The everycity index is balanced by default. The generator lets you set your own weights on the same 9 axes, and returns the top 25 cities ranked on your priorities. The same engine that powers the city profiles, your hand on the dial.
The everycity index uses a balanced default weighting. Each of the nine axes carries 11 percent, summing to 100. The generator unlocks the dial. If you weight cost at 40 percent and tax at 30 percent, you get the cheapest tax friendly cities. If you weight safety at 30 percent and walkability at 25 percent, you get the calmest cities to live in. There is no right weighting; only the weighting that matches what you actually care about.
The output is a top 25 ranking on your weights, drawn from the same 50 city database that powers the rest of the site. Each ranked entry links to the full city profile, where the long form numbers live. The generator pairs naturally with the relocation score, which compares two cities on the same axes; use the generator to pick the shortlist, the relocation score to pick the move.
Drag each slider. The total auto rebalances to 100. The ranking on the right updates instantly.
Weights total 100. Sliders adjust automatically when the sum drifts above or below.
How to read the ranking. The headline number is the composite score on a 100 point scale; the cities are ordered top down. A score above 80 means the city is a strong fit on your weighting; 60 to 79 means a balanced fit; below 60 means the city loses on at least three of your weighted axes. Click any city to read the full profile.
Each city carries a 0 to 10 score on each of the 9 axes. The generator multiplies your weight by the city's score, sums the 9 products, and returns the composite.
For the editorial reads on each archetype, see the cheapest cities ranking, the cities for families ranking, and the lowest tax cities ranking.
Every published index, ours included, hides its priorities in its weighting. The generator strips the priorities back out and lets you set them by hand. Run two passes. The first with weights that match what you say you want. The second with weights that match what you actually do (look at where you spend your weekends and your money). Compare the two top 25s. The cities that appear on both lists are the real shortlist. The cities that appear on only one are a story you are telling yourself about who you want to be.