Los Angeles City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Los Angeles is famous for its entertainment industry and Mediterranean climate, but it is much more than just that. As one of the largest North American cities, it is home a leading port, among the busiest in the United States. But how attractive is Los Angeles for investors, talent, visitors and digital nomads? How strong is its brand strength and reputation? Let’s explore deeper how Los Angeles positions itself on the world stage, drawing insights from data provided by TPBO partners and other reputable institutions.

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Los Angeles’s competitiveness and financial performance
• Los Angeles’s brand strength and global attractiveness
• Liveability: Los Angeles’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Los Angeles’s competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Los Angeles as a place to work and do business? 

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Los Angeles 6^th, positioning the same as the previous ranking. It is currently sitting between San Francisco (5^th) and Shanghai (7^th). The city holds a strong standing in the following areas of competitiveness: Human Capital (10^th), Reputational & General (10^th), Business Environment (10^th), Infrastructure (15^th), and Financial Sector Development (9^th). It also performs very well in the following industry sectors: Professional Services (8^th), Government & Regulatory (10^th), Finance (12^th), Trading (3^rd), Investment Management (10^th), Insurance (7^th), Banking (9^th). San Francisco holds the second place in the North American region, sitting right behind New York City.

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Los Angeles ranks 6th, a jump of 14 positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits in between Singapore (5th) and Boston (7th).

Los Angeles’s brand strength and global attractiveness

Which subfactors hurt and help the brand of Los Angeles? 

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Los Angeles 15^th, sitting in between Berlin (14^th) and Chicago (16^th). It ranked in the following in the Place Power Highlights: 4^th in Google Search and 6^th in University.

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Los Angeles 8^th, falling two positions compared to last years’ publication. Moreover, Los Angeles positions 42^nd in the Global Cities Outlook ranking, a jump of 13 positions from the previous ranking.

The comprehensive ranking of the Global Power City Index ranks Los Angeles 21^st. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 17^th in terms of Economy, 3^rd in R&D, 27^th in Cultural Interaction, 44^th in Livability, 36^th in Environment, and 26^th in Accessibility. Moreover, Los Angeles ranks 10^th for Variety of Workplace Options, 5^th for Winners of Prizes in Science and Technology, and 4^th for Average Driving Speed. Lastly, Los Angeles positioned 25^th in the Highly-skilled Workers, 19^th in the Corporate executive, 42^nd in the Resident and 37^th in the Tourism categories.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Los Angeles ranks 4^th in the global ranking with a score of 78.6/100, sitting in between Paris (3^rd) and Sydney (5^th).

Livability: Los Angeles’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Which aspects of Los Angeles’s urban living make it an attractive place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Los Angeles 70^th ahead of Prague (71^st), but below Atlanta (69^th). The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks Los Angeles 11^th, sitting in between Nassau (10^th) and Shanghai (12^th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Los Angeles ranks 28^th out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Sydney (27^th) and Munich (29^th).

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Los Angeles 14^th overall, sitting in between Glasgow (13^th) and New York (15^th). Los Angeles’s pillar rankings are the following: Planet 16^th, People 40^th, Profit 19^th. The city ranks highest on transport, education, Wi-Fi, public policy, connectivity, ease of doing business, green finance, and job quality.

Lastly, Los Angeles is home to some of the best universities in the world. According to The Times Higher Education ranking, UCLA ranks 18^th, and USC 74^th. The QS World University ranking positions UCLA in 29^th and USC does not rank within the top 100.

Last updated in January 2024. More city benchmarking insights, profiles and reports in our City Observatory.

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