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Based on 2021 data, the Milken Institute’s annual Best-Performing Cities (BPC) rankings,
released in May, ranked Provo-Orem, Utah, No. 1 among large cities for the third year in a
row, followed by Austin-Round Rock, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina. “I am proud to see
that the world is taking note of this remarkable place, where the majesty of nature
surrounds a thriving hub of tech activity and educational opportunity, creating
unparalleled quality of life,” said Provo native and Mayor Michelle Kaufusi. The
organization’s small cities list was dominated by one corner of the country, as Idaho
Falls, Idaho, finished No. 1, followed by Logan, Utah-Idaho, and St. George, Utah. The
rankings offer “an assessment of cities’ performance amidst the rapidly changing social,
demographic, and economic landscape following the initial year of the pandemic,” the
Institute says, noting three trends:
- “Cities’ performance is closely linked to job and wage growth, which is primarily
driven by the expansion of high-tech industries.”
- “While large cities tend to have a stronger presence of high-tech industries, the
fastest growth in this sector was observed in the top-ranked small cities.”
- “With the resumption of travel and tourism throughout 2021, the leisure and
hospitality industry played a crucial role in driving the highest improvements in this
year’s rankings.”
Use the interactive tools at the Milken Institute’s home page for
its BPC rankings to custom sort results and to compare and contrast the
geographical footprint of the report’s Large Cities and Small Cities lists.
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