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Who are world's most innovative medium (urban population one million to 4.4 million) cities?
Population band rankings added based on city feedback, to recognise the hard work of economic development, trade, tourism, Mayors and other groups in medium cities delivering innovation conditions, despite less resources than large Metropolises (like NYC).
This special city ranking shows which cities are outperforming relative to population.
Based on data from the 16th annual Innovation Cities™ Index city rankings process by 2THINKNOW. Original quantitative method, with 162 indicators (including consideration of 1000+ data point inputs) per city. Est. 2007.
Why this ranking? Breadth of indicators covers areas of innovation that 500 cities are focussed on. Such as: digital, liveability, smart, economic development, mobility (transport), tourism and trade, place branding, start-ups, sustainability. The city ranking has over a decade of results, making analysis possible. Detailed data is also available to order.
2THINKNOW: Global 100 | Global 500 | Global Small 200* | Global Medium 200* (NEW)
Compare: G8 | G20 | NAFTA | EU-27 | EU+EEA+Sw | ASEAN | GCC
Regions: ANZ | Asia Regio | China Region | India | Japan | Europe Regio | UK | Mid-East | Africa | Eurasia | Russia | USA | Latin America | Canada
US Feature: USA Small-Scale Cities* | USA Mid-Size Cities* (NEW)
These city rankings measure pre-conditions for innovation. Results are available globally (500 cities or top 100), or by region/nation.
The 162 Indicators cover key areas for city innovation such as: digital transformation, technology, startups, economic development, sustainability, liveability, mobility and other areas. Above average scores across many indicators result in a higher rank. Thus making cities that rank high, more well-balanced. You can order city data at any level.
Indicators map to key government departments or industries.
The Innovation Cities™ Index was established in 2007. We seek to definitively answer the question - 'which are the world's most innovative cities '?
-- MORE FAQ
Based on 162 standard Indicators with underlying Data Points from 2THINKNOW's awesome City Benchmarking Data set. Making it easy to compare cities.
-- From FAQ
You can request analysis on any area of your city. This can be data-sets, plans, recommendations. Anything to add detail.
All the data is available to compare any set of cities you need. The full data set is at your disposal, just order the specific areas you need. Available as raw Data Points or Indicators.
Please register and request a Proposal (add details)
Ranking Resources: Overview | Media Resources | Methodology | FAQ
Instructions for Use: Yes, the top-level Innovation Cities™ Index results are always free to track and monitor. You can publish this list, please attribute it correctly - see 'Reproducing this list' below the table. Just, register for email updates here.
Data Detail: The data is available for purchase at Indicator level. Used by govt, cities, finance, insurance, consultants and businesses. We also will work with you on analysis, training workshops and reports based on insights from 500 cities of data.
Medium City Rankings Results for 2022-2023
| MEDIUM INDEX RANK | CITY | LOCATION 1 | LOCATION 2 | SCORE (60) | 2018 YEAR RANK | CHANGE | CityID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco - San Jose | California | United States | 53 | 1 | - | 1557 |
