Mayor Tim Kelly is touting a new ranking of the nation’s best performing large cities, which shows Chattanooga rose 26 spots — from No. 72 to 46 — out of 200 of the most populous metropolitan areas.
“I think it’s evidence that the work is working,” Kelly said in a phone call. “I hope we continue to move up as we continue to gain traction in all these key areas. We’re encouraged.”
The Milken Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, calculates the rankings based on 13 measures across three general categories — labor market performance, high-tech impact and access to economic opportunities. The measures include wage growth, job growth, income inequality and a community’s ability to bounce back from economic or natural disasters.
In the ranking, Chattanooga is defined by its metropolitan statistical area, which includes Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in Georgia. Chattanooga ranks third highest of the six Tennessee cities that appear on the list, behind Nashville and Knoxville.
“We’re trying to make Chattanooga the best city in America, and when you get feedback like this from an objective third party that indicates progress, that’s gratifying,” Kelly said.