A gold star marks a national leader: at or above the 90th percentile of its national size cohort on an indicator, in the direction that counts as good. A silver star marks a strong performer, at or above the 80th. For most indicators the stars reflect the current value; crime indicators use the 12-month improvement instead, because City+ never ranks cities by crime levels. Full definition →
Stars mark standing or momentum against the nation; they are not effectiveness verdicts. Methodology: how stars are earned · how City+ works.