| 2 | Berlin | Germany | 52 | 2 | - | 142 | |
| 3 | Stockholm | Sweden | 52 | 10 | 7 | 1279 | |
| 4 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 52 | 14 | 10 | 353 | |
| 5 | Munich | Germany | 51 | 5 | - | 863 | |
| 6 | Vienna | Vienna | Austria | 51 | 4 | -2 | 1439 |
| 7 | Seattle | Washington | United States | 51 | 3 | -4 | 1215 |
| 8 | Montréal | Quebec | Canada | 50 | 6 | -2 | 853 |
| 9 | Milan | Italy | 50 | 18 | 9 | 825 | |
| 10 | Vancouver | British Columbia | Canada | 50 | 8 | -2 | 1426 |
| 11 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 50 | 17 | 6 | 302 | |
| 12 | Miami | Florida | United States | 50 | 9 | -3 | 822 |
| 13 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | United States | 49 | 13 | - | 1027 |
| 14 | Oslo | Norway | 49 | 16 | 2 | 978 | |
| 15 | Osaka-Kobe | Osaka | Japan | 49 | 22 | 7 | 2112 |
| 16 | Dublin | Ireland | 49 | 25 | 9 | 354 | |
| 17 | San Diego | California | United States | 49 | 7 | -10 | 1160 |
| 18 | Brisbane | QLD | Australia | 48 | 29 | 11 | 186 |
| 19 | Helsinki | Finland | 48 | 23 | 4 | 497 | |
| 20 | Hamburg | Germany | 48 | 20 | - | 483 | |
| 21 | Denver | Colorado | United States | 48 | 12 | -9 | 334 |
| 22 | Portland | Oregon | United States | 48 | 19 | -3 | 1053 |
| 23 | Austin | Texas | United States | 48 | 11 | -12 | 87 |
| 24 | Las Vegas | Nevada | United States | 48 | 27 | 3 | 713 |
| 25 | Detroit | Michigan | United States | 48 | 47 | 22 | 337 |
| 26 | Rome | Italy | 47 | 24 | -2 | 1117 | |
| 27 | Brussels | Brussels | Belgium | 47 | 44 | 17 | 190 |
| 28 | Newark | New Jersey | United States | 47 | 52 | 24 | 902 |
| 29 | Baltimore | Maryland | United States | 47 | 28 | -1 | 97 |
| 30 | Zürich | Switzerland | 47 | 50 | 20 | 1526 | |
| 31 | Oakland | California | United States | 47 | 21 | -10 | 944 |
| 32 | Orlando | Florida | United States | 47 | 26 | -6 | 972 |
| 33 | Prague | Central Bohemian Region | Czech Republic | 46 | 34 | 1 | 1061 |
| 34 | Lisbon | Portugal | 46 | 53 | 19 | 730 | |
| 35 | Perth | WA | Australia | 46 | 63 | 28 | 1020 |
| 36 | Kyoto | Kyoto | Japan | 46 | 35 | -1 | 700 |
| 37 | Athens | Greece | 46 | 33 | -4 | 78 | |
| 38 | Sacramento | California | United States | 46 | 31 | -7 | 1133 |
| 39 | Tampa | Florida | United States | 46 | 40 | 1 | 1327 |
| 40 | Minneapolis-St Paul | Minnesota | United States | 46 | 32 | -8 | 1544 |
| 41 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | United States | 46 | 43 | 2 | 1035 |
| 42 | San Antonio | Texas | United States | 46 | 65 | 23 | 1155 |
| 43 | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | 46 | 39 | -4 | 8 | |
| 44 | Auckland | Greater Auckland | New Zealand | 45 | 56 | 12 | 81 |
| 45 | Budapest | Hungary | 45 | 42 | -3 | 194 | |
| 46 | Oporto | Portugal | 45 | 62 | 16 | 966 | |
| 47 | Nagoya | Aichi | Japan | 45 | 70 | 23 | 877 |
| 48 | Yokohama | Kanagawa | Japan | 45 | 81 | 33 | 1508 |
| 49 | Stuttgart | Germany | 45 | 30 | -19 | 1285 | |
| 50 | Manchester | United Kingdom | 45 | 15 | -35 | 782 | |
| 51 | Lyon | Rhône-Alpes | France | 45 | 36 | -15 | 757 |
| 52 | Warsaw | Poland | 45 | 60 | 8 | 1470 | |
| 53 | Charlotte | North Carolina | United States | 45 | 66 | 13 | 247 |
| 54 | Nashville | Tennessee | United States | 45 | 49 | -5 | 890 |
| 55 | Cleveland | Ohio | United States | 45 | 93 | 38 | 284 |
| 56 | Santa Ana-Anaheim | California | United States | 45 | 37 | -19 | 1173 |
