Executive Summary

This edition of the MEI heralds the largest number of perfect-scoring cities in the MEI’s eight-year history. This year, 88 cities earned the maximum score of 100 points, up from 78 cities last year and just 11 in 2012. What’s more, the national city average this year jumped to a record high of 60 points (up from 58 last year), marking the third year in a row that the national average has increased. This demonstrates that cities all across the country understand their core duty to protect the health, safety, and well-being of residents by ensuring equality in housing, the workplace, and the community at large.