New Index Ranks Metros on Social and Economic Health
Operators choosing expansion markets will see social cohesion and governance scores weighed alongside traditional economic measures.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Regional Economics
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The Geography of Prosperity Index ranked the New York City-Jersey City-Newark metro area as the most prosperous among the nation's 250 largest urban areas, while The Villages in Florida scored lowest overall. For operators, the index offers a new lens on where affluence and economic stability are concentrated across US metros.
Why it matters
The index scores metros across five categories: population renewal, climate resilience, automation readiness, social cohesion, and governance and foresight. Metro-level rankings like these can shape where businesses weigh expansion, hiring, and customer targeting decisions.
The index ranks 250 metros, with New York City-Newark leading on social cohesion at 95 out of 100 and The Villages trailing on population renewal at 2. The source does not provide the full composite scores or weightings behind the overall rankings.
The players
Geography of Prosperity Index
A metro-area ranking index that scores the nation's 250 largest urban areas across five categories of economic and social health.
The Villages
A master-planned retirement community in Florida, known for its large older-adult population and ranked lowest overall in the index.
The details
The index draws on federal agency statistics, academic research, and proprietary resources to assign each metro a score in five categories. Those category scores determine the overall ranking, so a metro strong in one area can still rank lower if it scores poorly in another. The Villages' lowest standing reflects its population profile, with roughly 85% of residents 65 or older, which pulls down its population renewal score.
Timeline
The index will add an affordability measure in 2027.
The index will study freedoms for people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community in 2028.
Market Landscape
The index adds non-economic categories such as social cohesion, governance and foresight, and climate resilience to a metro ranking, moving beyond income and output measures alone. Its findings place New York City-Newark, Durham, Ann Arbor, and Boston at the top, while retirement-heavy communities like The Villages rank lowest on population renewal.
Operators weighing where to open or expand should note that metro rankings now incorporate social cohesion and governance factors alongside economic ones. Businesses that rely on retiree spending or population growth should review how their target markets score on population renewal before adjusting site or marketing plans.
The takeaway
Metro-level prosperity rankings are becoming more multidimensional, which means location decisions may increasingly reflect social and governance factors beyond traditional economic data. Operators should track the 2027 affordability measure as the index's next update and factor it into any multi-year regional expansion plan.
What happens next
The index is scheduled to add an affordability measure in 2027 and to study freedoms for people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community in 2028, which will change how metro rankings are calculated.
Further reading
For broader context on how metro areas compare across the country, explore Regional Economics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Smart Cities Dive.
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