Two Tennessee cities on the list of “worst-run cities” in America

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Tennessee Conservative Staff –

Two Tennessee cities made a recent list of the nation’s “worst-run cities.”

According to Design your finances, both Chattanooga and Memphis are on their list of the 21 “worst-run cities” in America. The list is based on statistics collected by WalletHub, a personal finance company that “empowers consumers to lead financially healthy lives.”

WalletHub comparison of 149 largest cities in the country six main categories were looked at: Economy, Education, Financial Stability, Health, Infrastructure and Pollution, and Security. They looked at the services offered to city residents, as well as the city’s overall budget, to determine the quality and cost of those services.

Out of 149 cities, Memphis was ranked 143rd, ranking at the bottom of the ranking as one of the worst-run cities. However, Bluff City was also named “the worst city in America for safety.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to most considering the crime rates in Memphis exceeded those of Detroit at the end of 2023. The city ended the year with 398 homicides. Memphis Police Department kill board shows that there have already been 124 murders in 2024.

However, Memphis is also on the list as “the newest party city,” referring to Beale Street.

The the list names Chattanooga, ranking 129th out of 149, representing “best of worst performance.” They highlight the city’s expansive job market and growing population, but also mention “the healthcare network and highway system straining under the strain while the public education system struggles to meet the demands of all new residents.”

To determine overall ranking, WalletHub ranked each city in each of six categories. They then divided these results by “Total Budget Per Capita” to calculate “result per dollar spent.” Cities that were lower on the list were the worst at using public funds to provide high-quality services to their residents.