San Francisco has landed at the bottom of a recent analysis by financial services firms that evaluated cities across the U.S.
According to a report from Wallethub, the assessment looked at “the effectiveness of local leadership” through the lens of city operations efficiency. In this ranking, San Francisco was placed last out of 148 cities examined.
Adam McCann, a financial writer from Wallethub, noted that examining how well city officials manage and allocate public funds can shed light on the quality of services that residents receive in comparison to the city’s total budget.
Each city received a “Quality of Service” score, which was derived from 36 different metrics compiled into six categories: financial stability, education, safety, economy, infrastructure, and pollution. These metrics were evaluated in relation to the city’s budget per capita.
San Francisco’s poor ranking comes amid significant headlines about an exodus from the city, along with increased enrollment in its public schools and soaring housing prices.
Last year, residents elected Daniel Lurie as the new mayor, who managed to decrease support for the outgoing Democrat mayor from 56% to 43%, a margin of over 10 points.
This election seemed to signify a shift away from more lenient policies related to drug use and homelessness that have been prevalent in urban areas.
Following San Francisco in the rankings were Detroit (147), Oakland (146), New York City (145), Philadelphia (144), and Baltimore (143).
In a separate context, the Wallethub report highlighted Provo, Utah, as the top-ranked city. McCann emphasized its “hard to ignore” factors such as low crime rates, low unemployment, and economic development paired with clean infrastructure.
“Provo is recognized as the best city due to a combination that indicates a strong foundation for future growth, with businesses growing around 5.2% and high school graduation rates nearing 91%,” McCann elaborated.
While Wallethub reached out to city leaders in San Francisco, there hasn’t been an immediate response.
Utah’s Mayor, Michelle Kauhoosi, expressed her pride in the distinguished ranking, saying it was “a real honor.” She noted that a solid grasp of essentials, such as quality education, community safety, infrastructure maintenance, and responsible financial practices, has led to these results, highlighting the effectiveness of their approach to providing essential services efficiently.
