CITY
LIMITS
​​As of the 2020 Census, approximately 35% of the US population lives in metropolitan areas with populations between 50,000 and 500,000 (mid-sized cities). Despite having thriving economies, many mid-sized cities struggle with rising poverty rates, limited access to healthcare, and constrained opportunities for wealth-building.
​
By highlighting these crucial issues, we can work towards building a more equitable and fair society where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
This site summarises the findings of the report City Limits: Examining Health, Wealth, and Well-Being in Mid-Sized American Cities, which examines 25 mid-sized US cities across 18 public health, quality of life, wealth, and economic mobility indicators.
Cities were selected based on their population size, median income range, racial demographics and to represent geographic diversity. Indicators were selected to represent measures of public health, community well-being, population wealth, and economic mobility
​
The analysis examines disparities and is intended to provide civic leaders and planners data points to consider as a jumping-off point to begin closing gaps where inequities exist.
63%
30%
27%
40%
You are 63% more likely to live near a park in Boulder, CO than in Abilene, TX
You are 30% more likely to own a home if you live in Nampa, ID than Rochester, NY
You are 27% more likely to experience gun violence if you live in Little Rock, AR than in Ann Arbor, MI
​You will experience 40% poorer air quality if you live in Little Rock, AR than Syracuse, NY
THE CITIES
Cities were selected based on their population size (between approximately 100k and 250k), median income (between $40K and $80K), size of the non-white population (25% to 55%), and geographic diversity.
Syracuse is the fifth most populous city in New York state. It joins Rochester and Buffalo as the three major metropolitan areas ringing the southern edge of Lake Ontario. The cities population was just below 150k residents as of the 2020 census, with a 47% non-white population. Syracuse scored generally poorer than average across health indicators, about average in community well-being, and below average in wealth and economic mobility indicators. Despite having nearly the lowest cost of living among the 25 cities, homeownership is well below average, and both income inequality and racial income disparity are high.
Key
Findings
High Air Quality High Income Inequality Low Cost of Living
Oxnard, CA
​Oxnard is a coastal community approximately 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles on California's Central Coast. It is the most populous city in Ventura County and is both a seaside and agricultural community. Oxnard scores near average across most indicators, but ranks highly in park access and freedom from gun violence. Oxnard ranks very low in income inequality, yet high in racial income disparity - likely because the area as a whole is wealthy with a median income above $70,000 - but with many minorities heavily concentrated in low-paying agricultural and service sectors.
Key
Findings
Great Park Access Low Gun Violence High Racial Income Disparity
Akron, OH
Akron is comfortably above average in park access, access to healthy food, and mobility with some of the highest transit scores of all cities studied. Akron has fewer households living in poverty than average, but higher than average income inequality - suggesting a large middle-class with a number of wealthy outliers. Despite having the lowest median house price among cities studies - nearly $300k below the national average - homeownership is not greatly higher in Akron than in other cities. Higher than average obesity and diabetes, and low educational attainment are some of the trouble spots for Akron.
Key
Findings
Better than Average Park Acces, Food Access, Mobility, and
Freedom from Gun Violence
THE FINDINGS
Indicators were selected to represent measures of public health, community well-being, population wealth, and economic mobility. Choose a topic below to learn more.
HEALTH
By understanding public health indicators such as diabetes, mental distress, obesity, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity, civic leaders can create policies and design initiatives to help create healthier and more livable communities.
COMMUNITY WELL-BEING
Public health can be significantly improved through thoughtful urban planning. For example, the placement of parks and green spaces can encourage physical activity, while access to healthy food and grocery stores can improve nutrition. Additionally, incorporating walkable neighborhoods and improving public transportation can reduce the need for automobiles, which can reduce air pollution and improve public health.
WEALTH
With unemployment at historic lows, and median incomes varying widely across geographies, wealth indicators including income inequality, racial income disparity, households living in poverty, credit insecurity, and cost of living burdens were chosen to provide insights into the economic conditions of these cities and to better understand where inequities exist.