| 57 | Cincinnati | Ohio | United States | 45 | 72 | 15 | 275 |
| 58 | Kansas City | KS/MO | United States | 45 | 46 | -12 | 614 |
| 59 | Cologne | Germany | 45 | 41 | -18 | 290 | |
| 60 | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | United States | 45 | 61 | 1 | 403 |
| 61 | Adelaide | SA | Australia | 44 | 92 | 31 | 13 |
| 62 | New Orleans | Louisiana | United States | 44 | 69 | 7 | 900 |
| 63 | Honolulu | Hawaii | United States | 44 | 67 | 4 | 523 |
| 64 | Busan | South Korea | 44 | 38 | -26 | 1553 | |
| 65 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 44 | 55 | -10 | 446 | |
| 66 | St Louis | Missouri | United States | 44 | 79 | 13 | 1272 |
| 67 | Birmingham | West Midlands | United Kingdom | 44 | 84 | 17 | 152 |
| 68 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | United States | 44 | 71 | 3 | 827 |
| 69 | Providence | Rhode Island | United States | 44 | 54 | -15 | 1067 |
| 70 | Liverpool | United Kingdom | 44 | 76 | 6 | 732 | |
| 71 | Louisville | Kentucky | United States | 44 | 107 | 36 | 742 |
| 72 | Columbus | Ohio | United States | 44 | 68 | -4 | 296 |
| 73 | Memphis | Tennessee | United States | 44 | 57 | -16 | 813 |
| 74 | Napoli (Naples) | Italy | 44 | 78 | 4 | 886 | |
| 75 | Ottawa | Ontario | Canada | 44 | 74 | -1 | 983 |
| 76 | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Prefecture | Japan | 44 | 75 | -1 | 423 |
| 77 | Calgary | Alberta | Canada | 44 | 51 | -26 | 210 |
| 78 | Norfolk | Virginia | United States | 44 | 95 | 17 | 924 |
| 79 | Rochester | New York | United States | 44 | 94 | 15 | 1115 |
| 80 | Hannover | Germany | 43 | 86 | 6 | 489 | |
| 81 | Bucharest | Romania | 43 | 89 | 8 | 193 | |
| 82 | Incheon | South Korea | 43 | 82 | - | 1550 | |
| 83 | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 43 | 103 | 20 | 54 |
| 84 | Raleigh-Durham | North Carolina | United States | 43 | 45 | -39 | 1085 |
| 85 | Sapporo | Hokkaido | Japan | 43 | 83 | -2 | 1546 |
| 86 | Indianapolis | Indiana | United States | 43 | 64 | -22 | 548 |
| 87 | Edmonton | Alberta | Canada | 43 | 73 | -14 | 369 |
| 88 | Utrecht | Netherlands | 43 | 98 | 10 | 1416 | |
| 89 | Salt Lake City | Utah | United States | 43 | 48 | -41 | 1149 |
| 90 | Hartford | Connecticut | United States | 43 | 97 | 7 | 493 |
| 91 | Jacksonville | Florida | United States | 43 | 91 | - | 580 |
| 92 | Marseille | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | France | 43 | 77 | -15 | 794 |
| 93 | Buffalo | New York | United States | 43 | 88 | -5 | 197 |
| 94 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | United States | 43 | 102 | 8 | 1394 |
| 95 | Doha | Qatar | 43 | 117 | 22 | 344 | |
| 96 | Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 43 | 59 | -37 | 689 |
| 97 | Bilbao | Spain | 42 | 85 | -12 | 149 | |
| 98 | Richmond | Virginia | United States | 42 | 58 | -40 | 1105 |
| 99 | Hiroshima | Hiroshima Prefecture, | Japan | 42 | 113 | 14 | 514 |
| 100 | Sofia | Bulgaria | 42 | 112 | 12 | 1247 | |
| 101 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | United States | 42 | 101 | - | 457 |
| 102 | Toulouse | Midi-Pyrénées | France | 42 | 87 | -15 | 1376 |
| 103 | Valencia | Spain | 42 | 106 | 3 | 1421 | |
| 104 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | United States | 42 | 100 | -4 | 955 |
| 105 | Omaha | Nebraska | United States | 42 | 109 | 4 | 961 |
| 106 | Tucson | Arizona | United States | 42 | 99 | -7 | 1391 |
