, education, health, safety and transportation to their residents. Many of the top cities also have a very low amount of outstanding government debt per capita, which can prevent financial troubles in the future.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Overall Rank*	City	Quality of City Services Rank	Total Budget per Capita Rank
1	Provo, UT	15	2
2	Nampa, ID	66	1
3	Manchester, NH	33	3
4	Boise, ID	10	5
5	Nashua, NH	5	15
6	Sioux Falls, SD	12	17
7	Fort Wayne, IN	37	12
8	Virginia Beach, VA	2	40
9	Lincoln, NE	31	19
10	Mesa, AZ	62	10
11	Las Cruces, NM	85	6
12	Oklahoma City, OK	76	9
13	Mobile, AL	57	14
14	Dover, DE	126	4
15	Chesapeake, VA	18	35
16	Warwick, RI	30	30
17	Durham, NC	26	33
18	Jacksonville, FL	97	8
19	Lexington-Fayette, KY	38	28
20	Missoula, MT	43	26
21	Raleigh, NC	11	51
22	Cedar Rapids, IA	17	45
23	Columbus, GA	100	7
24	Madison, WI	3	63
25	Bismarck, ND	8	53
26	Wichita, KS	96	13
27	Grand Rapids, MI	34	37
28	Topeka, KS	89	16
29	Tallahassee, FL	83	18
30	Rapid City, SD	81	23
31	Portland, ME	9	70
32	Billings, MT	91	22
33	Knoxville, TN	45	49
34	Greensboro, NC	65	39
35	Warren, MI	99	25
36	Lubbock, TX	98	29
37	Eugene, OR	53	52
38	Huntington Beach, CA	1	89
39	Arlington, TX	68	47
40	Phoenix, AZ	60	50
41	Worcester, MA	23	72
42	Lewiston, ME	112	24
43	Omaha, NE	52	55
44	Louisville, KY	94	41
45	Gulfport, MS	109	32
46	El Paso, TX	55	60
47	St. Petersburg, FL	35	73
48	Indianapolis, IN	95	46
49	Huntington, WV	108	38
50	Garland, TX	58	64
51	Montgomery, AL	127	21
52	Anchorage, AK	64	61
53	Charlotte, NC	42	74
54	Fargo, ND	44	76
55	Casper, WY	59	67
56	Tulsa, OK	101	44
57	Albuquerque, NM	125	27
58	Aurora, IL	25	83
59	Austin, TX	19	84
60	Fort Worth, TX	88	54
61	Tucson, AZ	107	43
62	San Antonio, TX	72	66
63	Salem, OR	77	65
64	Burlington, VT	7	99
65	Colorado Springs, CO	82	62
66	Corpus Christi, TX	124	36
67	Baton Rouge, LA	134	20
68	Fort Smith, AR	114	48
69	Rutland, VT	73	71
70	Reno, NV	56	79
71	Providence, RI	84	69
72	Bridgeport, CT	111	57
73	Fairbanks, AK	105	58
74	Miami, FL	22	101
75	Hialeah, FL	47	94
76	Charleston, SC	4	114
77	Minneapolis, MN	40	96
78	Little Rock, AR	132	42
79	Spokane, WA	63	92
80	Columbus, OH	69	91
81	Cheyenne, WY	93	82
82	Norfolk, VA	106	80
83	Orlando, FL	32	104
84	Syracuse, NY	87	85
85	Akron, OH	118	78
86	Richmond, VA	90	90
87	St. Paul, MN	39	106
88	Fremont, CA	6	125
89	Des Moines, IA	70	98
90	Memphis, TN	141	34
91	Columbia, SC	104	86
92	Toledo, OH	135	59
93	Aurora, CO	78	102
94	Las Vegas, NV	36	113
95	Frederick, MD	20	120
96	Dallas, TX	110	87
97	Gary, IN	143	31
98	Kansas City, KS	138	56
99	Kansas City, MO	116	88
100	Tampa, FL	27	122
101	Milwaukee, WI	133	75
102	New Haven, CT	130	81
103	Nashville, TN	119	93
104	Buffalo, NY	79	107
105	Salt Lake City, UT	49	115
106	Boston, MA	16	130
107	Dayton, OH	115	97
108	Fort Lauderdale, FL	71	111
109	Atlanta, GA	50	117
110	San Diego, CA	13	135
111	Cincinnati, OH	80	110
112	Jackson, MS	147	11
113	Yonkers, NY	28	127
114	Modesto, CA	103	103
115	Santa Ana, CA	46	123
116	Portland, OR	24	134
117	Houston, TX	117	105
118	Anaheim, CA	67	124
119	Springfield, MA	113	108
120	Pittsburgh, PA	48	131
121	Charleston, WV	131	100
122	St. Louis, MO	144	68
123	Rochester, NY	54	128
124	Wilmington, DE	75	129
125	Bakersfield, CA	120	119
126	Birmingham, AL	123	116
127	San Jose, CA	14	142
128	Sacramento, CA	86	133
129	Hartford, CT	139	109
130	Seattle, WA	21	145
131	Riverside, CA	92	137
132	Shreveport, LA	146	77
133	Flint, MI	145	95
134	Cleveland, OH	136	118
135	Denver, CO	74	141
136	Los Angeles, CA	51	143
137	Stockton, CA	140	121
138	New Orleans, LA	142	112
139	Tacoma, WA	121	136
140	Long Beach, CA	61	144
141	Fresno, CA	122	139
142	Baltimore, MD	137	132
143	Philadelphia, PA	129	138
144	Chicago, IL	128	140
145	Oakland, CA	102	146
146	New York, NY	29	147
147	Detroit, MI	148	126
148	San Francisco, CA	41	148

