The top 10 cities in the world revealed - with a US city taking the top spot

Those who are planning their 2027 summer vacation may want to take inspiration from this list, as the top 10 cities in the world in 2026 have been revealed.

However, many may not have to fly miles away from home, as the top city is closer than you may think. And it's not the only US city to make the list...

The rankings aren't done by any old rookie either. They're calculated by the The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, which ranks the world's 1000 largest cities, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and future potential.

They base their results on five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance.

So which cities made the list?

The top 10 cities in the world revealed

1. New York, US
2. London, UK
3. Paris, France
4. Seattle, US
5. San Fransisco, US
6. Dublin, Ireland
7. Boston, US
8. San Jose, US
9. Tokyo, Japan
10. Zurich, Switzerland

New York topped the list (Getty Stock)

Why did New York top the list?

As per the site, The Big Apple topped the list 'due to the size of their economies and the strength of it labour market,' and the same goes for the city in second place, London.

In fact, 78 of the first 100 spots were dominated by cities in Europe and North America, and it doesn't look like things are set to change anytime soon.

"These cities are likely to continue to lead given their unrivalled ability to attract highly skilled workers and innovative businesses," the site states.

With an extremely impressive ranking, New York received a score of 100 overall. Here's how the city ranked in each category:

• Economics - 100 (top 5 percent)
• Human Capital - 89.5 (top 5 percent)
• Quality of Life - 80.8 (top 20 percent)
• Environment - 72.8 (top half)
• Governance 75.7 (top 20 percent)

Seattle has been ranked the second best US city in the world (Getty Stock)

Which US cities ranked in the top 20?

New York, Seattle, San Fransisco, Boston and San Jose all ranked in the top 10, but what about the top 20?

Well, the trend didn't stop at the top 10 as Los Angeles, Washington and Dallas all rank in the top 20.

"US cities dominate the upper reaches of our 2026 Global Cities Index (GCI), accounting for half of the top 10 cities and nearly a third (30) of the leading 100 cities," the site states.

"Strong Economics scores are what set US cities apart from the rest of the global economy."

However, there are also many US cities that have been given the title of 'cities to watch.'

These include: Boise, Durham, Jacksonville, and San Antonio.

"These four cities score favourably on the Environment metrics, outperforming their larger peers," the index says.