The past year has been tough on Fort Wayne, but our great city and its leaders have prevailed in the top ten. From issues of inflation to public safety, the desks of our city leaders are never clear, and running a city is not a small, insignificant task. The larger the city, the more complex the issues become. Our great city was measured on a scale of budgeting, education, health, and transportation.
Who ranked above our beloved hometown? The top three cities in America were named as Provo, Utah, Nampa, Idaho, and Manchester, New Hampshire. These cities were ranked on the same scale as Fort Wayne; here’s how they measured up. Starting with number three, Manchester, New Hampshire, the city leads off on the right foot with the 7th lowest air pollution counts. Manchester is also a very safe city, claiming the title of 15th lowest property crime rate and the 28th lowest violent crime rate. Moving west across the country, Nampa, Idaho, is the second-best-run city in our great nation. Governmental debt levels are extremely low, with the cities’ long-term outstanding debt per capita being as low as $478, in comparison to some of the top cities in debt, where the range hangs within the balance of 23-33k. Nampa also has the lowest property crime rate in the country, and the 19th highest median annual income, with growth spiking 7%. Provo, Utah, is the best-run city for a reason. Business growth spiked 5.2%, along with a high school graduation rate of nearly 91%. In addition, the city has the 4th-lowest crime rate in the country and the 7th-lowest property crime rate. Finally, the median household income has grown an impressive 8.4%, with an equally impressive low unemployment rate of 2.8%.
The bottom-ranked cities are as follows: Jackson, Mississippi, our neighbors to the west, Gary, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan. Jackson ranks 146th on the financial stability scale, followed by Gary, coming in at 66th, and Detroit falls behind them at 145th. Local education in Jackson comes in at 119th, Gary trails with a ranking of 125th, and Detroit falls last at 133rd. Finally, health rankings within these cities are the lowest to be seen; Jackson holds fast at 126th, Gary ranks just one step lower at 127th, and Detroit falls to 136th.
Overall, these studies and rankings have confirmed what we as the proud Hoosiers of our great Summit City have known for years, we really have a wonderful city we are fortunate enough to call home. Have any more ideas on how to get us into the top 5? Make sure you are well informed of who your state and local leaders are and make your voice heard.
