Tulsa Is the 56th Best-Run City in America 2026

Tulsa, Okla., is the 56th 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 Tulsa

Tulsa displays some signs of a well-run city, including the 19th-best public hospital system in the country and the 26th-shortest average commute. It also has the 37th-best road quality.

However, Tulsa has room for improvement in other areas. For example, the city has the 18th-most greenhouse gas emissions per capita. In addition, it has the 26th-most motor vehicle fatalities per capita.

How Tulsa Ranks In Key Categories

• 25th for financial stability
• 95th for education
• 119th for health
• 124th for safety
• 65th for the economy
• 104th for infrastructure

This puts Tulsa in 56th 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.