Washington, DC, Is America’s Worst-Run City: Analysis

WASHINGTON, DC — Washington, D.C., is at the top of a list nobody wants to win: the worst-run cities in America, according to a new analysis of the operating efficiency of 150 of the nation’s largest cities. Detroit was the second-worst run city, followed by New York City.

Nampa, Idaho, topped the list from the personal finance website WalletHub. For each city, the analysts constructed a “Quality of City Services” score – comprising 33 key performance indicators grouped into six service categories – that was then measured against the city’s total per-capita budget. The District had abysmal scores for the quality of city services and the total budget per capita. (Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts. Or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

A couple of Virginia cities received high marks in the analysis: Virginia Beach was ranked No. 17, Chesapeake placed at No. 38, Norfolk was ranked No. 109 and Richmond came in at No. 125.

Some key findings of the 2017's Best- and Worst-Run Cities in America:

• Casper, Wyoming, has the lowest long-term debt outstanding per capita, $331, which is 63.1 times lower than in Washington, D.C., the city with the highest at $20,892.
• Fort Worth, Texas, has the highest high school graduation rate, 94.2 percent, which is 1.6 times higher than in Toledo, Ohio, the city with the lowest at 60.0 percent.
• Warwick, Rhode Island, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), 0.81, which is 22.4 times fewer than in St. Louis, the city with the most at 18.17.
• Fargo, North Dakota, has the lowest unemployment rate, 2.2 percent, which is five times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 10.9 percent.
• Chesapeake, Virginia, has the highest average annual household income (adjusted for cost of living), $70,235, which is three times higher than in Gary, Indiana, the city with the lowest at $23,646.
• Fremont, California, has the lowest share of the population living below the poverty level, 6.1 percent, which is 6.8 times lower than in Flint, Michigan, the city with the highest at 41.2 percent.
• Tallahassee, Florida, has the lowest share of pavements in poor condition, 2 percent, which is 36 times lower than in San Francisco, Fremont and Oakland, California, the cities with the highest at 71 percent.

The top 10 best-run cities are:

1. Nampa, Idaho
2. Provo, Utah
3. Boise, Idaho
4. Missoula, Montana
5. Lexington, Kentucky
6. Las Cruces, New Mexico
7. Billings, Montana
8. Bismarck, North Dakota
9. Fort Wayne, Indiana
10. Louisville, Kentucky

The top 10 worst-run cities are:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Detroit, Michigan
3. New York, New York
4. San Francisco, California
5. Cleveland, Ohio
6. Hartford, Connecticut
7. Oakland, California
8. Flint, Michigan
9. Chattanooga, Tennessee
10. Memphis, Tennessee

Photo of Washington, DC, skyline by Mark Thomas via Pixabay