https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2015/
The National League of Cities (NLC) publishes its State of the Cities report to provide a comprehensive analysis of city trends based on annual State of the City addresses…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2017/
The State of the City speech is a reflection of the mayor’s priorities as well as the city’s accomplishments, challenges and roadmap for the future. Watch State of the Cities:…
https://www.nlc.org/events/state-of-the-cities-2023/
For the second year, Infrastructure tops the list of priorities for mayors, according to the 2023 State of the Cities report. Each year, NLC releases State of the Cities, highlighting…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2019/
As Washington talks, mayors take action. With a lack of federal leadership on critical issues like climate change and infrastructure, mayors are increasingly focusing on local solutions that address national…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2020/
The state of our cities continues to be strong even in these troubled times. Right now, mayors are battling the twin challenges of a public health crisis precipitated by the…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2018/
Each year, mayors across the nation detail their vision for their city’s future in a seminal address—their state of the city speech. These speeches have taken on new significance as…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2016/
As the economy rebounds and fiscal health stabilizes, mayors across the country are using their State of the City speeches to tout the progress their communities have made through hard…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2014/
For the first time in human history, the majority of the world’s population (54%) lives in urban areas, including 80 percent of Americans. This number is expected to grow to 66…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2022/
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout, the state of America’s cities, towns and villages is strong. Local leaders fought to deliver historic federal funding opportunities to support…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2021/
State of the Cities 2021 examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated critical issues facing municipalities. Some key statistics describing the challenges that our cities face include: 39% of officials…
https://www.nlc.org/events/state-of-the-cities-2022/
Despite immense challenges municipal governments have faced in the last two years, the state of America’s cities in 2022 is strong. In the wake of the pandemic, cities have reopened…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2024/
Pay to Print Access a professionally printed copy of the report. Learn More The annual State of the Cities report encapsulates the challenges cities, towns and villages face and the…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2025/
In the dynamic realm of local governance, the State of the Cities report captures local leaders’ collective vision and unwavering commitment. This comprehensive study, backed by a survey of mayors…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2023/
The 2023 State of the Cities examines the most urgent challenges facing mayors and their municipalities. Their primary objectives and strategies include improving their citizens’ quality of life. The report’s…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/state-of-the-cities-2026/
Pay to Print Access a professionally printed copy of the report. learn more America’s cities are not just surviving, they are innovating and delivering every day. Mayors remain committed to…
https://www.nlc.org/events/state-of-the-cities-2021-report-release/
This Year’s Report Documents the Pandemic’s Impact on Cities across America Join the National League of Cities as it unveils this year’s State of the Cities report. This first comprehensive report of…
https://www.nlc.org/events/state-of-the-cities-2024-release/
Join NLC for the launch of its annual State of the Cities report. The 2024 State of the Cities (SOTC) report provides a comprehensive analysis of the social and economic…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/06/22/state-of-the-cities-2022-highlights/
The 2022 State of the Cities delves into the key areas that mayors nationwide are focused on and what issues they are prioritizing for their cities. To better learn what…
https://www.nlc.org/events/2025-state-of-the-cities-report-release/
Join us for the official release of the 12th annual State of the Cities report, a comprehensive look at the priorities, challenges, and innovations shaping America’s cities, towns, and villages…
https://www.nlc.org/events/state-of-the-cities-report-release/
Join the National League of Cities (NLC) as we release our 13th annual State of the Cities report focused on the top priorities identified by mayors and chief elected officials.…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/04/16/state-of-the-cities-in-the-wake-of-covid-19/
Each year, mayors across the country prepare to give a very meaningful speech: The State of the City. This is a time for local leaders to communicate about the health,…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/from-the-event-state-of-the-cities-2023/
NLC released the 2023 State of the Cities report in July. The 2023 State of the Cities examines the most urgent challenges facing mayors and their municipalities. NLC released the…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/from-the-event-state-of-the-cities-2021-report-release/
NLC released its 2021 State of the Cities report, finding that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities within and among American communities, especially for people of color. The report also…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/06/30/nlc-releases-the-2020-state-of-the-cities-report/
When 2020 began, we could not have imagined what would have transpired in just a few short months. From health and economic crisis to resounding calls to address systemic racism,…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/from-the-event-state-of-the-cities-2022-report-release/
