San Francisco has been ranked at the bottom of a new report by a financial services company ranking the best and worst-run cities in the country.
WalletHub reported it measured the “effectiveness of local leadership” by “determining a city’s operating efficiency.” San Francisco came in 148th out of 148 cities studied.
“We can learn how well city officials manage and spend public funds by comparing the quality of the services residents receive against the city’s total budget,” WalletHub Financial Writer Adam McCann wrote to explain the study.
Each city was given a “Quality of Services’” score based on 36 metrics that were grouped into six service categories, including financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution. These were measured against the city’s per capita budget.
San Francisco was ranked at the bottom after making headlines previously for the mass exodus from the liberal city, declining enrollment in its public school system as well as skyrocketing housing prices.
Cyclists ride their bikes along the Marina Green with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background in San Francisco, Calif., on May 2, 2025. Getty Images
Residents elected a new mayor last year, Daniel Lurie, who beat incumbent Democrat London Breed by a more than 10-point margin, 56% to 43%.
The last election indicated a pivot away from soft-on-crime policies and lax policies on drug use and homelessness that were rampant in the city.
The next worst-run cities after San Francisco were Detroit (147th), Oakland (146th), New York City (145th), Philadelphia (144th), and Baltimore (143rd).
A homeless encampment in front of the closed Civic Center Inn in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco on Sept. 28, 2023. David G. McIntyre
Protesters take over the street in front of the San Francisco during May Day demonstration on May 1, 2025. Getty Images
The best-run city is Provo, Utah, according to WalletHub. McCann cited economic growth that is “hard to ignore,” low crime and unemployment, and clean roads.
“Provo, UT, is the best-run city, and the reasons for that are that the city is experiencing business growth of around 5.2%, alongside a high school graduation rate of nearly 91%, a combination that signals a strong foundation for the future.”
Fox News Digital reached out to San Francisco city leadership but did not immediately hear back.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie attends a baseball game at Oracle Park on June 17, 2025. AP
Provo, Utah Mayor Michelle Kaufusi told Fox News Digital that the recognition of being the nation’s best-run city is “truly an honor.”
“We’ve always believed in getting the fundamentals right—delivering quality education, maintaining safe neighborhoods, ensuring well-maintained infrastructure, and practicing responsible fiscal stewardship. This national ranking validates that approach and shows that when you focus on providing exceptional core services efficiently, the results speak for themselves: residents prosper, businesses flourish, and our entire community thrives,” Kaufusi said.
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