{"id":365414,"date":"2026-06-18T07:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T07:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/365414\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T07:34:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T07:34:16","slug":"california-metros-ranked-among-the-worst-run-major-cities-in-the-us-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/365414\/","title":{"rendered":"California metros ranked among the worst-run major cities in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several major California metropolitan areas<\/a> have found themselves at the bottom of a new study measuring the best and worst-run cities in America.<\/p>\n

WalletHub<\/a> analyzed 148 of the biggest American metropolitan areas, trying to determine how efficiently the local governments run each city.<\/p>\n

They developed a \u201cQuality of Services\u201d score based on 36 different metrics across six key areas \u2013 Financial Stability<\/a>, Education, Health, Safety, Economy and Infrastructure & Pollution.<\/p>\n

No California city was found in the top 25 of these cities, though six cities were found in the bottom 15, with San Francisco ranked dead last, repeating the worst rank from last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Several<\/p>\n

Several major California metropolitan areas have found themselves at the bottom of a new study measuring the best and worst-run cities in America. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"No<\/p>\n

No California city was found in the top 25 of these cities, though six cities were found in the bottom 15, with San Francisco (above) ranked dead last. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images<\/p>\n

It was followed by Oakland (145th), Fresno (141st), Long Beach (140st), Stockton (137th) and Los Angeles (136th).<\/p>\n

Other California cities found near the bottom the list include Riverside (131st), Sacramento (128th), San Jose (127th), Bakersfield (125th), Anaheim (118th), Santa Ana (115th), Modesto (114th), San Diego (110th) and Fremont (88th).<\/p>\n

The only California city in the top half of the list was Huntington Beach at 38th.<\/p>\n

The study compared each of the Quality of Services scores for each city and then compared them to each city\u2019s per-capita budget.<\/p>\n

\"It<\/p>\n

It was followed by Oakland (145th), Fresno (141st), Long Beach (140st), Stockton (137th) and Los Angeles (136th). LACMTA\/Gayle Anderson<\/p>\n

While San Francisco ranked 41st in Quality of Services, they were last in Total Budget Per Capita and last overall on the list.<\/p>\n

San Francisco also tied for last place in a number of other metrics like Long Term Outstanding Debt Per Capita (with Salt Lake City, Denver and Oakland), and was alone in last place in High School Graduation Rate.<\/p>\n

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Conversely, Anaheim and Huntington Beach both tied for fourth place for highest High School Graduation Rate, while San Francisco was also the best city for Infant Mortality Rate, while Huntington Beach, Anaheim and Santa Ana tied for third.<\/p>\n

Oakland also found itself tied for last place in Violent Crime Rate with Baltimore, Little Rock, Arkansas, Detroit and Memphis.<\/p>\n

\"San<\/p>\n

San Francisco also tied for last place in a number of other metrics like Long Term Outstanding Debt Per Capita (with Salt Lake City, Denver and Oakland), and was alone in last place in High School Graduation Rate. AP<\/p>\n

Fremont found itself atop two different metrics \u2013 best Median Household Income when adjusted for cost-of-living and % of Population in Poverty, with Huntingon Beach tied for third and San Jose in fifth.<\/p>\n

However, several California cities \u2013 Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Anaheim, Long Beach and Los Angeles \u2013 tied for worst in Quality of Roads.<\/p>\n

Numerous California cities were also at the bottom of the Air Pollution ranks, with Riverside in dead last, followed by Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Huntington Beach.<\/p>\n

However, three California cities were actually at the top of the Air Pollution list as well, with Fremont, Oakland and San Francisco all tying for the top spot.<\/p>\n

The top five best-run cities were Provo, Utah, Nampa, Idaho, Manchester, New Hampshire, Boise, Idaho and Nashua, New Hampshire.<\/p>\n