ORLANDO, Fla. – A new study released by WalletHub has revealed the “best-run” cities in the country — and a couple happen to be right here in the Sunshine State.
The report examines factors like financial stability, education, health and safety to determine the top-ranked entries, as well as the lowest-ranked of the bunch.
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“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 Chip Lupo said. “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.”
In Florida, the top-ranked pick turned out to be Jacksonville at No. 18, with Tallahassee falling further behind at No. 29.
Nationwide, though, the No. 1 city was revealed to be Provo, Utah.
“Provo, UT, is the best-run city, and the reasons for that are that the city is experiencing business growth of around 3.1%, alongside a high school graduation rate of nearly 91%, a combination that signals a strong foundation for the future.
Provo is also a city that is safe and keeps its infrastructure well-maintained. It has the seventh-lowest violent crime rate in the country, the eighth-lowest property crime rate, and the 24th-best road quality in the country.
Finally, with relatively short average commute times and low traffic congestion, Provo’s ease of getting around adds to its growing appeal and reflects effective city planning and infrastructure management."
WalletHub, "Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America (2026)"
In terms of individual cities, Florida had a few stand-outs in the report.
- Miami — Ranked No. 8 in terms of education
- Hialeah — Tied No. 1 with Miami for unemployment, and came in at No. 5 for violent crime rates
- Jacksonville — Ranked No. 8 for total budget per capita
- Tallahassee — Ranked No. 2 for quality of roads
Meanwhile, the full list of Florida cities ranked as follows: