Story at a glance
- WalletHub compared the operating efficiency of 150 of the largest cities in the nation along 38 “quality of services” metrics, which were then measured against the city’s budget, to determine which U.S. cities were managed the best – and the worst.
- Washington, D.C. ranked in the bottom five in several major categories, including the amount of outstanding debt per capita and high school graduation rate.
- Cleveland ranks near the bottom in the percentage of the population in poverty, median household income and unemployment rate.
The worst run city in America in 2022 is the nation’s capital, according to a new Wallet Hub analysis.
WalletHub compared the operating efficiency of 150 of the largest cities in the nation along 38 “quality of services” metrics, which were then measured against the city’s budget, to determine which U.S. cities were managed the best – and the worst.
Washington, D.C. ranked in the bottom five in several major categories, including the amount of outstanding debt per capita and high school graduation rate. The outstanding debt per capita in the city is more than 36 times higher than it is in the nation’s best-run city at $22,178.
San Francisco, New York, Chattanooga and Cleveland carried the remaining four spots on the list of America’s five worst-run cities.
Cleveland ranks near the bottom in the percentage of the population in poverty, median household income and unemployment rate.
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Experts interviewed by Wallet Hub identified the most important issues they believe cities are currently facing, including rising crime.
“The crime wave is clearly an important issue in many cities. The ability of city governments to provide adequate services to residents is an important issue due to declining revenues. This can be alleviated by state/federal assistance, but that is only a short-term solution,” said Gary L. Rose, a government professor at Sacred Heart University.
“Underfunded pension obligations continue to be an important issue in many cities. The strained relationship between police and persons of color within the cities is an important issue,” Rose said.
Baltimore, Birmingham, St. Louis, Detroit and Memphis have the highest rate of violent crime, according to the analysis.
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