2016's Best, Worst State Capitals: Where Annapolis Ranks (ICYMI)

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The newest ranking of “best cities” may puzzle Annapolis residents, used to basking in the glow of their hometown as a great vacation spot, holiday destination and more.

The personal finance website WalletHub analyzed 2016’s Best & Worst State Capitals, and placed Annapolis at No. 19 on the list.

To identify the state capitals that offer the best of an ideal city, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 state capitals across 35 key metrics, ranging from cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to number of attractions, the website says.

“Most Americans come to know the seat of their state government in elementary school, perhaps by way of a field trip or geography quiz,” the author writes. “As adults, we might perceive them as mostly political centers lacking much social luster. In other words, they’re boring.”

»Do you think Annapolis is boring? Tell us why or why not in comments.

Annapolis ranked 34th for affordability; 18th for economic well being; 27th for education and health; and 10th for quality of life.

But Maryland’s capital city was given low marks for a dearth of millennials and high debt levels.

The country’s top capitals, according to WalletHub, are: Austin, TX; Lincoln, NE; Bismark, ND; Madison, WI; and Raleigh, NC.

Last on the list was Hartford, CT.

Factors that helped give Annapolis its ranking:

• No. 4 for highest median household income
• No. 4 for lowest percentage of resident below the poverty level
• No. 46 for highest debt as percentage of median income
• No. 2 for most restaurants per capita
• No. 48 for lowest percentage of millennial newcomers