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Dallas isn’t as great now as it was last year, but it’s still quite nice, according to an annual list of the best cities in the world.
Conducted annually by Resonance Consultancy, the Best Cities list ranks Dallas at No. 78 among the world’s top urban economies. “Maverick spirit runs through new investment, luxury and the population, starting at the airport,” reads the pun-intended report.
But it’s impossible to ignore that even this lofty placement is 23 spots lower than last year’s No. 55 ranking.
To pull this list together, they checked out over 400 cities worldwide, looking at key stats and also what people living in and visiting those cities thought, based on ratings and reviews. The entire process also took into account factors such as how easy and enjoyable a city is to live in, as well as its financial performance—”livability, lovability, and prosperity.” The “lovability” aspect, which caught our attention, was based on factors such as nightlife, shopping, culture, food, and attractions—essentially all the enjoyable aspects that make a city a great place to be, according to the individuals who compiled the list.
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Regardless of the drop, the survey had some really nice things to say about Big D.
“The hospitality sector is booming: Harwood District flaunts a Swiss‑Texan swagger with Kengo Kuma’s 22-story Michelin Key Hôtel Swexan; the JW Marriott opened in the country’s largest contiguous Arts District in 2023; and a flurry of flagships are in the works,” the report states. “Investors tracking fundamentals see that DFW added 59,000 jobs since March 2024 – second only to New York – and finance jobs now outpace Wall Street on what locals call ‘Y’all Street’ (watch the #20 ranking for Economic Output and #23 for Large Companies rise).”
Helping Dallas’ cause in the study were high rankings for weather (No. 8) and airports (No. 10). In fact, the study is really impressed with the airport here, writing, “At the airport with the third-highest passenger count in the world, American Airlines and DFW just greenlit a $4 billion Terminal F that will double gate capacity by 2030, with Terminal C’s current refresh aimed at 2026 FIFA World Cup crowds. The city’s global Top 10 Airports ranking will keep ascending.”
London again takes the No. 1 spot on the list, with New York City in second place. Adding insult to injury for Dallasites is that Houston landed way above Dallas, nearly in the spot we were in last year at No. 58. But, hey, there is some consolation to be had in this year’s rankings. Austin only reached No. 87, and Philadelphia, home to the hated Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, also landed behind us at No. 88.
It’s pretty striking how many fewer U.S. cities made the top 100 list this year—only 19, way down from the 38 we saw last year. American cities also slid quite a bit in the overall rankings; just five cracked the top 50, compared to 17 a year ago.
It’s not great that Dallas dropped on the Renaissance Consultancy list, but it could be even worse. Being located anywhere in the top 100 cities in the world is quite an honor, after all. At least we didn’t fall completely off the list, like Phoenix.