ECONOMIC MOBILITY
While wealth indicators tell us where a population is today, economic mobility indicators such as homeownership, broadband access, and educational attainment can tell us whether residents have the resources they need to connect with higher paying jobs and build generational wealth.
DATA EXPLORER
The chart below provides an overview of how all cities scored across each category. While cities performed close to average across health indicators, as you observe indicators of community well-being, wealth, and economic mobility - wide disparities become apparent, with the largest occurring in categories such as park access, access to healthy food, income inequality, racial income disparity, and educational attainment.
Use the chart below to explore how each city ranked across the range of indicators. Hover over a line to show the city or use the drop down menu to compare cities.
RANKINGS BY INDICATOR
Diabetes
Highest
Lowest
Akron, OH
Rochester, NY
Allentown, PA
Richmond, VA
Huntsville, AL
Boulder, CO
Ann Arbor, MI
Tempe, AZ
Hillsboro, OR
Beaverton, OR
Description: Diabetes among adults aged ≥18 years (%)
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
Obesity
Highest
Lowest
Allentown, PA
Akron, OH
Fort Wayne, IN
Rochester, NY
Des Moines, IA
Boulder, CO
Ann Arbor, MI
Lowell, MA
Beaverton, OR
Santa Rosa, CA
Description: Diabetes among adults aged ≥18 years (%)
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
Physical Inactivity
Highest
Lowest
Rochester, NY
Syracuse, NY
Allentown, PA
Akron, OH
Lowell, MA
Boulder, CO
Ann Arbor, MI
Vancouver, WA
Santa Rosa, CA
Beaverton, OR
Description: No leisure-time physical activity in past month among adults aged ≥18 years (%)
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
Park Access
Highest
Lowest
Beaverton, OR
Ann Arbor, MI
Lowell, MA
Boulder, CO
Hillsboro, OR
Abilene, TX
Huntsville, AL
Las Cruces, NM
Nampa, ID
Little Rock, AR
Description: Population living within a 10 minute walk of green space (%)
Source: ParkServe® via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2018
Freedom From Gun Violence
Highest
Lowest
Ann Arbor, MI
Worcester, MA
Oxnard, CA
Boulder, CO
Hillsboro, OR
Little Rock, AR
Richmond, VA
Akron, OH
Las Cruces, NM
Fort Wayne, IN
Description: Combination of firearm homicides and firearm suicides by city. Converted to a percentage range for display purposes.
Source: Multiple Cause of Death Data, National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics via City Health Dashboard and 2017-2020 FBI Supplementary Homicide Report via Every Town Research.
Years of Collection: 2018-21 (average)
Percent of Population at or below the ALICE Threshold
Highest
Lowest
Nampa, ID
Gainesville, FL
Richmond, VA
Abilene, TX
Rochester, NY
Akron, OH
Tempe, AZ
Salt Lake City, UT
Las Cruces, NM
Huntsville, AL
Description: Number of households who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
Source: United for ALICE, county-level data
Years of Collection: 2021
Cost of Living
Highest
Lowest
Las Cruces, NM
Gainesville, FL
Abilene, TX
Little Rock, AR
Santa Rosa, CA
Lowell, MA
Des Moines, IA
Syracuse, NY
Rochester, NY
Green Bay, WI
Description: Cost of housing, transportation, and energy costs as a percent of income
Source: Housing and transportation: Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) Housing + Transportation Index, 2020, Typical Regional Household Size. Energy burden: U.S. Department of Energy Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool
Years of Collection: 2020
Racial Income Disparity
Highest
Lowest
Little Rock, AR
Green Bay, WI
Abilene, TX
Boulder, CO
Oxnard, CA
Las Cruces, NM
Lowell, MA
Nampa, ID
Allentown, PA
Ann Arbor, MI
Description: Percentage difference between white and non-white median income
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS Selected Housing Characteristics, 2020
