Durham, Raleigh rank among top 25 best-run cities in America, new report shows

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Durham and Raleigh are among the best-run cities in America, according to a new national study released on Tuesday.

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A 2026 report from personal finance website WalletHub ranked Durham at No. 17 and Raleigh at No. 21 among the nation’s best-run cities.

The study comes as local governments across the country continue to navigate challenges ranging from inflation and economic pressures to public safety concerns. WalletHub researchers evaluated 148 of the nation’s largest cities by comparing the quality of services they provide against the amount of money they spend.

To determine the rankings, analysts examined 36 metrics across six categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, as well as infrastructure and pollution. Those results were then measured against each city’s per-capita budget to identify which cities deliver the most value for taxpayers.

“The best-run cities in America use their budgets most effectively to provide high-quality financial security, education, health, safety and transportation to their residents,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “Many of the top cities also have a very low amount of outstanding government debt per capita, which can prevent financial troubles in the future.”

Among the cities studied, Durham ranked 26th for overall quality of services and 33rd for budget per capita. Raleigh placed 11th for quality of services and 51st for budget per capita.

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Durham earned especially strong marks in financial stability, where it ranked third nationwide. The city also placed 24th in education, 24th in health and 37th in economy. However, Durham came in 77th in safety and 144th in infrastructure and pollution.

Raleigh also performed well in several key areas, placing 11th in financial stability, 17th in education, 22nd in health and 21st in economy. The city also ranked 40th in safety and 100th in infrastructure and pollution.

The only other North Carolina cities to appear in WalletHub’s overall rankings were Greensboro, which ranked 34th nationally, and Charlotte, which appeared in the No. 53 spot.

WalletHub’s analysis used data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Zillow and Moody’s Investors Service.

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