The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives about Cities

Kansas or Indiana? Not in Basketball, but Population

The folks at the U.S. Census have come up with a “population bracketology” interactive game.

Should Public Workers Have to Live Where They Work?

Municipal residency requirements have gradually become less common. State efforts to ban them can get ugly as cities fight to maintain their middle class population base.

30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot

Pew recently updated its 30-city snapshot interactive, with new data on population, home values, income and unemployment. Pew's American Cities Project focuses on the biggest city in the nation's 30 largest metro areas.

Many Major Cities Gain Population Faster Than The Rest Of Their Metro Areas

Recent Census data shows that America's largest cities are growing more rapidly than their surrounding regions, and the nation as a whole.

City vs. Metro Population Growth

This interactive shows recent changes in city and metropolitan populations for biggest city in the nation's 30 largest metro areas.

Pennsylvania Struggles to Help Its Weakest Cities

Pennsylvania has an ambitious program aimed at fixing the finances of troubled cities. In most cases, it doesn’t accomplish a lot.

Detroit and Its Unions Fight Over Work Rules

As Detroit’s workforce shrinks, labor and city leaders face tough questions about how to make do with the employees they have left. Antiquated work rules are at the heart of the dispute.

North Carolina Limits Cities’ Ability to Grow

North Carolina cities, which have enjoyed broad annexation powers for more than five decades, will have a harder time absorbing surrounding areas thanks to a new state law the legislature approved in May. Before the new law took effect, North Carolina cities were allowed to amass unincorporated territory even over

Detroit and Michigan: A Fragile Bargain

The state of Michigan and its largest city have pledged cooperation to keep the city afloat. But neither quite trusts the other.

Pennsylvania Bars Harrisburg Bankruptcy

Disagreements between Pennsylvania and its capital city have at least temporarily deprived Harrisburg of a fiscal tool it would like to use.

Mayors Back Parent-Trigger Laws for “Drop-out Factories”

The nation’s mayors have endorsed an approach that gives parents more say in how to run failing schools, an issue that has divided state legislatures. Led by a posse of mostly Democrat mayors, including Los Angeles’ Antonio Villaraigosa, Sacramento’s Kevin Johnson and Newark’s Cory Booker, the city leaders on Satu

The Local Squeeze

While states slowly recover in the wake of the Great Recession, local governments have been hit with a one-two punch: State aid and property taxes, which together account for more than half of local revenues, are dropping simultaneously for the first time since 1980.

States Worry About Tax Reform

States are hoping they don’t lose out in billions of dollars in tax breaks if Congress reforms the tax code this year.

Sue Urahn: The New Cities Project

Pew Center on the States' Managing Director Sue Urahn discusses Pew's new Cities Project.

How Two State Tax Systems Have (and Haven’t) Shaped Metro Portland

Washington has no income tax. Oregon has no sales tax. In some ways, that matters a great deal for the regional economy. In some ways, it doesn’t.

Republican Legislatures Move to Preempt Local Government

Conservative state lawmakers who rail against federal mandates often find themselves using the same weapon in dealing with their own cities and counties.

Stockton Tests New Municipal Bankruptcy Law in California

TODAY'S TAKE: Stockton, California, could become the largest city ever to declare Chapter 9 bankruptcy. But California officials hope a new state law will prevent that.

In Wisconsin, Assessing a New Labor Law’s Impact

RACINE, Wisconsin - A year after union protests swept Wisconsin's Capitol, labor and management are still grappling with the collective bargaining law that prompted the backlash. Leaders of local governments and schools enjoy having more options to balance their budgets, but state funding cuts often outweigh the benefits.

Municipal Bankruptcy Explained: What it Means to File for Chapter 9

Jefferson County, Alabama, filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in history this month. What exactly happens when a municipality goes broke?

Largest Municipal Bankruptcy Ever Prompts Muted Reaction Elsewhere

TAX & BUDGET BEAT: Jefferson County, Alabama, filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history last week, but experts don't expect the event to have a large effect on other governments' ability to borrow.

San Francisco Voters Approve Pension Cutbacks

A coalition of business and labor groups won passage of a ballot measure reducing pension benefits for San Francisco's public employees. The question is how far it will go in solving the city's serious long-term pension finance problems.

Pittsburgh and Harrisburg: A Tale of Two Deep-in-Debt Cities

Pennsylvania's capital city has filed for bankruptcy and is poised for a state takeover. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh continues to struggle to fill its pension fund. What lessons can localities learn from Pennsylvania?

Alan Ehrenhalt: The Relationship Between State and Local Governments

Stateline Editor Alan Ehrenhalt discusses the historic and current relationship between state and local governments’ views and the possible effects on local communities.

In California, a State and Local War Over Revenue and Responsibilities

PART THREE OF THREE: At a desperate fiscal moment, California's state legislators and city officials are barely on speaking terms. Governor Jerry Brown lacks the power to bring the feuding factions into line.

Infographic: Local Government By The Numbers

There are 89,476 local governments in the United States.

Unlikely Duo of Daniels and Cuomo Crusades to Shrink Local Government

PART TWO OF THREE: How many local governments does a state need? A lot fewer than most of them have, say governors Mitch Daniels and Andrew Cuomo.

As States Cut Aid, Localities Learn to Do Less With Less

PART ONE OF THREE: Since the Great Recession began, states have been slashing aid to localities. Some see an opportunity to make cities and counties more efficient, but others say local budget gaps and layoffs are making it hard to provide basic services.

Uncertainty Remains for States in Wake of Debt Deal

Pew Research Director Kil Huh provides insights into the good and bad news for states and localities in the wake of the debt ceiling deal.

Jerry Brown to Abolish California Inspector General Office

TRANSITION WATCH: California's governor-elect kills a watchdog office to save $700,000, Nevada's incoming governor considers budget plans that trouble local governments and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Snyder's Detroit Outreach Could Include New Office

TRANSITION WATCH: Michigan's Republican governor looks to strengthen a troubled Democratic city, revolving door rules could trip up a Rhode Island appointment, and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Tax Caps Have Big Consequences

Throughout the country this year, candidates for state office are seizing on local property taxes as a campaign issue. Some local officials argue that that should be the localities' business.

Colorado Republicans Oppose Tax-Cutting Initiatives

TODAY'S TAKE: Even in the year of the Tea Party, a trio of tax-cutting initiatives in Colorado goes too far for some conservatives. Most Republicans in Colorado's General Assembly oppose the measures, which would eliminate billions of dollars in state and local revenue.

States Renege on Local Aid

Faced with massive deficits, state lawmakers are holding onto payments owed to municipal governments and using the money to balance state books. By holding money back, state officials are forcing their local counterparts to make even more difficult decisions about program cuts and tax increases. That has opened up a new gulf between the two levels of government and sparked lawsuits accusing state governments of improperly withholding money.

Can ghost towns vanish?

Colorado ghost towns are figuratively dying off. Washington state has the best-dressed troopers. And Kentucky's gubernatorial rivals could rock out to the Rolling Stones, while discussing their favorite Star Wars scenes. In case you missed any of those stories, this week's Worth Noting fills you in.