Tennessee’s four largest cities all ranked in the bottom third of a list compiled by the online website WalletHub.com analyzing how efficiently cities are run. Called “2017’s Best- and Worst-Run Cities,” the list, published Monday, ranked 150 of the largest cities in the nation. The study compared the quality of services residents receive against a city’s total budget. Cities were compared across six categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution. Nashville ranked 112 on the list in overall rankings, and Knoxville ranked 127. Almost at the bottom were Memphis, at 141, and Chattanooga, falling just below Memphis at 142. No other Tennessee cities were included. All four cities are run by Democrats: Mayor Megan Barry in Nashville, Mayor Madeline Rogero in Knoxville, Mayor Andy Berke in Chattanooga, and Mayor Jim Strickland in Memphis. However, in a breakdown of results, Knoxville got an approving nod for its three-way tie for third for having the highest quality of roads. On the negative side, Memphis had the fourth-highest violent crime rate. The highest-ranking cities, from first through fifth, were Nampa, Idaho; Provo, Utah; Boise, Idaho; Missoula, Montana, and Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky.
Read the full storyReport: Chattanooga, Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville Among the Worst-Run Cities in Country