Notes: *No. 1 = Best-Run
The columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the highest quality of city services, and the smallest budget per capita, respectively.

Long-Term Debt Outstanding per Capita

Lowest

1. Casper, WY
2. Nampa, ID
3. Toledo, OH
4. Boise, ID
5. Rutland, VT

Long-Term Debt Outstanding per Capita

Highest

144. Atlanta, GA
T-145. Salt Lake City, UT
T-145. Denver, CO
T-145. San Francisco, CA
T-145. Oakland, CA

High School Graduation Rate

Highest

1. Frederick, MD
2. Austin, TX
3. Lubbock, TX
T-4. Anaheim, CA
T-4. Huntington Beach, CA

High School Graduation Rate

Lowest

144. Fairbanks, AK
145. Baltimore, MD
146. Montgomery, AL
147. Richmond, VA
148. San Francisco, CA

Infant Mortality Rate

Lowest

1. San Francisco, CA
2. Yonkers, NY
T-3. Anaheim, CA
T-3. Huntington Beach, CA
T-3. Santa Ana, CA

Infant Mortality Rate

Highest

135. Columbus, GA
136. Shreveport, LA
T-137. Charleston, WV
T-137. Dover, DE
T-137. Jackson, MS

Violent Crime Rate

Lowest

1. Worcester, MA
2. Warwick, RI
3. Virginia Beach, VA
4. Nashua, NH
5. Hialeah, FL

Violent Crime Rate

Highest

T-142. Baltimore, MD
T-142. Little Rock, AR
T-142. Detroit, MI
T-142. Oakland, CA
T-142. Memphis, TN

Unemployment Rate

Lowest

T-1. Rapid City, SD
T-1. Burlington, VT
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Sioux Falls, SD
T-1. Hialeah, FL
T-1. Madison, WI

Unemployment Rate

Highest

T-143. Wilmington, DE
T-143. Springfield, MA
145. Gary, IN
146. Hartford, CT
147. Detroit, MI
148. Flint, MI

Median Annual Household Income (Cost of Living-Adjusted)

Highest

1. Fremont, CA
2. Chesapeake, VA
3. Virginia Beach, VA
4. Austin, TX
5. Charleston, SC

Median Annual Household Income (Cost of Living-Adjusted)

