NYC among the worst-run cities in the country, says new study
The study analyzed 36 key metrics—from public safety and health to infrastructure and education—and then weighed those against each city's per-capita budget. While New York fared decently in many service categories (16th in health, 21st in education and 24th in infrastructure and pollution), it fell hard on financial efficiency. Thanks to its famously bloated budget—the second-highest per capita in the country—New York's ranking plunged, earning it a spot just above Philadelphia, Oakland, Detroit and dead-last San Francisco.
Here's the kicker: New York actually ranks 23rd in quality of services. Not bad, right? But WalletHub's methodology compares that service score against spending and Gotham's staggering costs knocked it more than 120 spots down the leaderboard. In short: great services, terrible value.
'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,' said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
To put it in perspective, Provo, Utah—ranked No. 1 overall—came in 5th for service quality and 2nd for budget efficiency. That's a city with clean streets, rising income and a high school graduation rate above 90%, all delivered on a relative shoestring.
Meanwhile, NYC's long-term debt per capita ranks among the highest in the country, making it even harder to stretch taxpayer dollars effectively. Sure, we've got world-class transit, hospitals and public schools, but we're paying dearly for them.
Of course, New Yorkers aren't exactly known for suffering poor governance in silence. Consider this another item on the long list of things to kvetch about, right after rent, traffic and the MTA's weekend schedule.
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9 hours ago
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NYC among the worst-run cities in the country, says new study
According to a new WalletHub study ranking the best- and worst-run cities in the U.S., the Big Apple landed a less-than-apple-pie-sweet 145th out of 148 cities. That's right: Despite its cultural clout and global stature, New York City is officially one of the least efficiently run cities in the country. The study analyzed 36 key metrics—from public safety and health to infrastructure and education—and then weighed those against each city's per-capita budget. While New York fared decently in many service categories (16th in health, 21st in education and 24th in infrastructure and pollution), it fell hard on financial efficiency. Thanks to its famously bloated budget—the second-highest per capita in the country—New York's ranking plunged, earning it a spot just above Philadelphia, Oakland, Detroit and dead-last San Francisco. Here's the kicker: New York actually ranks 23rd in quality of services. Not bad, right? But WalletHub's methodology compares that service score against spending and Gotham's staggering costs knocked it more than 120 spots down the leaderboard. In short: great services, terrible value. '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,' said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. To put it in perspective, Provo, Utah—ranked No. 1 overall—came in 5th for service quality and 2nd for budget efficiency. That's a city with clean streets, rising income and a high school graduation rate above 90%, all delivered on a relative shoestring. Meanwhile, NYC's long-term debt per capita ranks among the highest in the country, making it even harder to stretch taxpayer dollars effectively. Sure, we've got world-class transit, hospitals and public schools, but we're paying dearly for them. Of course, New Yorkers aren't exactly known for suffering poor governance in silence. Consider this another item on the long list of things to kvetch about, right after rent, traffic and the MTA's weekend schedule.
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a day ago
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Great news, commuters: the city just spent $2.3 billion on shiny new train cars
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Zohran Mamdani says 'I don't think we should have billionaires'
Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, on Sunday said that he doesn't believe billionaires should exist. Asked directly whether billionaires should have a right to exist, Mamdani, who identifies himself as a Democratic socialist, told NBC News' "Meet the Press," 'I don't think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country.' 'And I look forward to working with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fair for all of them,' he added. His remarks come as some wealthy people in New York City soured on Mamdani in the days after it became clear that he would be the presumptive nominee. Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager who has backed President Donald Trump in the past, on Thursday pledged to use his money to bankroll a challenger to Mamdani in the general election. "[Mamdani's] policies would be disastrous for NYC. Socialism has no place in the economic capital of our country. The ability for NYC to offer services for the poor and needy, let alone the average New Yorker, is entirely dependent on NYC being a business-friendly environment and a place where wealthy residents are willing to spend 183 days and assume the associated tax burden," Ackman wrote in a post on X. "Importantly, there are hundreds of million of dollars of capital available to back a competitor to Mamdani that can be put together overnight (believe me, I am in the text strings and the WhatsApp groups) so that a great alternative candidate won't spend any time raising funds. So, if the right candidate would raise his or her hand tomorrow, the funds will pour in," he added. On Sunday, Mamdani also spoke about his plans to raise taxes on the wealthiest people living in the Big Apple, telling "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker, "Ultimately, the reason I want to increase these taxes on the top one percent, the most profitable corporations, is to increase quality of life for everyone, including those who are going to be taxed." He credited his plan to raise taxes on the wealthy as one of the key tenets of his platform, which helped him win the primary. "We're seeing that our vision to tax the top one percent of New Yorkers -- these are New Yorkers who make a million dollars a year or more -- and our proposal is to just tax them by two percent additional is something that has broad support and we'll continue to increase that support over the next few months." Mamdani has also faced critics — including President Donald Trump — who call him a communist. 'I am not' a communist," Mamdani said on Sunday, in response to a question about Trump's comments. On Sunday, in a separate interview on Fox News that was taped Friday, Trump again spoke about Mamdani, making a threat to pull federal funding from New York City if the next mayor doesn't 'do the right thing.' 'But let's say this, if he does get in, I'm going to be president, and he's going to have to do the right thing, or they're not getting any money, he's got to do the right thing,' the president told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo. 'I have already had to start to get used to, get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for, and I'm fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower, that he has since then betrayed,' Mamdani added. A key focus of Mamdani's campaign was speaking about affordability and the economy, a point that he made on "Meet the Press" Sunday when asked about why he thought he won. "It was the focus on the fact that we live in the most expensive city in the United States of America. It's also the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and yet, one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty, and the rest are seemingly trapped in a state of anxiety," Mamdani said. He added, "And what we've seen is that this is a city that needs to be affordable for the people who build it every day. Our focus was on exactly that, and by keeping that focus on an economic agenda, we showed New Yorkers that this could be more than just a museum of what once was. It could be a living, breathing testament to possibility."
