Highlights from the State of the Cities Report 2023 by NLC

On July 21st, the National League of Cities (NLC) released its 10th State of the Cities report, offering valuable insights into the priorities and challenges facing local governments across the United States. This year, we at Zencity had the privilege of partnering with NLC by contributing sentiment and satisfaction data for their comprehensive analysis.

As expected, infrastructure emerged as the number one priority for mayors nationwide, reflecting the critical role it plays in supporting communities and driving economic growth. However, what stands out in this year’s findings is the surprisingly low ranking of broadband and public transit within the broader infrastructure category. This raises important questions about the current federal government’s focus on broadband connectivity—could it be that this issue is less of a priority for mayors because the federal government is already moving forward at such a rapid pace? Or is there a disconnect between national priorities and the immediate concerns of local leaders?

The report also sheds light on the significant concern mayors have regarding budget and management issues. With the availability of ARPA funding to stabilize local government budgets, one might expect some relief. However, inflation and supply chain disruptions have dramatically increased the cost of government operations, particularly in areas like wages and capital construction. As Yogi Berra famously said, “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore,” highlighting the financial pressures that local governments are currently navigating.

Public safety is another area that remains at the forefront of mayoral priorities. The report cites, “according to data collected in 2022 from government social media and local media organizations, Zencity found that most of the discourse about violence, crime, and general public safety is negative, indicating low satisfaction and trust among residents.” This underscores the ongoing need for cities to continually measure and address resident satisfaction and trust—something that Zencity can assist with through our advanced data-driven tools, such as our Police Accountability Survey.

To read the full report and takeaways for cities, follow this link.