Vancouver-based marketing firm Resonance Consultancy Ltd. has published its list of the 100 Best Cities in the World in 2023. London and Paris topped the rankings, but four Golden State locales also made the cut.
Los Angeles (#12)
LA ranked 12th on the list of best cities. The researchers took note of its diversity, dining (ranked #11 worldwide for restaurants), the new SoFi Stadium and the Rams’ Super Bowl victory, the renovation of LAX’s terminals and the plethora of museums. LA currently ranks #2 globally for Google searches.
San Francisco (#14)
San Francisco scored high marks on educational attainment among residents as well as economic prosperity.
“Still, the city has been deeply wounded economically—by the pandemic, the lack of affordable housing and what many see as regulatory overreach,” the researchers note. “Companies are leaving for Austin and Florida as a result. But life goes on. The city is rolling out the most daring bike and pedestrian infrastructure in America and the protected bike network now boasts 464 miles of bikeways, including 50 miles of new car-free/car-light streets in the past year alone. Aggressive pursuit of out-door public spaces—from downtown’s new Salesforce Park, 70 feet above street level atop the roof of the Salesforce Transit Center, to the half-dozen parks, tunnels and spaces opening this year in the Presidio alone—was a clinic in opportunism. The city’s #31 Outdoors ranking will only improve.”
San Diego (#32)
With its incredible weather and growing tech sector, it’s no wonder San Diego is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. — or why it landed in the top 35 for Best Cities in the World.
74 - San Jose (#74)
San Jose followed Shanghai and ranked just ahead of Lyon. Here’s what the researchers had to say about it:
“Despite crushing housing costs and a battered tech sector that has powered San Jose for decades, and a rise in interest rates that is spooking a lot of the venture capital that funds the bets necessary to fuel the region’s innovation, the city still boasts the most educated population in the country, ranking #4 in our Educational Attainment subcategory. As a result, San Jose finished #28 in our overall People category. This is also the eight-most-educated city on the planet, with the highest Household Income ranking and an Employment Rate ranking of #6 globally. A possible concern (but not surprising given the city’s economic relentlessness) is its #187 ranking for Income Equality. The region, home to Google, Facebook, Cisco Systems, eBay and PayPal, is #7 for Global 500 companies in town. The titans of tech help San Jose rank #4 for GDP per Capita on the planet.”
See the full list of the World’s Best Cities here.
List was compiled by Resonance Consultancy Ltd. and does not reflect data on all cities.