Study: Missoula is the 10th Best-Run City in the Entire U.S.
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The financial website Wallet Hub says Missoula is the 10th best-run city in the United States; not just the 10th best SMALL city, but the 10th best of 150 cities across the country.
KGVO News immediately contacted Wallet Hub analyst Jill Gonzalez for details on the distinction for Missoula.
Wallet Hub says Missoula is the 10th Best Run City in the US
“It's not just for small cities, it's really for any city,” began Gonzalez. “We looked at 150 of the largest US cities to see which are managed best. Essentially, we looked at how well city officials manage and spend public funds in six different categories by comparing the quality of services that the residents receive, and then we compare that to the city's total budget. So in Missoula, that means that residents are getting a good bang for their buck.”
Gonzalez also pointed out the quality of city services that Missoula has to offer.
“As far as city services go, Missoula did the best being ranked in the top 20,” she said. “When it comes to just its overall economy here, officials are helping to keep unemployment rates low. We're seeing some good annual job growth rates. We're seeing great changes in housing prices and the growth in the number of businesses. So that really is Missoula’s strong suit right now.”
The Only Weak Point is the City's Infrastructure
The only weak point Gonzalez highlighted about Missoula is getting here, as well as getting around in the city due to its infrastructure.
“Specifically when it comes to infrastructure, I'm sure you know when residents hear that Missoula got 10th best they might say, ‘Well, you haven’t driven here’. That's the only area where we could see some improvements and the quality of the roads could be a little bit better. The walk and bike score could be a little bit better as well, so really just looking at infrastructure now.”
Despite the many complaints about taxes and the cost of living by the residents in Missoula, Gonzalez said the city is still doing quite well, comparably speaking.
Wallet Hub had Praise for the Use of the City's Budget
“We’re not just looking at city services but also looking at the city budget,” she said. “The total budget per capita in Missoula is relatively low, so the fact that it can do so much with that budget is one of the reasons why it's in the top 10. A lot of this has to do with tax dollars and where they're going. The economy is doing good things right now, but your infrastructure probably needs a little bit more of those tax dollars.”
Other western cities that fared well in the survey were Nampa, Idaho and number one, Boise, Idaho at number four, and Bismarck, North Dakota at number 17.
Click here to see the full report from Wallet Hub.