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Six years ago, Phoenix was riding high when it was ranked the 49th-best city in the world in a highly anticipated “World’s Best Cities” list. But after falling in the ranking four out of five years in a row, the city has now dropped off the list entirely.
Released on Wednesday, this year’s report from Canadian marketing firm Resonance Consulting used 46 different metrics to inform the ranking, including public transit options, health, air quality, standard of living, nightlife and unemployment rate. The survey used hard data in some instances and also gathered perceptions from a survey of 21,000 people. Global market research company Ipsos also assisted in creating the list.
After its high ranking in 2020, the post-pandemic era saw Phoenix lose ground. In the next two years, Phoenix fell a few spots to No. 55 and then dropped to the 76th spot in 2022. After falling another twelve spots to No. 88 in 2023, Phoenix did not make the list at all in 2024.
But after its disappearance, Phoenix came back in 2025, ranked No. 89 in the world. Earlier this year, Phoenix also ranked 25th in another Resonance list of top cities in the U.S. Now Phoenix has dropped off the world ranking again — though, if it’s any solace, Tucson fell off the list, too. Last year, Tucson outranked Phoenix among the world’s top cities.
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Chris Fair, the president and CEO of Resonance, said the ranking was informed in part by how cities are addressing new challenges.
“Cities worldwide are navigating an interconnected web of challenges: accelerating impacts of climate change, shifting geopolitical and trade alliances, and the rapid adoption of AI, which may prove to be more impactful on our city centers than the pandemic was,” Fair said. “Cities that lead our 2026 rankings are not merely adapting, but pioneering new models of urban excellence.”
Fair added that “these metros are integrating sustainability, technology, and livability in ways that attract global talent and investment while serving residents’ evolving needs.”
A Phoenix spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the ranking.
Phoenix’s absence from this year’s list is in line with an interesting trend: After 38 American cities were in the top 100 list last year, only 19 made it this year. Several American cities fell significantly, too — while 17 were ranked in the top 50 last year, five were this year.
Hmm, did anything major change in America compared to 2024? Jason McGrath, an executive vice president for Ipsos, hinted that the chaotic consequences of America’s current political climate may play a role in American cities’ freefall.
“There’s a significant increase in geopolitical frictions and societal realignment, largely influenced by the Trump administration’s global trade strategies,” McGrath wrote in the report. “Nationalism and protectionism are on the rise as countries view global economics from a zero-sum perspective. Such global developments have palpable repercussions, influencing the cost of everyday essentials and stirring both political landscapes and consumer behavior.”
Here are the American cities that cracked the top 100 for 2026.
2. New York, New York
12. Los Angeles, California
26. Miami, Florida
28. San Francisco, California
35. Chicago, Illinois
55. Las Vegas, Nevada
56. Boston, Massachusetts
57. Washington, D.C.
58. Houston, Texas
60. San Jose, California
62. Orlando, Florida
66. Atlanta, Georgia
67. Seattle, Washington
78. Dallas, Texas
81. San Diego, California
84. Denver, Colorado
87. Austin, Texas
88. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
89. Baltimore, Maryland
