- WalletHub's report named Provo as America's best-run city out of 148 large cities.
- The ranking was based on a variety of indicators and the city's per capita budget.
- Provo received this ranking because of high safety and education numbers.
WalletHub released a report Tuesday of the 20 best-run cities in America, with Provo, Utah, in the top spot.
Provo’s mayor, Michelle Kaufusi, said she found out about the ranking early Tuesday morning and was in her kitchen “jumping up and down” as she read the article.
“This recognition from WalletHub is truly an honor, but it’s really just a testament, like I stated, to our incredible city team and the residents who make Provo such a special place to live,” she said.
For this ranking, WalletHub compared 148 of the country’s largest cities based on their operating efficiency to determine the effectiveness of local leadership.
WalletHub ranked each city based on 36 key performance indicators grouped into six service categories. Those indicators were also measured against the city’s total per capita budget.
Provo ranked first overall out of all 148 cities.
“It means we must be doing something right, and that’s exciting. We’ve always believed in getting the basics right first, which are, for us, quality schools, safe neighborhoods, well-maintained roads, and then, of course, the responsible budgeting,” Kaufusi said.
Why Provo is the best-run city in the U.S.
“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%. Provo is also a city that is safe,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
Lupo added that Provo also has the fourth-lowest violent crime rate and the seventh-lowest property crime rate in the country.
“Safety is always a top concern for citizens,” Kaufusi said. ”We continue to focus on keeping our citizens safe and sound in Provo. I think it was a couple years ago, we literally were voted the safest city, large city in the nation, so that’s a focus for us."
The city also has the eighth-lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.8%.
According to WalletHub, Provo also keeps its infrastructure well maintained and has impressive economic momentum.
When broken down into rankings by individual categories, Provo’s numbers are all across the board.
The city ranked third for safety, 23rd for infrastructure and pollution, 29th for education, and 31st for financial stability.
“We’re not just spending money here in Provo, we’re spending it wisely. So every dollar we invest has to deliver real value for our residents, whether that’s keeping your streets safe or maintaining our infrastructure or supporting our schools, all of those things matter,” Kaufusi said.
Provo’s weakest categories were health, for which it ranked 35th, and economy, earning the 84th spot.
“Now we have to keep raising the bar. We’re not going to rest on our achievements. We’ve never been that way. We are go-getters, and we’re going to use it as a springboard to continue improving,” the Provo mayor said.
Other Mountain West cities on the list
Idaho had two cities listed in the top five, with Nampa at No. 2 and Boise ranked fourth.
According to WalletHub, Nampa earned the second spot because of extremely low government debt, a low property crime rate and a strong economy.
The only other Utah city on the list was Salt Lake City which ranked 99th out of 148.
Denver, Colorado, also made the list, taking the 134th spot.