Bismarck Is the 25th Best-Run City in America 2026

Bismarck, N.D., is the 25th best-run city in America, according to a new study by WalletHub comparing what 148 of the largest U.S. cities deliver to residents versus what each takes via tax dollars. The study included 36 metrics in six key categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure.

Local officials must balance competing community priorities with limited financial resources. This often means making difficult trade-offs—deciding which services are most essential, which departments should receive more or less funding, and whether taxes need to be adjusted.

“The best-run cities in America spend their tax dollars efficiently to provide high-quality financial security, education, health, safety and transportation to their residents,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “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.”

In-Depth Look at Bismarck

Bismarck demonstrates that its a well-run city by posting the seventh-lowest unemployment rate in the country and ranking as the second-safest city for residents who walk alone. It also has the 17th-lowest violent crime rate.

However, Bismarck has room for improvement in other areas. For example, the city has the 18th-lowest annual income growth. In addition, home values in the city have appreciated at the sixth-lowest rate in the nation.

How Bismarck Ranks In Key Categories

• 24th for financial stability
• 44th for education
• 32nd for health
• 25th for safety
• 18th for the economy
• 55th for infrastructure

This puts Bismarck in 25th place out of the 148 cities in WalletHubs study.

Best-Run Cities in America

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.