Despite immense challenges municipal governments have faced in the last two years, the state of America’s cities in 2022 is strong. In the wake of the pandemic, cities have reopened…
https://www.nlc.org/post/2023/07/21/nlc-releases-2023-state-of-the-cities-report/
Report Shows Infrastructure Remains Top Priority for Mayors Washington D.C. – Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) released the 2023 State of the Cities report, an annual review of…
Washington, DC – Mayors have long demonstrated their capacity to lead on critical issues that extend beyond city limits. Much like the president’s State of the Union, each year, mayors…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/10/05/public-safety-a-reflection-on-the-state-of-the-cities/
This blog post is part of a series of CitiesSpeak posts on reimagining public safety. Each year, NLC releases a report on the state of America’s cities through analysis of…
NLC’s newly released 2025 State of the Cities (SOTC) report comes directly from the voices of local leaders across the country. This report outlines five critical priorities that cities across…
Washington D.C. – The National League of Cities (NLC) has released its 2024 State of the Cities report, an in-depth exploration of the complex challenges confronting municipal governments and the…
This is the third in a seven-part series about mayors’ 2011 State of the City speeches. Mayors across the country are implementing initiatives to drive economic recovery while protecting the…
WASHINGTON – May 30, 2018 – The National League of Cities (NLC) released its 2018 State of the Cities report today at a national morning press event with city leaders and…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) released its annual State of the Cities report, revealing that America’s mayors are laser-focused on driving economic recovery through innovation…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/03/19/state-of-the-city-the-case-of-pensions/
This is an NLC staff post by Anita Yadavalli and Yang You. In advance of our annual State of the Cities report, which will be released later this year, this blog series…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/04/02/state-of-the-city-the-case-of-healthcare/
In advance of our annual State of the Cities report, which will be released later this year, this blog series captures speeches given by mayors in 2017. This blog is…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/how-to-deliver-an-effective-state-of-the-city-address/
Each year, mayors, council presidents, and city managers deliver State of the City speeches. These speeches can increase transparency and help local leaders connect with constituents, network with local business,…
While all eyes are on President Biden this week as he prepares to outline his Administration’s priorities for the next year in his annual State of the Union address, many…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/19/in-north-port-florida-the-state-of-the-city-is-digital/
This is a guest post by Peter Lear, city manager of North Port, Florida. As city manager for North Port, Florida, I’m dedicated to keeping our residents informed about information…
NLC’s 2017 State of the Cities analysis reveals how much mayors are using their public platforms to call attention to the issues of inequities based on race and ethnicity facing…
https://www.nlc.org/post/2013/04/01/nlc-wraps-up-its-state-of-the-cities-2013-series/
NLC concludes its “State of the Cities 2013” series on our blog, www.CitiesSpeak.org. The series features seven posts analyzing mayors’ 2013 State of the City Addresses and found that city…
https://www.nlc.org/events/city-hall-101-the-role-of-cities-in-moving-america-forward/
Cities are essential to economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Local elected officials are responsible for the physical and civic infrastructure America depends on, such as roads, bridges, and water systems. Cities…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/09/21/the-re-emergence-of-neighborhoods/
For the past five years, NLC’s Center for City Solutions has analyzed hundreds of mayors’ state of the city addresses. In this research, we examine which priorities mayors are focusing…
New Data from the National League of Cities Reveals Cities Concerned About Funding, Developing and Providing Essential Infrastructure Services for their Residents As the Congress and the Administration debate the details of a new comprehensive infrastructure package, new survey data…
Annual “State of the Cities” Report Finds Mayors Expanding Leadership Roles to Fight Attacks on Local Control, Address Top Issues for Cities WASHINGTON — May 24, 2017 — A comprehensive…
In 2015, Grand Rapids was home to about 40,000 African-Americans, who made up between 20 percent and 21 percent of the population. That same year, Forbes magazine listed Grand Rapids,…
The state of mental well-being among Americans remains an area of concern as over 61 million adults (PDF) reported experiencing any mental illness in the last year as of 2024.…
As the December 2026 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program spending deadline approaches, local governments should evaluate the long-term fiscal needs of their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)…
In advance of our annual State of the Cities report, which will be released later this year, this blog series captures speeches given by mayors in 2018 and shares their…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/08/17/housing-and-cities-a-deeper-look-at-the-numbers/
Over the last few years, “The Rent is Too Damn High” has grown from a fringe political party in New York to a constant complaint from millennials, seniors, middle-income wage…
2026 State of the Cities report finds cities focused on economic growth while confronting housing, infrastructure and public safety challenges LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The National League of Cities (NLC) today…