Years of Collection: 2020
Broadband Access
Highest
Lowest
Boulder, CO
Ann Arbor, MI
Hillsboro, OR
Beaverton, OR
Santa Rosa, CA
Syracuse, NY
Rochester, NY
Little Rock, AR
Des Moines, IA
Allentown, PA
Description: Percentage of household owners vs. renters
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS Selected Housing Characteristics, 2020
Years of Collection: 2020
Frequent Mental Distress
Highest
Lowest
Gainesville, FL
Akron, OH
Syracuse, NY
Rochester, NY
Allentown, PA
Santa Rosa, CA
Beaverton, OR
Oxnard, CA
Boulder, CO
Hillsboro, OR
Description: Mental health not good for ≥14 days during the past 30 days among adults aged ≥18 years (%)
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
High Blood Pressure
Highest
Lowest
Huntsville, AL
Little Rock, AR
Akron, OH
Richmond, VA
Fort Wayne, IN
Boulder, CO
Ann Arbor, MI
Tempe, AZ
Gainesville, FL
Hillsboro, OR
Description: High blood pressure among adults aged ≥18 years (%)
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
Air Quality
Highest
Lowest
Syracuse, NY
Lowell, MA
Worcester, MA
Rochester, NY
Green Bay, WI
Little Rock, AR
Oxnard, CA
Ann Arbor, MI
Beaverton, OR
Las Cruces, NM
Description: Average daily concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) per cubic meter (average). Converted to a percentage scale for presentation purposes.
Source: PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019, 1 Year Modeled Estimate
Access to Healthy Food
Highest
Lowest
Syracuse, NY
Lowell, MA
Worcester, MA
Rochester, NY
Green Bay, WI
Little Rock, AR
Oxnard, CA
Ann Arbor, MI
Beaverton, OR
Las Cruces, NM
Description: Population living more than ½ mile from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store (%)
Source: Food Access Research Atlas, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture via City Health Dashboard
Years of Collection: 2019
Mobility
(Walk, Bike, and Transit scores)
Highest
Lowest
Boulder, CO
Akron, OH
Salt Lake City, UT
Tempe, AZ
Ann Arbor, MI
Huntsville, AL
Little Rock, AR
Las Cruces, NM
Fort Wayne, IN
Nampa, ID
Description: City walkability, bikeability, and transit scores.
Source: Walk Score and Bike Score from Walkability.com, AllTransit Rankings from Center for Neighborhood Technology
Years of Collection: 2021
Income Inequality
Highest
Lowest
Rochester, NY
Gainesville, FL
Syracuse, NY
Akron, OH
Santa Rosa, CA
Boulder, CO
Beaverton, OR
Oxnard, CA
Ann Arbor, MI
Vancouver, WA
Description: Households with income at the extremes of the national income distribution (the top 20% or bottom 20%) irrespective of race (%)
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS S1902 Mean Income in the Past 12-Months (In 2021 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)
Years of Collection: 2021
Credit Insecurity
Highest
Lowest
Syracuse, NY
Gainesville, FL
Richmond, VA
Rochester, NY
Akron, OH
Beaverton, OR
Hillsboro, OR
Vancouver, WA
Nampa, ID
Huntsville, AL
Description: A community-level indicator of the population with limited credit access (index, converted to percentage)
Source: New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax
Years of Collection: 2020
Homeownership
Highest
Lowest
Nampa, ID
Fort Wayne, IN
Des Moines, IA
Huntsville, AL
Green Bay, WI
Rochester, NY
Gainesville, FL
Syracuse, NY
Tempe, AZ
Allentown, PA
Description: Percentage of household owners vs. renters
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS Selected Housing Characteristics, 2020
Years of Collection: 2020
Bachelor+ Attainment
Highest
Lowest
Ann Arbor, MI
Boulder, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Tempe, AZ
Beaverton, OR
Allentown, PA
Oxnard, CA
Nampa, ID
Akron, OH
Abilene, TX
Description: Residents who have attained a bachelor's degree or higher (%)
Source: Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions.
Years of Collection: 2020