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Survey: Washington DC, Detroit, New York Among The Worst-Run Cities In U.S.

(CBS Local) - Washington D.C. may be the nation's capitol, but a new survey is also calling it the "worst-run" city in America.

Personal finance website WalletHub has released its rankings for the worst big cities in the country and found that several high-profile places are at the bottom of the list when it comes to city management and operating efficiency.

Here are the 10 worst-run cities according to WalletHub's July 9 release:

  • Washington D.C.
  • Detroit, Mich.
  • New York City, N.Y.
  • San Francisco, Calif.
  • Gulfport, Miss.
  • Oakland, Calif.
  • Chattanooga, Tenn.
  • Flint, Mich.
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Hartford, Conn.

"We constructed a 'Quality of Services' score made up of 35 metrics grouped into six service categories, which we then measured against the city's per-capita budget," WalletHub financial writer Adam McCann said.

Ironically, the District of Columbia, which is home to the nation's budget makers, was ranked as the worst city when it comes to budget per capita. DC also finished near the bottom of the 150-city list in terms of public education and health scores.

Detroit, the second "worst-run" city, finished in last place in WalletHub's rankings for financial stability and overall economy.

St. Louis, the 15th-worst-run city, posted the worst score in terms of safety according to the survey.

One thing every big city has in common are major roadways, traffic, and a reputation for pollution. In those fields, California cities were found to be the worst in the country. In road quality, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Fremont, Oakland, and San Francisco all tied for the worst streets in the U.S.

As for air pollution, WalletHub says Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Bakersfield, and Riverside have the dirtiest air in America.

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