Lowest

144. Bridgeport, CT
145. Cleveland, OH
146. New York, NY
147. Detroit, MI
148. Gary, IN

% of Population in Poverty

Lowest

1. Fremont, CA
2. Warwick, RI
T-3. Huntington Beach, CA
T-3. Nashua, NH
5. San Jose, CA

% of Population in Poverty

Highest

144. Syracuse, NY
145. Cleveland, OH
146. Detroit, MI
147. Gary, IN
148. Flint, MI

Quality of Roads

Highest

1. Lexington-Fayette, KY
2. Tallahassee, FL
3. Frederick, MD
4. Dover, DE
5. Indianapolis, IN

Quality of Roads

Lowest

T-126. Oakland, CA
T-126. San Francisco, CA
128. San Jose, CA
T-129. Anaheim, CA
T-129. Long Beach, CA
T-129. Los Angeles, CA

Air Pollution

Least

T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Oakland, CA
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-4. Anchorage, AK
T-4. Lubbock, TX

Air Pollution

Most

T-141. Huntington Beach, CA
T-141. Long Beach, CA
T-141. Los Angeles, CA
T-141. Santa Ana, CA
148. Riverside, CA

In-Depth Look at the Best-Run Cities

Provo, UT

Provo, UT, is the best-run city, and the reasons for that are that the city is experiencing business growth of around 3.1%, alongside a high school graduation rate of nearly 91%, a combination that signals a strong foundation for the future.

Provo is also a city that is safe and keeps its infrastructure well-maintained. It has the seventh-lowest violent crime rate in the country, the eighth-lowest property crime rate, and the 24th-best road quality in the country.

Finally, with relatively short average commute times and low traffic congestion, Provo’s ease of getting around adds to its growing appeal and reflects effective city planning and infrastructure management.

Nampa, ID

Nampa, ID, is the second-best-run city in America, and one reason for that is that its government debt level is extremely low. The city’s long-term outstanding debt per capita is just $902 – compare that to the top cities where the number is in the $33k-$36k range.

Nampa is also a safe city, with the second-lowest property-crime rate and the 29th-lowest violent crime rate in the country.

To top things off, Nampa offers a strong overall environment for residents. A large share of residents have access to the internet, supporting connectivity and opportunity across the city. It also ranks well when it comes to growth in the number of businesses and has the 21st lowest poverty rate in the country.

Manchester, NH

Manchester, NH, is the third-best-run city, and one way that it shows is in how clean the environment is with the sixth-lowest air pollution. Its residents are also doing very well financially. For example, the city has the 13th-highest forecasted 1-year change in the median home value, and a relatively low share of residents living below poverty.

In addition, Manchester is a safe city, with the 19th-lowest property crime rate and 25th-lowest violent crime rate in the country. It also has the 12th-smallest traffic congestion, and the 15th-lowest unemployment rate in the country.

