Scenic Western metropolis praised for America's best run city
![A Western metropolis has taken the crown as America's best run city thanks to its high quality of life and frugal lawmakers. Nampa in Idaho is the state's third most populous city and renowned for its proximity to stunning natural beauty.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274703-0-image-a-448_1718785033156.jpg)
A Western metropolis has taken the crown as America's best run city thanks to its high quality of life and frugal lawmakers. Nampa in Idaho is the state's third most populous city and renowned for its proximity to stunning natural beauty.
![But it comes in first when it comes to operating efficiently, having topped a ranking of 148 of the country's largest cities. Nampa is run by Mayor Debbie Kling. While she is a Republican, the role is non-partisan and she has prided herself in making her city as livable as possible.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274707-0-image-a-449_1718785174782.jpg)
But it comes in first when it comes to operating efficiently, having topped a ranking of 148 of the country's largest cities. Nampa is run by Mayor Debbie Kling. While she is a Republican, the role is non-partisan and she has prided herself in making her city as livable as possible.
![The city of 100,000 people was found to be the best run by researchers at Wallethub who analyzed how well city officials manage public funds and the quality of services locals receive. 'The best-run cities in America use their budgets most effectively to provide high-quality financial security, education, health, safety and transportation to their residents,' Wallethub analyst Cassandra Happe explained. 'Many of the top cities also have a very low amount of outstanding government debt per capita, which can prevent financial troubles in the future.'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274759-0-image-a-450_1718785219070.jpg)
The city of 100,000 people was found to be the best run by researchers at Wallethub who analyzed how well city officials manage public funds and the quality of services locals receive. 'The best-run cities in America use their budgets most effectively to provide high-quality financial security, education, health, safety and transportation to their residents,' Wallethub analyst Cassandra Happe explained. 'Many of the top cities also have a very low amount of outstanding government debt per capita, which can prevent financial troubles in the future.'
![Nampa's long-term outstanding debt per capita is just $564 compared to big cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Denver and Detroit, where the number is in the $25k-$35,000 range. Nampa is also a safe city, with the sixth-lowest property-crime rate and the 22nd-lowest violent crime rate in the country. Additionally the city has the seventh-fewest motor vehicle fatalities per capita.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274745-0-image-a-451_1718785236363.jpg)
Nampa's long-term outstanding debt per capita is just $564 compared to big cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Denver and Detroit, where the number is in the $25k-$35,000 range. Nampa is also a safe city, with the sixth-lowest property-crime rate and the 22nd-lowest violent crime rate in the country. Additionally the city has the seventh-fewest motor vehicle fatalities per capita.
![Nampa also does very well economically. It has the highest median annual income growth in the country at 17 percent. It boasts a healthy number of growing businesses and the third-highest forecasted change in the median home value. Coming in at number two of the best run cities is Kentucky's Lexington thanks largely to the cleanliness of its streets.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274715-0-image-a-452_1718785247338.jpg)
Nampa also does very well economically. It has the highest median annual income growth in the country at 17 percent. It boasts a healthy number of growing businesses and the third-highest forecasted change in the median home value. Coming in at number two of the best run cities is Kentucky's Lexington thanks largely to the cleanliness of its streets.
![Lexington has the second-best drinking water quality in the country, relatively low air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions compared to most other cities. It has the 13th-lowest violent crime rate in the country, and the 20th-best road quality in the country. It combines a respectable median income of over $71,000 with care for those that are less fortunate - more than 95 percent of Lexington¿s homeless population is sheltered.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274725-0-image-a-453_1718785258397.jpg)
Lexington has the second-best drinking water quality in the country, relatively low air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions compared to most other cities. It has the 13th-lowest violent crime rate in the country, and the 20th-best road quality in the country. It combines a respectable median income of over $71,000 with care for those that are less fortunate - more than 95 percent of Lexington’s homeless population is sheltered.
![In third place is Boise in Idaho once again, where residents benefit from financial stability. The city has the third-lowest long-term outstanding government debt per capita, at $1,062 as well as healthy forecasts for the growth rate of businesses and house prices.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274729-0-image-a-454_1718785267437.jpg)
In third place is Boise in Idaho once again, where residents benefit from financial stability. The city has the third-lowest long-term outstanding government debt per capita, at $1,062 as well as healthy forecasts for the growth rate of businesses and house prices.
![In addition, Boise is a very safe city, with the fourth-lowest property crime rate and 10th-lowest violent crime rate in the country. It has the fewest motor vehicle fatalities per capita and a highly ranked public hospital system. Rounding out the top five are the cities of Nashua in New Hampshire and Oklahoma City.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274737-0-image-a-455_1718785274709.jpg)
In addition, Boise is a very safe city, with the fourth-lowest property crime rate and 10th-lowest violent crime rate in the country. It has the fewest motor vehicle fatalities per capita and a highly ranked public hospital system. Rounding out the top five are the cities of Nashua in New Hampshire and Oklahoma City.
![Nashua had the third best ranking for quality of services, while Oklahoma City boasts a competitive ranking for budget per capita. In order to determine the best- and worst-run cities in America, WalletHub compared the cities across six key categories.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274713-0-image-a-456_1718785281640.jpg)
Nashua had the third best ranking for quality of services, while Oklahoma City boasts a competitive ranking for budget per capita. In order to determine the best- and worst-run cities in America, WalletHub compared the cities across six key categories.
![These were financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure and pollution. The metrics were then divided by the total budget per capita to produce a score. Detroit in Michigan , Jackson in Mississippi and Gary in Indiana were deemed to be the country's worst run cities using the system.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/19/09/86274711-0-image-a-457_1718785288942.jpg)
These were financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure and pollution. The metrics were then divided by the total budget per capita to produce a score. Detroit in Michigan , Jackson in Mississippi and Gary in Indiana were deemed to be the country's worst run cities using the system.
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