Golden State Takes A Beating In Best- And Worst-Run City Ranking

CALIFORNIA — A poorly run city affects residents’ quality of life, affecting everything from housing costs to traffic congestion, pollution and even health outcomes amid the pandemic.

A new study recently set out to identify the nation’s best- and worst-run cities, with some surprising findings for the Golden State.

A Wallethub examination of dozens of factors such as a city’s debt, crime rates, infrastructure health and education scores found that California’s major cities weren’t particularly well-run. No California cities cracked the top 20 list of best-run cities in America.

Surf City USA — Huntington Beach — fared best, coming in at No. 21 nationwide, according to Wallethub. The city scored high in safety, education and health.

The state’s next well-run city was San Diego, coming in at No. 59, followed by Santa Ana at No. 62, according to Wallethub.

Of the nation’s largest cities, California was notable for having some of the worst-run cities, Wallethub found. San Francisco was ranked as the worst in the state and second-worst in the nation, thanks to its high cost of living, which translated to a high rate of debt per capita.

The City by the Bay ranked high for city services, but that wasn't enough to overcome the expense for residents nor the large city budget, Wallethub analysts found.

Neighboring Oakland also faired poorly in the ranking because of its high crime rate.

The state’s largest city, Los Angeles, didn’t get much love from the analysts at Wallethub either. The city came in third on the state’s worst-run list, followed by Long Beach and Riverside.

Wallethub’s Worst-Run Cities Among The Largest Cities In California

1. San Francisco.
2. Oakland.
3. Los Angeles.
4. Long Beach.
5. Riverside.
6. Fresno.
7. Sacramento.
8. Modesto.

Wallethub’s Best-Run Cities In California

1. Huntington Beach.
2. San Diego.
3. Santa Ana.
4. Fremont.
5. Bakersfield.
6. San Jose.
7. Stockton.
8. Anaheim.

Wallethub’s Best-Run Cities In The Nation

1. Nampa, Idaho.
2. Boise, Idaho.
3. Fort Wayne, Indiana.
4. Nashua, New Hampshire.
5. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky.
6. Lincoln, Nebraska.
7. Las Cruces, New Mexico.
8. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
9. Missoula, Montana.
10. Durham, North Carolina.