Washington, San Francisco, New York among the many worst-run cities in America

WASHINGTON — America’s politicians aren’t winning many popularity contests lately, and a survey doesn’t like the job they’re doing running our cities either! In a study of how efficiently the country’s biggest metropolitan areas are operating, the nation’s biggest and most famous cities finish at the bottom of the list.

According to a recent WalletHub study, Washington, DC ranks as the worst-run big city in the entire country. The nation’s capital finished dead last in the analysis of 150 big cities — measuring the quality of their city services and the total budget they have available per resident.

San Francisco, California and New York City ranked as the second and third-worst, respectively. All three finished at the bottom of the list in terms of total budget per capita, while also tying for the largest amount of long-term outstanding debt per capita.

Failing from coast to coast

In Washington, high school graduation rates are now the fourth-lowest in the country, finishing only ahead of Columbia, South Carolina, Toledo, Ohio, and Richmond, Virginia. Meanwhile, in a city that’s home to America’s most important elected officials, Washington only ranks 73rd in terms of safety. Its local economy is doing even worse, ranking 131st.

In San Fran, the city can actually brag about having the second-lowest infant mortality rate in the nation. Unfortunately, it’s also home to the worst-quality roads of any of the 150 cities in the study. In fact, the six cities with the worst roads are all in California, including Fremont, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Ana, and Huntington Beach!

As for New York, the Big Apple may be home to Wall Street, but the local economy looks more like “the big toilet.” According to the study, New York City’s financial stability ranks 103rd and its overall economy is 135th. Although recent reports continue to document the city’s rising crime rate, New York still managed to finish 12th in terms of city safety.

On the other hand, violent crime is at its worst in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by Detroit, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Baltimore.

Rounding out the 10 worst-run cities in 2022 are Chattanooga, Tennessee (147th), Cleveland, Ohio (146th), Detroit, Michigan (145th), Flint, Michigan (144th), Oakland, California (143rd), Hartford, Connecticut ( 142nd), and Gulfport, Mississippi (141st).

Money matters

When it comes to choosing where to live, one of the biggest questions Americans have to ask themselves is “can I afford to live here?”

The study found that two Michigan cities top the list for having the highest unemployment rate (Flint and Detroit). Cleveland, Gary, Indiana, and Bridgeport, Connecticut round out the “top five” worst job markets.

Unfortunately, if you do find a job in these cities, it likely won’t pay very well. Gary, Detroit, Hartford, and Cleveland all finished among the cities with the lowest median annual household incomes, after adjusting for the local cost of living.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Chesapeake, Virginia boasts the best annual incomes in the nation, along with Fremont, California and Virginia Beach, Virginia. These three cities also land on the list of cities with the lowest poverty rates in the United States.

