Memphis, TN , which had formerly been ranked 2nd, improved to 4th this year, while the metro area that came in 3rd last year β Jackson, MS β improved to 12th in At the same time, Montgomery, AL formerly ranked 7th worsened to 3rd. In addition to ranking the metro areas with the highest STI rates, below we'll provide some takeaways from our report; spotlight urban communities whose STI rates have significantly improved or declined; highlight racial disparities that emerge from the CDC data; and, for the first time in years, share analysis of some encouraging developments.
Detroit, MI , was ranked 9th worst for STI rates last year, but in this year's study, it has unfortunately earned the distinction of the metro area with the highest infection rates. In our years of conducting these studies, Detroit has never before ranked number one. Motor City has confronted daunting, highly publicized challenges over the past decade and has exhibited great resilience and spirit; we hope that next year's study shows a Detroit that has rebounded and risen back upward in our rankings.
Other cities joining Detroit in our top 25 are also located in the Great Lakes region. For instance, in neighborhing Ohio, Cleveland finds itself ranked 13th, which reflects a slight worsening of relative infection rates from last year when it ranked 15th. But elsewhere in the Midwest, Minneapolis, MN , which ranked 17th last year, improved its ranking to 21st in our study this year.
And Milwaukee, WI , escaped the top 25 altogether to rank 29th among U. The South, as defined by the U. Census Bureau , remains relatively fraught with high STI rates in its metro areas this year more on that below. Meanwhile, out west, our study shows evidence of improvement in metropolitan STI rates. San Francisco, CA , and Portland, OR , remain in the top 25 for the second year in a row, though their ranks have improved by a couple positions.
But more broadly, fewer cities in the West are found within the top 50 worst cities for infection rates, and the total number of top cities that are located in the West dropped from 31 to It's also worthwhile to call out a city for remaining remarkably stable in our study, year after year. For the second straight year, Provo, UT , has ranked th. And prior to that, it ranked 99th. The U. But, believe it or not, that's actually a slight improvement over last year's study.