| 107 | Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | 42 | 127 | 20 | 1228 | |
| 108 | Daegu | North Gyeongsang | South Korea | 41 | 90 | -18 | 1552 |
| 109 | Birmingham | Alabama | United States | 41 | 105 | -4 | 151 |
| 110 | Lille | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | France | 41 | 111 | 1 | 724 |
| 111 | Fresno | California | United States | 41 | 96 | -15 | 413 |
| 112 | Thessaloniki | Greece | 40 | 110 | -2 | 1549 | |
| 113 | Daejeon | Chungnam | South Korea | 39 | 104 | -9 | 1613 |
| 114 | Kawasaki | Japan | 39 | 126 | 12 | 632 | |
| 115 | Ulsan | South Korea | 39 | 108 | -7 | 1551 | |
| 116 | Kaohsiung | Taiwan | Taiwan | 39 | 118 | 2 | 1610 |
| 117 | Suwon | Gyeonggi-do | South Korea | 39 | 122 | 5 | 1614 |
| 118 | Brno | South Moravian Region | Czech Republic | 39 | 123 | 5 | 188 |
| 119 | Medellin | Antioquia | Colombia | 39 | 80 | -39 | 809 |
| 120 | Antalya | Turkey | 39 | 132 | 12 | 1993 | |
| 121 | Tainan | Taiwan | Taiwan | 38 | 135 | 14 | 1312 |
| 122 | Rouen | Haute-Normandie | France | 38 | 124 | 2 | 1596 |
| 123 | Kuwait City | Kuwait | 38 | 114 | -9 | 698 | |
| 124 | Kiev | Ukraine | 37 | 145 | 21 | 645 | |
| 125 | Cordoba | Córdoba Province | Argentina | 37 | 150 | 25 | 304 |
| 126 | Belo Horizonte | Minas Gerais | Brazil | 37 | 128 | 2 | 135 |
| 127 | Taichung | Taiwan | Taiwan | 37 | 144 | 17 | 2086 |
| 128 | Colombo | Sri Lanka | 37 | 120 | -8 | 292 | |
| 129 | Belgrade | Serbia | 36 | 119 | -10 | 132 | |
| 130 | San Jose | San Jose | Costa Rica | 36 | 155 | 25 | 1162 |
| 131 | Curitiba | Paraná | Brazil | 36 | 116 | -15 | 318 |
| 132 | Bursa | Bursa | Turkey | 36 | 143 | 11 | 1618 |
| 133 | Brasilia | Brasilia | Brazil | 36 | 129 | -4 | 174 |
| 134 | Xiamen | Fujian | China | 36 | 115 | -19 | 1493 |
| 135 | Porto Alegre | Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil | 35 | 138 | 3 | 1054 |
| 136 | Adana | Mersin Adana | Turkey | 35 | 134 | -2 | 1619 |
| 137 | Guadalajara | Jalisco | Mexico | 35 | 121 | -16 | 466 |
| 138 | Puebla | Puebla | Mexico | 35 | 139 | 1 | 1071 |
| 139 | Recife | Pernambuco | Brazil | 35 | 131 | -8 | 1091 |
| 140 | Guatemala City | Guatemala | Guatemala | 35 | 166 | 26 | 472 |
| 141 | Salvador | Brazil | 35 | 130 | -11 | 1152 | |
| 142 | Panama City | Panama Canal | Panama | 35 | 140 | -2 | 998 |
| 143 | Durban | KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | 35 | 148 | 5 | 361 |
| 144 | Muscat | Oman | 35 | 159 | 15 | 868 | |
| 145 | Yekaterinburg | Sverdlovsk Oblast | Russia | 34 | 147 | 2 | 1506 |
| 146 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | Spain | 34 | 167 | 21 | 1178 | |
| 147 | Montevideo | Uruguay | 34 | 137 | -10 | 850 | |
| 148 | Pretoria | South Africa | 34 | 175 | 27 | 1065 | |
| 149 | Valparaíso | Valparaíso | Chile | 34 | 149 | - | 1425 |
| 150 | Taiyuan | Shanxi | China | 34 | 141 | -9 | 1680 |
| 151 | Kazan | Tatarstan | Russia | 33 | 136 | -15 | 633 |
| 152 | Novosibirsk | Novosibirsk Oblast | Russia | 33 | 156 | 4 | 940 |
| 153 | Rostov-na-Donu | Rostov-na-Donu | Russia | 33 | 163 | 10 | 1121 |
| 154 | Minsk | Belarus | 33 | 180 | 26 | 1527 | |
| 155 | Jaipur | Rajasthan | India | 33 | 142 | -13 | 581 |
| 156 | Beirut | Lebanon | 33 | 133 | -23 | 126 | |
| 157 | San Salvador | San Salvador department | El Salvador | 33 | 178 | 21 | 1168 |
| 158 | Quito | Pichincha | Ecuador | 33 | 151 | -7 | 1081 |
| 159 | Fortaleza | Ceará | Brazil | 33 | 162 | 3 | 405 |
