Xinfeng town in Nanhu district, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/jiaxingren.com]

The 2024 China Small and Medium Cities High-Quality Development Index Research Results was recently released, listing the top 1,000 towns in China in 2024. Four towns from Jiaxing's Nanhu district were included: Daqiao (82nd), Yuxin (305th), Fengqiao (826th), and Xinfeng (861st).

The 2024 National Top 1,000 Towns Development Report evaluates the comprehensive strength of towns with small and medium-sized city characteristics. It includes industrial powerhouses, towns with distinctive agricultural features, and technology-driven towns influenced by metropolitan areas.

The comprehensive strength index is based on five primary indicators: economic development, innovation vitality, development potential, ecological livability, and affluent living, and 25 secondary indicators.

Regionally, eastern China continues to lead, with 794 towns in the top 1,000. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces are particularly prominent, occupying 251, 224, and 124 spots, respectively, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the total.