The city of Mesa, known for its aerospace industry, tech corridor, and emerging innovation district, is among the “best run” cities in America, according to a new in depth analysis by online personal finance giant, WalletHub.
Mesa ranked in the top 10 percent overall, largely due to their spending per capita. Phoenix and Tucson also shine in the study, ranking in the top 25 percent overall.
“Mesa is ranked the 19th Best Run City in the country!” heralded Mesa Mayor John Giles on his Facebook page on hearing the news. “We work hard to be fiscally responsible and provide high quality services and experiences for our residents.”
For the study, WalletHub analyzed data from 150 most populated cities to find the best and worst across six categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution.
Statisticians also used 37 weighted metrics to calculate “Quality of City Services” and “Total Budget per Capita” rankings.
Data from two dozen sources was analyzed including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Moody’s Investors Service, County Health Rankings, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Arizona cities rank high for spending wisely
Mesa ranked 19th overall, 22 in budget per capita, and 55 in quality of city services. In the other categories, it received the highest score for safety at No. 35.
Phoenix and Tucson, ranked overall 34 and 35, respectively. Tucson came in 20th for spending per capita. Phoenix ranked 36th for economy.
Top and bottom rankings
Three western cities were the winners of the top spots: Nampa, Idaho; Provo, Utah; and Boise, Idaho.
At the bottom? Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis, Missouri; and Detroit, Michigan.
To read more about how each city ranks overall and in each category, go to: Best Run Cities.
Photo courtesy of City of Mesa
Add comment