Our Methodology
How we rank the Best Cities. Resonance Consultancy scores the world’s best cities based on the six metrics below.
How We Define The Categories
The ranking evaluates each qualifying city across the six pillars of place equity: Place, Product, Programming, People, Prosperity, and Promotion. The performance of the Top 100 cities in this report is summarized in radar charts. Each hexagon in a radar chart represents a category of a city’s competitive identity.
PLACE
The perceived quality of a city’s natural and built environment, including the sub-categories of Weather, Safety, Neighborhoods & Landmarks, and Outdoors.
PRODUCT
A city’s key institutions, attractions and infrastructure, including the sub-categories of Airport Connectivity, Attractions, Museums, University Ranking, Convention Center, and Pro Sports teams.
PROGRAMMING
The arts, culture, entertainment and culinary scene in a city, including the sub-categories of Shopping, Culture, Restaurants, and Nightlife.
PEOPLE
The immigration rate and diversity of a city, including the sub-categories of Foreign Born and Educational Attainment.
PROSPERITY
A city’s employment and corporate head offices, including the sub-categories of Fortune 500 Companies and Household Income as well as Employment Rate and Income Equality for the 2021 America’s Best Cities rankings.
PROMOTION
The quantity of stories, references and recommendations shared online about a city, including the sub-categories of Google Search Results, Google Trends, Facebook Check-ins, Instagram Hashtags, and TripAdvisor Reviews.
Get The Scorecard
Use your cities ranking data to tell its best story. Our Best Cities Scorecard surfaces your city’s strengths and weaknesses, as perceived by visitors, potential investors, prospective residents and talent. And it does so relative to your competitive set.