Detailed Breakdown by City

Quality of City Services* (Score)	City	Financial Stability Rank	Education Rank	Health Rank	Safety Rank	Economy Rank	Infrastructure & Pollution Rank
1 (68.31)	Huntington Beach, CA	80	2	10	21	45	51
2 (67.81)	Virginia Beach, VA	8	4	75	6	8	121
3 (67.50)	Madison, WI	13	25	7	9	66	75
4 (67.42)	Charleston, SC	17	3	43	33	6	80
5 (67.42)	Nashua, NH	21	50	25	7	4	59
6 (65.90)	Fremont, CA	127	1	9	30	47	86
7 (65.34)	Burlington, VT	76	6	4	35	97	8
8 (64.85)	Bismarck, ND	24	44	32	25	18	55
9 (64.75)	Portland, ME	14	57	84	13	22	13
10 (64.69)	Boise, ID	44	41	12	5	45	95
11 (64.60)	Raleigh, NC	11	17	22	40	21	100
12 (63.71)	Sioux Falls, SD	23	51	18	37	29	62
13 (63.69)	San Diego, CA	95	9	13	32	34	31
14 (63.48)	San Jose, CA	54	11	2	45	52	113
15 (63.42)	Provo, UT	35	70	26	10	118	23
16 (63.36)	Boston, MA	4	130	15	20	125	9
17 (63.03)	Cedar Rapids, IA	34	81	38	12	15	78
18 (62.38)	Chesapeake, VA	7	21	96	19	24	129
19 (61.97)	Austin, TX	66	10	21	64	57	46
20 (61.78)	Frederick, MD	36	13	72	18	134	15
21 (61.70)	Seattle, WA	26	7	11	98	129	47
22 (61.48)	Miami, FL	86	8	17	80	51	17
23 (61.37)	Worcester, MA	96	110	33	1	74	74
24 (61.11)	Portland, OR	20	5	36	117	121	16
25 (60.83)	Aurora, IL	99	30	27	11	40	108
26 (60.52)	Durham, NC	3	24	24	77	37	144
27 (60.47)	Tampa, FL	32	45	54	60	64	32
28 (60.44)	Yonkers, NY	134	67	3	3	96	48
29 (60.30)	New York, NY	101	27	16	23	127	34
30 (60.00)	Warwick, RI	108	92	67	2	12	117
31 (59.97)	Lincoln, NE	2	94	113	14	23	110
32 (59.32)	Orlando, FL	37	32	37	104	87	24
33 (59.25)	Manchester, NH	93	136	20	26	7	39
34 (59.12)	Grand Rapids, MI	58	75	44	58	60	7
35 (59.10)	St. Petersburg, FL	64	33	39	72	55	58
36 (58.91)	Las Vegas, NV	75	74	76	49	36	11
37 (58.68)	Fort Wayne, IN	22	55	116	22	11	126
38 (58.59)	Lexington-Fayette, KY	56	39	65	38	35	119
39 (58.48)	St. Paul, MN	30	133	68	42	133	1
40 (58.47)	Minneapolis, MN	10	134	23	108	132	2
41 (58.36)	San Francisco, CA	90	137	1	65	130	3
42 (58.35)	Charlotte, NC	15	48	55	99	13	122
43 (58.27)	Missoula, MT	121	14	53	54	14	53
44 (58.21)	Fargo, ND	102	22	58	39	70	38
45 (57.93)	Knoxville, TN	33	29	99	120	1	43
46 (57.90)	Santa Ana, CA	104	47	8	44	30	127
47 (57.76)	Hialeah, FL	130	12	34	17	53	143
48 (57.15)	Pittsburgh, PA	126	34	63	28	88	25
49 (56.92)	Salt Lake City, UT	49	59	40	110	89	18
50 (56.51)	Atlanta, GA	83	62	61	103	25	26
51 (56.39)	Los Angeles, CA	122	26	28	50	114	69
52 (56.28)	Omaha, NE	82	63	71	53	33	102
53 (56.16)	Eugene, OR	29	82	102	58	109	49
54 (56.05)	Rochester, NY	109	89	30	55	100	6
55 (56.01)	El Paso, TX	123	15	80	24	63	114
56 (55.97)	Reno, NV	98	31	56	56	48	120
57 (55.91)	Mobile, AL	53	19	134	81	20	27
58 (55.86)	Garland, TX	116	38	74	16	19	147
59 (55.67)	Casper, WY	1	90	114	15	41	72
60 (55.60)	Phoenix, AZ	39	85	70	112	38	63
61 (55.59)	Long Beach, CA	118	18	19	79	73	115
62 (55.40)	Mesa, AZ	68	78	73	46	32	137
63 (55.29)	Spokane, WA	69	68	81	101	5	97
64 (55.13)	Anchorage, AK	51	43	69	89	3	79
65 (55.11)	Greensboro, NC	5	16	115	123	42	131
66 (55.05)	Nampa, ID	84	142	83	4	86	112
67 (54.99)	Anaheim, CA	140	40	6	34	56	125
68 (54.98)	Arlington, TX	52	61	82	47	81	139
69 (54.88)	Columbus, OH	45	112	110	36	75	88
70 (54.53)	Des Moines, IA	67	127	78	67	62	56
71 (54.36)	Fort Lauderdale, FL	43	66	35	132	83	54
72 (54.34)	San Antonio, TX	31	69	92	105	103	76
73 (54.23)	Rutland, VT	9	64	60	96	26	19
74 (54.19)	Denver, CO	49	98	45	113	91	65
75 (54.16)	Wilmington, DE	72	23	97	119	98	14
