According to a report recently released by the financial website WalletHub, six out of the top ten worst-governed cities in the United States are in California.
A survey of the operational conditions of the 148 most populous cities in the United States revealed that several cities in California ranked among the bottom 10, including Stockton (138th), Los Angeles (139th), Long Beach (140th), Fresno (141th), and Oakland (146th). San Francisco ranked last in the entire United States at 148th.
The website established a “Quality of Services” score based on 36 indicators in six major categories to compare the scores of 148 cities with their per capita budgets, evaluating the operational efficiency of each city.
Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub, stated in the report on June 17 that the best-governed cities in America are able to effectively utilize their budgets to provide residents with high-quality financial security, education, health, public safety, and transportation services. Many of the top-ranked cities also have very low per capita government debt, which helps prevent future financial crises.
San Francisco’s comprehensive ranking was at the bottom of the United States, with its financial stability ranking 89th, education 137th, safety 102nd, and economy 135th nationally.
The city ranked 146th in the “per capita long-term debt” indicator, with its debt level being 89 times higher than the best-governed city—Casper, Wyoming.
Los Angeles ranked 139th overall in the United States, with its financial stability ranking 102nd, education 38th, safety 76th, and economy 129th nationally.
The report also shows that in terms of education, cities in California such as Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Santa Ana ranked highly, with their high school graduation rates tied for fourth in the nation.
In terms of violent crime rates, Oakland, California, along with cities in five other states, tied for 142nd in the United States, making it one of the cities with the highest crime rates in the country.
In terms of road quality, Oakland and San Francisco tied for 126th, San Jose ranked 128th, Anaheim, Long Beach, and Los Angeles tied for 129th, indicating that the road quality in these cities is relatively poor.
Despite having the strictest emission regulations in the country, several cities in California are ranked among the most polluted in the United States. Among them, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana tied for 143rd place, while Riverside ranked last in the nation, being the most polluted city out of the 148 cities in the United States.