BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — Any group of people, regardless of size or education, is only as good as its leadership, and the same is true even as settlements, cities, and even countries come into being. But just as cities themselves are different, so too are their leaders. In some cases, a terrible mayor or governor […]
BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — Any group of people, regardless of size or education, is only as good as its leadership, and the same is true even as settlements, cities, and even countries come into being. But just as cities themselves are different, so too are their leaders. In some cases, a terrible mayor or governor can make even a prosperous community fall into ruin — but as a new study shows, this is far from the case in some of North Dakota’s largest areas.
In an attempt to discover the ‘best-run’ cities in our country by economic and operating standards, analysts with Wallethub gathered data on the 148 most populated cities in the US relating to six major categories (such as infrastructure, pollution, education, and economy) based on 36 different metrics. When these individual factors were graded, they were used to calculate an overall Quality of City Services score and a Total Budget Per Capita score — which allowed researchers to eventually construct an overall ranking. After placing these rankings in order, it was determined that Bismarck is the 19th best-run city in the United States, in part due to high-quality city services including health, safety, and financial stability.
Financial Stability Rank: 23
Education Rank: 91
Health Rank: 31
Safety Rank: 27
Economy Rank: 61
Infrastructure and Pollution Rank: 79
Overall Quality of City Services Rank: 25
Total Budget per Capita Rank: 35
Overall Rank: 19
Bismarck is not the only major area in North Dakota that was noted in Wallethub’s study, as Fargo was also included as the 59th best-run city in America. Below is a list of its’ own statistics, and how it stacks up to the rest of the charted areas in each ranking.
Financial Stability Rank: 98
Education Rank: 118
Health Rank: 29
Safety Rank: 54
Economy Rank: 88
Infrastructure and Pollution Rank: 45
Overall Quality of City Services Rank: 64
Total Budget per Capita Rank: 64
Overall Rank: 59
To view the complete study — including a full list of statistics and a detailed infographic of where exactly each city is located — visit this page on Wallethub’s website.