Philadelphia drops in Milken Institute's "Best Performing Cities" list
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The Philadelphia area is 111th among the country's best-performing big cities, per an annual report from the Milken Institute.
Why it matters: U.S. city metros are ranked on several economic factors, including job growth, affordable housing and economic equality.
Driving the news: Philly plummeted 59 spots from 2024, when the metro nabbed the top spot for the most-improved area among big cities.
- The city ranked No. 52 last year.
How it works: The Milken Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit, assessed 403 U.S. metropolitan areas on 13 economic metrics, like their labor markets, tech industry growth and economic access.
Zoom out: Topping this year's list: Raleigh, North Carolina; Ogden, Utah; and Salt Lake City.
Zoom in: Elsewhere in our area, the region made up of Montgomery, Bucks and Chester Counties ranked 95th among large cities.
- In New Jersey, Camden came in at 82 and Trenton 117.
Reality Check: The report doesn't examine quality-of-life issues, like green space and public transit access.
- That means some of Philly's perks, including our parks and museums, weren't considered.