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Several of the worst-run cities in the US are in California, study says. See the list

California cities might not be the best-run in the country, a new study said.

WalletHub has released its latest rankings of the “Best- & Worst- Run Cities in America,” and several California cities didn’t do too well.

The personal finance website looked at 150 of the largest cities in the country to determine which were being “managed best.” Experts analyzed 38 metrics that were grouped into six categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution.

San Francisco is the second worst-run city in the country, according to WalletHub. Only Washington, D.C., is worse.

Several other California cities ranked low. Ten cities in the state fell in the bottom 100 of WalletHub’s list.

No California cities made the top 20 list.

Huntington Beach, the best-run city in California, ranked 21st.

Although it didn’t make the top 20, the city has better quality of city services than any other in the country. It ranked the highest in that category. San Diego ranked fourth and Fremont seventh, respectfully, in that category.

Here’s where the state’s cities ranked on WalletHub’s list:

  • San Francisco: No. 149

  • Oakland: No. 143

  • Los Angeles: No. 129

  • Long Beach: No. 126

  • Riverside: No. 121

  • Fresno: No. 116

  • Sacramento: No. 115

  • Modesto: No. 111

  • Anaheim: No. 105

  • Stockton: No. 102

  • San Jose: No. 94

  • Bakersfield: No. 91

  • Fremont: No. 76

  • Santa Ana: No. 62

  • San Diego: No. 59

  • Huntington Beach: No. 21

Two cities in Idaho topped the list. Nampa, Idaho, ranked No. 1, and Boise came in second. The cities were joined by Fort Wayne, Indiana; Nashua, New Hampshire; and Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky, in the top five.

You can see the full list and WalletHub’s full category breakdown here.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Several of the worst-run cities in the US are in California, study says. See the list."

MC
Maddie Capron
Idaho Statesman
Maddie Capron is a McClatchy Real-Time News Reporter focused on the outdoors and wildlife in the western U.S. She graduated from Ohio University and previously worked at CNN, the Idaho Statesman and Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism.
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