A new report by the Milken Institute has identified the top-performing cities in America, with Raleigh, North Carolina taking the top spot. The report assesses economic vitality in 200 large metropolitan areas and 203 small metropolitan areas based on factors such as job creation, wage growth, high-tech sector output, housing affordability, broadband coverage, community resilience, and income inequality.
Raleigh’s strong employment conditions and robust high-tech sector led to its ranking as the top-performing city. Gainesville, Georgia was ranked first among small cities, with sustained high scores across multiple metrics. The report also shows that Tulsa, Oklahoma improved the most over last year, rising 99 places to No. 86.
However, some cities experienced significant declines in rankings. San Francisco, for example, dropped 99 places to No. 126 due to a downturn in its tech sector. The Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities report aims to provide insights into the economic performance of US cities and help policymakers make informed decisions.
Cities are ranked into five tiers based on their performance, with Tier 1 being the highest-ranked cities and Tier 5 being the lowest-ranked cities. This year’s index focuses on jobs, wages, high-tech growth, housing affordability, broadband coverage, community resilience, and income inequality. The report highlights the importance of addressing these issues to promote economic growth and improve quality of life for residents.
The full list of top-performing cities can be found in the Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities report, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic performance of US cities.
Source: https://www.livenowfox.com/news/best-performing-cities-america-milken-2025