A new study by WalletHub, released on June 17, ranks six California cities among the 10 worst-run in the United States, with San Francisco landing dead last at No. 148 out of 148.
The study evaluated the 148 most populated U.S. cities across six key metrics:
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Financial stability
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Education
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Health
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Safety
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Economy
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Infrastructure & pollution
The cities were rated by their “quality of city services” relative to “total budget per capita”, giving a performance-to-cost efficiency score.
California Cities at the Bottom
While Huntington Beach stood out positively at No. 34 overall (and No. 1 for city services), many of the state’s major cities fared poorly:
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San Francisco – No. 148 (last place)
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Oakland – No. 146
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Fresno – No. 141
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Long Beach – No. 140
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Los Angeles – No. 139
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Stockton – No. 138
Other notable rankings:
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San Diego – No. 107
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San Jose – No. 127
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Sacramento – No. 126
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Anaheim – No. 121
Top 10 Best-Run Cities in the U.S.
No California city made the top 10, which was dominated by smaller cities in Utah, Idaho, and the Midwest:
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Provo, UT
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Nampa, ID
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Manchester, NH
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Boise, ID
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Nashua, NH
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Dover, DE
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Sioux Falls, SD
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Lincoln, NE
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Virginia Beach, VA
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Fort Wayne, IN
The results highlight growing concerns over budget efficiency and service quality in many of California’s urban centers, especially as residents grapple with rising costs and declining infrastructure.
