The 2019 US Cities Sustainable Development Report, released in July 2019, is SDSN’s third city-level report ranking 105 US cities on progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 (SDGs). The results show that there will be significant work to do across the board if the SDGs are to be achieved by 2030, as cities on average scored only 48.9%.

This 2nd annual report from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) ranks the 100 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is particularly relevant for urban leaders whose engagement is crucial for sustainable development, as 85% of the U.S. population live in cities.

America is the world’s richest large economy, with the world’s leading technologies and institutions of higher learning. Yet, the United States of America (U.S.) is falling behind other countries on a range of indicators relating to quality-of-life, economic opportunity, and environmental management. Nowhere is this problem more apparent than in American cities, which are home to 62.7 percent of the domestic population. This U.S. Cities SDG Index aims to set a framework for action and help urban leaders address the many sustainable development challenges affecting their cities. The Index covers the 100 most populous cities (measured as Metropolitan Statistical Areas, or MSAs).