Mesa ranks No. 10 in nation for best-run cities, leading Arizona

Article originally posted on Phoenix Business Journal on June 30, 2026

The East Valley city of Mesa is one of the best-run municipalities in America, a new analysis has concluded.

Mesa ranked No. 10 in the nation in the 2026 Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America report released this month from WalletHub. It was Arizona’s clear leader, ahead of No. 40 Phoenix and No. 61 Tucson.

The report ranked the nation’s 148 largest cities based on an analysis of quality of services and amounts spent. Six other categories were measured and ranked as well: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure.

Mesa was buoyed by its total budget per capita, for which it ranked No. 10 overall. When it came to quality of services, the city was No. 62 overall.

In its more detailed breakdown, Mesa’s best subcategory ranking was for economy, for which it was No. 32. After that, it was No. 46 for safety, No. 68 for financial stability, No. 73 for health, No. 78 for education and No. 137 for infrastructure and pollution.

“Mesa earned its spot as the 10th best-run city in America by making the most of its resources and delivering good value to its taxpayers,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “A strong credit rating and relatively low long-term debt help support its financial stability, allowing Mesa to provide services efficiently without relying on excessive spending.”

Mesa’s economic strength is not new. The city ranked fourth in the nation for economic growth in a separate study released last year that was dominated by the Phoenix metro.

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In response to the report, Mayor Mark Freeman touted Mesa as a full-service city that provides everything from public safety and water services to parks, transportation and economic development.

“This ranking reflects the work our employees do every day to deliver those services efficiently and responsibly,” Freeman said. “We appreciate the recognition and remain focused on providing value to Mesa residents and businesses.”

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