Best Run Cities in America

Overall Rank*	City	Quality of city services	Total budget per capita
1	Nampa, ID	21	1
2	Boise, ID	3	3
3	Fort Wayne, IN	62	2
4	Nashua, NH	9	9
5	Lexington-Fayette, KY	34	6
6	Lincoln, N.E	11	19
7	Las Cruces, NM	69	5
8th	Oklahoma City, OK	65	8th
9	Missoula, MT	50	12
10	Durham, NC	51	11
11	Virginia Beach, VA	2	36
12	Rapid City, SD	108	4
13	Raleigh, NC	13	29
14	Billings, MT	77	13
15	Provo, U.T	5	38
16	Chesapeake, VA	10	34
17	Sioux Falls, SD	44	21
18	Salem, OR	24	26
19	Manchester, NH	53	20
20	Mesa, AZ	30	25
21	Huntington Beach, CA	1	55
22	Charleston, SC	8th	44
23	Albuquerque, N.M	115	10
24	Madison, WI	19	42
25	Arlington, TX	27	31
26	Columbus, GA	91	16
27	Greensboro, NC	71	23
28	Cedar Rapids, IA	25	39
29	Huntington, WV	103	15
30	Bismarck, N.D	15	48
31	Louisville, Ky	100	17
32	Aurora, IL	36	37
33	Tucson, AZ	112	14
34	Phoenix, AZ	46	35
35	Warren, MI	72	28
36	Lewiston, ME	68	30
37	Tulsa, okay	92	22
38	El Paso, TX	33	50
39	Warwick, R.I	61	43
40	Grand Rapids, MI	47	47
41	St. Petersburg, FL	28	54
42	Corpus Christi, TX	84	41
43	Worcester, MA	54	52
44	Portland, ME	14	69
45	Colorado Springs, CO	63	51
46	Las Vegas, NV	26	61
47	Reno, NV	67	49
48	Mobile, AL	99	32
49	Fort Worth, TX	66	53
50	Wichita, K.S	132	24
51	Eugene, OR	29	71
52	Aurora, CO	81	56
53	Hialeah, FL	23	78
54	Topeka, KS	118	40
55	Des Moines, IA	64	62
56	Spokane, WA	58	68
57	Fort Smith, AR	128	33
58	Baton Rouge, LA	137	27
59	San Diego, CA	4	97
60	Fairbanks, AK	120	45
61	Fargo, N.D	43	79
62	Santa Ana, CA	38	81
63	Little Rock, AR	122	46
64	Indianapolis, IN	88	60
65	Jackson, MS	149	7
66	Rutland, VT	87	67
67	Portland, OR	17	95
68	Omaha, NE	52	86
69	Frederick, M.D	6	108
70	Casper, WY	76	80
71	Garland, TX	48	89
72	Montgomery, AL	123	58
73	Boston, MA	22	100
74	Gary, IN	147	18
75	Miami, FL	32	96
76	Fremont, CA	7	113
77	Dover, DE	110	64
78	Jacksonville, FL	105	70
79	Columbia, SC	93	76
80	Tallahassee, FL	79	85
81	Akron, OH	116	65
82	Houston, TX	106	73
83	Springfield, MA	125	63
84	Tampa, FL	31	101
85	Austin, TX	12	117
86	San Antonio, TX	45	103
87	Dayton, OH	119	74
88	New Orleans, LA	134	57
89	Salt Lake City, UT	37	106
90	Anchorage, AK	111	82
91	Bakersfield, CA	95	86
92	Columbus, OH	83	92
93	Charleston, WV	126	77
94	San Jose, CA	20	121
95	St. Paul, MN	60	104
96	Providence, RI	127	72
97	Norfolk, VA	107	88
98	Richmond, Va	80	98
99	Burlington, VT	40	114
100	Bridgeport, CT	124	83
101	Dallas, TX	98	93
102	Stockton, CA	130	75
103	Shreveport, LA	141	59
104	Orlando,FL	49	118
105	Anaheim, CA	70	111
106	Kansas City, MO	117	91
107	Toledo, OH	139	66
108	Lubbock, TX	94	101
109	Fort Lauderdale, FL	57	120
110	Cincinnati, OH	78	112
111	Modesto, CA	89	109
112	Charlotte, NC	41	126
113	Knoxville, TN	42	130
114	Nashville, TN	109	105
115	Sacramento, CA	86	122
116	Fresno, CA	121	107
117	Minneapolis, MN	59	133
118	Seattle, WA	18	140
119	Birmingham, AL	135	94
120	Pittsburgh, Pa	74	129
121	Riverside, CA	85	127
122	Wilmington, DE	104	119
123	Milwaukee, WI	138	90
124	Syracuse, NY	97	123
125	Atlanta, GA	82	132
126	Long Beach, CA	39	139
127	Buffalo, NY	113	125
128	Cheyenne, WY	90	135
129	Los Angeles, CA	56	143
130	Baltimore, Md	140	110
131	New Haven, CT	131	124
132	Denver, CO	75	141
133	St.Louis, MO	148	84
134	Philly, PA	129	128
135	Memphis, TN	143	115
136	Kansas City, KS	142	116
137	Yonkers, NY	73	144
138	Rochester, NY	114	138
139	Tacoma, WA	102	142
140	Chicago, IL	136	136
141	Gulfport, MS	101	145
142	Hartford, CT	144	131
143	Oakland, CA	96	147
144	Flint, MI	146	134
145	Detroit, MI	150	99
146	Cleveland, OH	145	137
147	Chattanooga, TN	133	146
148	New York, NY	35	148
149	San Francisco, CA	16	149
150	Washington, D.C	55	150

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.