Updated List Of 2026's Best-Run Cities Includes MA Classic

I can tell you this, Massachusetts friends and neighbors. I do NOT envy any local government representatives. They have a lot of migraine-worthy issues to deal with, whether it's crime, inflation, unemployment, regional debt, etc.

Despite sharing many of the same issues, certain cities across the country are much better maintained and run than others. How do some cities fare better than others when it comes to battling certain issues?

Recently, our good friends at WalletHub, the personal finance pros, conducted a study on this year's best- and worst-run cities in America, and they finally released their report. Guess what? Massachusetts has one city ranked in the top 50!

For the study, the WalletHub team took 148 of the largest cities in the country and compared them based on their operating efficiency. For each city, they grouped several key metrics into 6 main categories, such as violent crime rates, unemployment rates, road quality, percentage of the population living in poverty, etc.

Sadly, the Commonwealth did not place any cities in the top 20, but we should be proud of landing one city in the top 50. I'll make mention of that in a moment. First, let's salute the top dogs.

Here are WalletHub's Top 10 Best-Run Cities in America for 2026:

Provo, Utah
Nampa, Idaho
Manchester, New Hampshire
Boise, Idaho
Nasua, New Hampshire
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Lincoln, Nebraska
Mesa, Arizona

Great job to every one of those cities, and it's nice to see New England represented with New Hampshire in there twice! Now, onto the Bay State. Worcester was the highest-ranked Massachusetts city, ranking at #41, moving up from #46.

Last time, Boston came in ranked at #100. For 2026, Beantown dropped a few spots, moving down to #106! Boston is the runner-up best-run city in Massachusetts! Congrats to both cities for placing somewhat highly in the rankings.

Finally, the city of Springfield makes it in at #119 as the final Massachusetts city to make it in the rankings. It's a pretty comprehensive study. For the full rankings, visit WalletHub's website here.

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Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

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Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton

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Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

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