| 160 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | Georgia | 32 | 158 | -2 | 1617 |
| 161 | Nizhny Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod | Russia | 32 | 161 | - | 920 |
| 162 | Krasnoyarsk | Krasnoyarsk Krai | Russia | 32 | 174 | 12 | 685 |
| 163 | Samara | Samara Oblast | Russia | 32 | 164 | 1 | 1154 |
| 164 | Perm | Perm Krai | Russia | 32 | 171 | 7 | 1019 |
| 165 | Baku | Azerbaijan | 32 | 152 | -13 | 1616 | |
| 166 | Zhongshan | Guangdong | China | 32 | 154 | -12 | 2073 |
| 167 | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | India | 32 | 173 | 6 | 749 |
| 168 | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 32 | 169 | 1 | 1191 | |
| 169 | Hefei | Anhui | China | 32 | 153 | -16 | 1685 |
| 170 | Zhuhai | Guangdong | China | 32 | 125 | -45 | 1524 |
| 171 | Yantai-Weihai | Shandong | China | 32 | 157 | -14 | 1609 |
| 172 | Casablanca | Morocco | 32 | 160 | -12 | 235 | |
| 173 | Omsk | Omsk Oblast | Russia | 31 | 172 | -1 | 963 |
| 174 | Volgograd | Volgograd Oblast | Russia | 31 | 168 | -6 | 1459 |
| 175 | Cali | Valle del Cauca | Colombia | 31 | 177 | 2 | 211 |
| 176 | Bandung | West Java | Indonesia | 31 | 170 | -6 | 1612 |
| 177 | Guayaquil | Guayas | Ecuador | 31 | 185 | 8 | 473 |
| 178 | Kingston | Jamaica | 30 | 190 | 12 | 648 | |
| 179 | Astana | Kazakhstan | 30 | 183 | 4 | 74 | |
| 180 | Madurai | Tamil Nadu | India | 30 | 179 | -1 | 1545 |
| 181 | Almaty | Kazakhstan | 30 | 146 | -35 | 35 | |
| 182 | Phnom Penh | Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 30 | 188 | 6 | 1028 |
| 183 | Rabat | Morocco | 30 | 187 | 4 | 1082 | |
| 184 | Asuncion | Paraguay | 29 | 196 | 12 | 76 | |
| 185 | Kharkov | Kharkiv Oblast | Ukraine | 29 | 182 | -3 | 639 |
| 186 | Cartagena | Colombia | 29 | 186 | - | 231 | |
| 187 | Caracas | Venezuela | 29 | 165 | -22 | 224 | |
| 188 | Odessa | Odessa Oblast | Ukraine | 29 | 181 | -7 | 949 |
| 189 | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | India | 29 | 176 | -13 | 613 |
| 190 | Tunis | Tunisia | 29 | 194 | 4 | 1395 | |
| 191 | Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | 29 | 192 | 1 | 1407 | |
| 192 | Havana | Havana | Cuba | 28 | 193 | 1 | 494 |
| 193 | Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 28 | 195 | 2 | 1334 | |
| 194 | Dnepropetrovsk | Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | Ukraine | 27 | 191 | -3 | 343 |
| 195 | Dakar | Senegal | 27 | 198 | 3 | 323 | |
| 196 | Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan | 27 | 189 | -7 | 153 | |
| 197 | Algiers | Algeria | 27 | 184 | -13 | 31 | |
| 198 | Port Harcourt | Nigeria | 25 | 199 | 1 | 1050 | |
| 199 | Luanda | Angola | 25 | 197 | -2 | 744 | |
| 200 | Douala | Cameroon Littoral Region | Cameroon | 23 | 200 | - | 350 |
Definition of Data Set: Top 200 Medium cities from 500 selected globally by population band (1M-4.4M Approx. in given year)
Reproducing this list.
The indexes and supporting materials are copyright, and used under license by 2THINKNOW.
You may reproduce the index results in any reasonable form, graphics, or data mash-up as long as you attribute it to 2thinknow and do not modify the numbers or otherwise mislead.
Please attribute as follows Source: 2THINKNOW Innovation Cities™ Index (Please specify the list you are using) www.innovation-cities.com/city-rankings/ [or just link to the page you are referencing]
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