The phrase "to rank the cities" means to compare and order different cities based on certain criteria or factors to determine which city is better or superior in some way. Full definition
The website ranked cities based on data including share of single population, number of online dating opportunities, and nightlife options. (singlesdatematch.com)
They then ranked cities in terms of how quickly houses are selling. (homebuyinginstitute.com)
If you're still not convinced a small city is for you, check out some of our top - ranked cities with medium - sized populations between 100,000 and 400,000. (moneysense.ca)