Dell Inc. unveiled on Monday a list of the top 50 "future ready" cities, which is based on analysis done by economic data and forecasting firm IHS. The firm looked at factors such as economic growth, Internet accessibility and wages as well as transportation infrastructure and civic engagement.

Austin ranked #7 on this list. Some of the top cities were not surprising, such as well-known tech hotspots like San Jose, or Boston. But some in the top 20 were really surprising, such as Washington,D.C. or Des Moines, Iowa.

This is the second time Dell has released a "Future Ready" ranking, the first being in October 2015 when the company scored 25 "future ready" economies in the United States. Austin ranked #5 on that list

1. San Jose, Calif.

2. San Francisco, Calif.

3. Singapore

4. London

5. Washington, DC

6. Boston, Mass.

8. Raleigh, N.C.

9. Stockholm

10. Sydney

11. Des Moines, Iowa

12. Toronto

13. Seoul-Incheon

14. Seattle, Wash.

15. Denver, Colo.

16. Portland, Ore.

17. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

18. New York, N.Y.

19. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

20. Houston, Texas

21. Atlanta, Ga.

22. Charlotte, N.C.

23. Chicago, Ill.

24. Munich

25. Beijing

26. Hong Kong

27. Paris

28. Taipei

29. Shanghai

30. Louisville, Ky.

31. Salt Lake City, Utah

32. Guangzhou

33. Tokyo

34. Moscow

35. Los Angeles, Calif.

36. Pittsburgh, Pa.

37. Columbus, Ohio

38. Indianapolis, Ind.

39. Milan

40. Sao Paulo

41. Buenos Aires

42. San Antonio, Texas

43. Orlando, Fla.

44. Delhi

45. Suzhou

46. Istanbul

47. Jakarta

48. Tianjin

49. Shenzhen

50. Mexico City

About the Author

Keep Reading

As the violence at Macon State Prison has intensified, so, too, have the calls for ambulance service. And because of those calls, the county now finds itself dealing with an unexpected and costly burden: more than $100,000 in unpaid bills. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Featured

People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman