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This Study Ranks Arlington as a One of the Best-Run Cities in the Country

Whether you are a current resident or considering moving to a new city, you want to be sure the city is managed well. There's a lot of ways to keep tabs on how the city is doing. One way is reviewing third-party studies about cities and their management. Learn about this recent study and where Arlington landed on the list.

Whether you are a current resident or considering moving to a new city, you want to be sure the city is managed well.

City leadership plays a big role in the city’s growth and how residents enjoy the place they call home.

It is a question real estate clients ask from time-to-time.

There are lots of ways to keep tabs on how a city is doing.

One way is reviewing third-party studies about cities and their management.

If you’re a current or potential Arlington resident, WalletHub recently recognized Arlington has the 25th best run city in the country.

In fact, Arlington is the top-run city in Texas. Fort Worth landed in second place for cities in Texas (60th overall). Other North Texas cities on the list include:

Fort Worth (#45)
Dallas (#95)
Garland (#112)

What are the rankings based on?

WalletHub compared the operating efficiency of 150 of the largest U.S. cities to reveal which among them are managed best. We constructed a “Quality of Services” score made up of 35 metrics grouped into the following six service categories

Financial Stability
- Moody’s City Credit Rating
- Long-Term Debt Outstanding per Capita
Education
- K–12 School-System Quality
  Note: This metric measures the share of public schools rated by GreatSchools.org with above average score.
- High School Graduation Rate
Health
- Infant Mortality Rate
- Average Life Expectancy (in Years)
- Hospital Beds per Capita
- Quality of Public Hospital System
  Note: This metric is based on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ ranking of public hospital systems.
Safety
- Violent Crime Rate
- Property Crime Rate
- Motor Vehicle Fatalities per Capita
- Percentage of Sheltered Homeless Persons
Economy
- Unemployment Rate: Triple Weight
- Underemployment Rate
- Median Annual Household Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
- Median Annual Income Growth Rate
  Note: Growth compares the rate in 2016 versus in 2015.
- Annual Job Growth Rate (Adjusted for Population Growth)
- Share of Population Living Below Poverty Level
- Economic Mobility
- Growth in Number of Businesses
  Note: Growth compares the number in 2016 versus in 2015.
- Change in Housing Prices
  Note: Change compares the price in 2017 versus in 2010.
- Zillow Home Value 1-year Forecast
  Note: The Zillow Home Value Forecast is Zillow’s prediction of what the Zillow Home Value Index will be one year from now.
- Building-Permit Growth
  Note: Growth spans 2015 to 2017.
Infrastructure & Pollution
- Quality of Roads
  Note: This metric measures the share of pavements in poor condition.
- Average Commute Time (in Minutes)
- Transit Access Shed
  Note: “Transit Access Shed” is the total area of land that is easily accessible from any point via public transportation.
- Traffic Congestion
- Walk Score
  Note: “Walk Score” measures pedestrian friendliness by analyzing population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density.
- Bike Score
  Note: “Bike Score” measures whether an area is good for biking. The Bike Score is calculated by measuring bike infrastructure (lanes, trails, etc.), hills, destinations and road connectivity, and the number of bike commuters.
- Transit Score
  Note: “Transit Score” is a patented measure of how well a location is served by public transit.
- Recreation-Friendliness
  Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.
- Water Quality
- Air Pollution
- Greenhouse-Gas Emissions per Capita
- Share of Parkland