It’s no secret, Philadelphia is an exceptional city with a lot of bragging rights and accolades. Well, here’s another one to add to the list. A recent study ranked Philly as one of the smartest cities in the nation of 2025.
Philly, Philly a smart city
To find out which cities in America are the smartest, the study focused on U.S. cities making the biggest strides in technology-drive urban development.
Specifically, researchers analyzed more than 370 U.S. cities across 13 key metrics.
Such metrics included AI, free wifi availability, zero-waste programs, transportation connectivity and tech job opportunities.
Next, the metrics were categorized into three weighted groups:
- Smart Infrastructure and Connectivity (45%)
- Sustainability and Green initiatives (35%)
- Tech Job Market (20%).
Interestingly, the results concluded the West Coast and Northeast outpace the nation in smart city development. Specifically, the Northeast according to the study, “excels in integrating smart transit systems, green buildings, and digital governance platforms”. All of these initiatives ultimately help to make urban developments more sustainable and efficient.
Out of the top ten smartest cities in the nation, the City of Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection rounds out the list at number ten.
The study found that Philadelphia excels in the percentage of electric/hybrid public transportation vehicles. In fact, 78.2% of our public transportation is green. Additionally, Philly has a strong zero-waste program. The city also ranks high in AI innovation and cutting-edge technology. There are plentiful amounts of coworking spaces (58) and free Wi-Fi hotspots (75).
Indeed, Philadelphia is one of America’s smartest cities. As a leader in smart planning, Philly only plans to become even more smarter in the future.
Important to note, city government has invested in smart lighting, traffic management systems, and digital services that enhance efficiency and sustainability.
Once upon a time, smart cities was merely a concept of the future. With cities like Philadelphia leading the way in technology-driven development, it has now become a reality.
The 10 smartest cities in America
America’s smartest cities are ranked as follows:
- San Francisco, CA
- New York, NY
- San Jose, CA
- Washington, D.C.
- Austin, TX
- Seattle, WA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Boston, MA
- San Diego, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
You can read the study in its entirety here.