Fremont Ranked Among Best Run Cities In U.S.

FREMONT, CA — Fremont was ranked among 2021's best-run cities in the U.S. during a year that put local governments and leaders to the test in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bay Area city snagged no. 77 out of 150 cities according to new data gathered by WalletHub.

"Even when the U.S. isn’t in a time of crisis, running a city is a tall order," WalletHub researchers wrote in a report. "But how do we measure the effectiveness of local leadership? One way is by determining a city’s operating efficiency."

The financial advice site used several factors to measure how well cities are managed. WalletHub's analysts constructed a "quality of services" score of 38 different metrics grouped into six categories, which were measured against the city's per-capita budget, according to the report.

Fremont received high marks (no. 1) for having the lowest percentage of its population in poverty, 4.3 percent, compared to Flint, Mich., the city with the highest at 38.8 percent, according to the report. And the city ranked no.3 among cities with the highest median annual household income.

The city was also ranked among cities with the lowest violent crime rate in the U.S. at no. 5.

However, the city didn't receive as much praise for its roads, which were ranked among cities that had the lowest quality roadways.

"The most important issues facing cities today are COVID-19, housing affordability, and crime, " said John Winters, an associate professor at Iowa State Univeristy. "COVID-19 is still a major problem, but vaccinations are the clear solution. Cities need to continue encouraging vaccinations, including among hard-to-reach and otherwise reluctant populations."

Here's an interactive map of WalletHub's 2021's Best & Worst Run Cities In America.