The greatness or horribleness of a city is a highly subjective matter. Furthermore, the city’s management does not necessarily determine its quality. As someone who relocated from Chicago, which is regarded as one of the most poorly managed cities in the United States, I can attest to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed living there.
It can be disheartening to see two Ohio cities listed among the 21 Worst Ran Cities in the country by a financial institution. However, it is important to note that many individuals who reside in these cities have a deep affection for them.
WalletHub has created a list of the most and least effectively run cities by measuring the operating efficiency of local leadership. This essentially means that the quality of services residents receive is compared to the city’s total budget, evaluating how well city officials manage and spend public funds. The study analyzed 149 of the largest cities in the United States and scored them based on six service categories: Financial Stability, Education, Health, Safety, Economy, and Infrastructure & Pollution.
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According to Wallethub’s rankings, Detroit was declared as the worst-run city. Other cities that landed in the bottom rankings were Gary, Jackson, MS, Flint, Chicago, and Baltimore. Unfortunately, Ohio’s own Toledo and Cleveland also made the list, ranking as the 8th and 13th worst-run cities, respectively.
After analyzing Wallethub’s findings, Engineer Your Finances shared their thoughts on these poorly managed cities and appeared to concur with the results.
According to Engineer Your Finances, while the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame is an attraction, there are not many reasons to visit or reside in Cleveland. Although not the worst city in America, Cleveland falls short in various areas such as education, safety, and public transportation. The population of Cleveland has been decreasing over the past 70 years, with 600,000 people leaving the city. As a result, the city’s population is now at 320,000, as reported in the 2020 census.
According to their analysis, Toledo, Ohio shares similarities with other mid-sized cities in the Midwest. Once a booming city, Toledo’s economic decline started when factories began shutting down and industries moved overseas. Unfortunately, Toledo now struggles in various categories and ranks towards the bottom of the country, despite having a decent population and local government. The lack of job opportunities has led to a significant decrease in the population, resulting in a decline in the city’s income. This vicious cycle has left Toledo as one of the worst cities in America, with no good solutions in sight. If you’re interested in reading about the other cities, you can find Wallethub’s study here.
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