76 (54.14)	Oklahoma City, OK	6	96	108	91	43	133
77 (54.12)	Salem, OR	77	116	49	69	67	106
78 (54.11)	Aurora, CO	40	111	31	102	78	140
79 (54.01)	Buffalo, NY	111	115	48	57	80	45
80 (53.43)	Cincinnati, OH	73	84	98	90	124	28
81 (53.35)	Rapid City, SD	59	129	120	76	2	96
82 (53.27)	Colorado Springs, CO	78	72	85	75	76	124
83 (53.16)	Tallahassee, FL	71	52	105	88	135	29
84 (52.97)	Providence, RI	137	135	41	8	107	41
85 (52.94)	Las Cruces, NM	55	106	79	85	111	105
86 (52.67)	Sacramento, CA	117	73	57	71	82	98
87 (52.66)	Syracuse, NY	113	125	51	92	50	12
88 (52.39)	Fort Worth, TX	103	76	50	61	54	145
89 (52.37)	Topeka, KS	97	108	112	94	17	4
90 (52.28)	Richmond, VA	41	145	123	43	93	70
91 (52.18)	Billings, MT	47	97	122	95	28	109
92 (52.17)	Riverside, CA	131	46	64	51	31	141
93 (52.16)	Cheyenne, WY	16	71	89	73	72	68
94 (52.02)	Louisville, KY	27	103	106	121	68	85
95 (51.99)	Indianapolis, IN	18	123	136	107	9	91
96 (51.85)	Wichita, KS	62	113	128	52	59	111
97 (51.79)	Jacksonville, FL	70	77	121	106	102	36
98 (51.49)	Lubbock, TX	81	20	117	83	106	136
99 (51.47)	Warren, MI	63	100	95	29	131	40
100 (50.75)	Columbus, GA	46	54	148	66	85	66
101 (50.75)	Tulsa, OK	25	95	119	124	65	104
102 (50.41)	Oakland, CA	112	56	5	138	123	94
103 (50.26)	Modesto, CA	124	83	90	63	112	92
104 (50.19)	Columbia, SC	42	104	94	126	119	90
105 (50.13)	Fairbanks, AK	19	88	52	114	58	77
106 (50.13)	Norfolk, VA	85	121	127	62	79	107
107 (50.00)	Tucson, AZ	91	101	59	125	92	103
108 (49.94)	Huntington, WV	12	87	133	68	104	21
109 (49.90)	Gulfport, MS	120	37	129	87	16	118
110 (49.81)	Dallas, TX	135	35	47	115	84	101
111 (49.79)	Bridgeport, CT	139	126	14	31	143	71
112 (49.46)	Lewiston, ME	94	140	141	27	94	64
113 (49.34)	Springfield, MA	129	124	86	41	141	50
114 (49.33)	Fort Smith, AR	60	58	126	86	49	66
115 (49.24)	Dayton, OH	48	114	104	128	126	33
116 (49.16)	Kansas City, MO	87	53	93	142	27	93
117 (49.09)	Houston, TX	107	42	66	133	117	99
118 (48.94)	Akron, OH	89	102	130	74	136	60
119 (48.86)	Nashville, TN	100	109	107	129	10	89
120 (48.54)	Bakersfield, CA	110	79	101	70	77	146
121 (48.07)	Tacoma, WA	74	99	46	135	138	87
122 (47.66)	Fresno, CA	119	80	91	100	99	138
123 (47.13)	Birmingham, AL	106	36	103	139	105	61
124 (46.83)	Corpus Christi, TX	128	28	135	111	61	135
125 (46.71)	Albuquerque, NM	92	93	100	144	69	81
126 (46.42)	Dover, DE	88	65	145	130	115	35
127 (46.22)	Montgomery, AL	114	119	139	93	95	42
128 (46.13)	Chicago, IL	148	60	62	48	116	30
129 (45.93)	Philadelphia, PA	125	147	111	109	108	52
130 (45.17)	New Haven, CT	142	128	42	84	140	22
131 (45.12)	Charleston, WV	136	49	147	82	39	37
132 (44.54)	Little Rock, AR	28	117	132	147	71	82
133 (44.19)	Milwaukee, WI	138	118	87	122	110	73
134 (43.55)	Baton Rouge, LA	61	120	124	143	101	134
135 (43.10)	Toledo, OH	105	141	137	78	142	128
136 (42.61)	Cleveland, OH	115	138	109	146	90	83
137 (42.25)	Baltimore, MD	79	143	146	131	137	84
138 (42.05)	Kansas City, KS	132	144	125	118	44	57
139 (41.89)	Hartford, CT	147	132	29	97	144	10
140 (41.38)	Stockton, CA	141	107	77	116	122	148
141 (39.15)	Memphis, TN	57	122	144	148	120	130
142 (38.47)	New Orleans, LA	144	105	118	141	139	5
143 (37.77)	Gary, IN	65	139	88	134	146	142
144 (37.50)	St. Louis, MO	133	148	143	145	128	20
145 (36.41)	Flint, MI	38	146	131	127	148	44
146 (32.66)	Shreveport, LA	146	86	142	136	113	116
147 (30.86)	Jackson, MS	145	91	138	137	145	132
148 (30.20)	Detroit, MI	143	131	140	140	147	123

