Here's Where 3 MA Cities Rank On List Of Best-, Worst-Run Cities

MASSACHUSETTS — Boston, Springfield, and Worcester all landed on website WalletHub's list of "Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America." The list compares 149 of the country's largest cities to reveal which are managed best.

Worcester was ranked the highest among the three Massachusetts cities at 37. Boston came in at 63. Springfield was in the middle of the pack at 72.

"The past year has been a true test of the effectiveness of local leadership," the study reads. "City leaders have had to deal with economic difficulties like high inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other issues like elevated homicide rates."

The report includes a quality of service score "made up of 36 metrics grouped into six service categories, which we then measured against the city’s per-capita budget."

Worcester was ranked 41 in quality of service and 45 in total budget per capita. Boston was 20 in quality of service but 99 in budget. Springfield was 120 in quality of service and 51 in budget.

Breaking down the quality of service score further, Boston ranked very high at 4 in financial stability, but low in education at 143. Springfield came in near to last in economy at 147.

The best-run city in the U.S. according to WalletHub is Nampa, ID, a metropolis with a population of 106,186 just west of Boise.

Here's the full top 10:

1. Nampa, ID
2. Lexington-Fayette, KY
3. Nashua, NH
4. Boise, ID
5. Provo, UT
6. Lincoln, NE
7. Fort Wayne, IN
8. Sioux Falls, SD
9. Las Cruces, NM
10. Missoula, MT

Check out the full list and methodology at WalletHub.