With recent map rendering changes, the hierarchy of place names at default zoom levels has deteriorated significantly.
Places with significantly smaller populations and lower importance are being prioritized over much larger and more recognizable cities (e.g. in the United States, you see Salem, OR and Hermiston, OR vs. Portland, OR; Spearfish, SD vs. Rapid City, SD; Topeka, KS vs. Kansas City, MO; Lincoln, NE vs Omaha, NE).
It would be good to revisit the hierarchy to improve map legibility without having to zoom in.