Notes: *No. 1 = Best-Run
With the exception of “Quality of City Services” score, all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Ask the Experts

A well-run city isn’t just the product of efficient budgeting or lots of resources. It is the fruit of countless other decisions, too. For more insight into why some cities perform better than others, we turned to a panel of local-government, economic and diversity experts. Click on the panelists’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

In your opinion, what are the most important issues facing U.S. cities today?
What can citizens do to increase the transparency and accountability of local government?
In evaluating how well a city is run, what are the top 5 indicators?
What are the areas that need improvement when it comes to cities’ emergency preparedness and response?
How can local policymakers reduce racial tensions in the wake of recent movements?

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management - Lynn University
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Luke Fowler
Professor, School of Public Service - Boise State University
Read More

John L. Campbell
Class of 1925 Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology - Dartmouth College
Read More

Chad R. Miller
Ph.D., Professor of Economic Development, Master of Science of Economic Development Program, College of Business & Economic Development - University of Southern Mississippi
Read More

Don Vaughan
Adjunct Professor of Law and Attorney and Counselor at Law, Donald R. Vaughan and Associates - Wake Forest University - School of Law
Read More

Ronald O. Loveridge
University of California, Riverside Political Science Department (1965-); Mayor of Riverside (1994-2012); President of California League of Cities (2004) and National League of Cities (2010); Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration (2010)
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best- and worst-run cities in America, WalletHub compared 148 of the most populated cities across six key categories: 1) Financial Stability, 2) Education, 3) Health, 4) Safety, 5) Economy and 6) Infrastructure & Pollution.

We evaluated those dimensions using 36 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of service.

Next, we calculated an overall “Quality of City Services” score for each city based on its weighted average across all the metrics. Finally, for each city, we divided the “Quality of City Services” score by the “Total Budget per Capita” (dollar amount) in order to construct a “Score per Dollar Spent” index — displayed as “Overall Rank” in the Main Findings table above — which we then used to rank-order the cities in our sample.

Financial Stability – Total Points: 16.67

Moody’s City Credit Rating: Quadruple Weight (~13.33 Points)
Outstanding Long-Term Debt per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Education – Total Points: 16.67

K–12 School-System Quality: Double Weight (~11.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public schools rated by GreatSchools.org with above average score.
High School Graduation Rate: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

Health – Total Points: 16.67

Infant Mortality Rate: Quadruple Weight (~6.67 Points)
Average Life Expectancy (in Years): Quadruple Weight (~6.67 Points)
Hospital Beds per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Quality of Public Hospital System: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ ranking of public hospital systems.

Safety – Total Points: 16.67

Violent Crime Rate: Quadruple Weight (~4.76 Points)
Property Crime Rate: Quadruple Weight (~4.76 Points)
Motor Vehicle Fatalities per Capita: Quadruple Weight (~4.76 Points)
Share of Sheltered Homeless Persons: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)
Perception of Safety (Safety walking alone during daylight/night): Full Weight (~1.19 Points)
Note: These data are based on perceptions of visitors of numbeo.com website in the past 3 years.
If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

Economy – Total Points: 16.67

Unemployment Rate: Triple Weight (~3.13 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.04 Points)
Median Annual Household Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living): Double Weight (~2.08 Points)
Median Annual Income Growth Rate: Double Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: Growth compares the income level in 2024 versus in 2023.
Annual Job Growth Rate (Adjusted for Population Growth): Double Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: Growth compares the number of employed civilian population in 2026 versus in 2025.
Share of Population Living in Poverty: Double Weight (~2.08 Points)
Growth in Number of Businesses: Full Weight (~1.04 Points)
Note: Growth compares the number of businesses in 2023 versus in 2022.
Change in Housing Prices: Full Weight (~1.04 Points)
Note: Change compares the price in 2024 versus in 2021.
Zillow Home Value 1-year Forecast: Full Weight (~1.04 Points)
Note: The Zillow Home Value Forecast is Zillow's prediction of what the Zillow Home Value Index will be one year from now.
Building-Permit Growth: Full Weight (~1.04 Points)
Note: Growth spans 2022 to 2024.

Infrastructure & Pollution – Total Points: 16.67

Quality of Roads: Quadruple Weight (~3.03 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of major roads in poor and mediocre condition.
Average Commute Time (in Minutes): Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Transit Access Shed: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Note: “Transit Access Shed” is the total area of land that is easily accessible from any point via public transportation.
Traffic Congestion: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Walk Score: Triple Weight (~2.27 Points)
Note: “Walk Score” measures pedestrian friendliness by analyzing population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density.
Bike Score: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Note: “Bike Score” measures whether an area is good for biking. The Bike Score is calculated by measuring bike infrastructure (lanes, trails, etc.), hills, destinations and road connectivity, and the number of bike commuters.
Transit Score: Half Weight (~0.38 Points)
Note: “Transit Score” is a patented measure of how well a location is served by public transit.
Recreation-Friendliness: Quadruple Weight (~3.03 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.
Share of Residents with Access to Internet: Half Weight (~0.38 Points)
Water Quality: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Air Pollution: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Greenhouse-Gas Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~0.76 Points)
Share of Parkland: Triple Weight (~2.27 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of May 19, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Moody's Investors Service, GreatSchools.org, County Health Rankings, Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Zillow, The Road Information Program, Center for Neighborhood Technology, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Walk Score, The Trust for Public Land, INRIX, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Numbeo and WalletHub research.

Main Findings

In-Depth Look at the Best-Run Cities

Provo, UT

Nampa, ID

Manchester, NH

Detailed Breakdown by City

Ask the Experts

Methodology

Financial Stability – Total Points: 16.67

Education – Total Points: 16.67

Health – Total Points: 16.67

Safety – Total Points: 16.67

Economy – Total Points: 16.67

Infrastructure & Pollution – Total Points: 16.67

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