Achieving　sustainable　development　has　become　the　consensus　of　the　development　of　human　society,　but　many　of　the　cities　in　underdeveloped　resource-rich　areas　(UDRRAs)　are　sacrificing　natural　resources　and　the　environment　for　local　economic　growth,　which　hinders　the　regional　sustainable　development.　This　paper　uses　the　Solow　residual　method　to　calculate　the　total　factor　resource　efficiency　(TFRE)　of　114　resource-based　cities　to　assess　the　extent　to　which　these　cities　trade　resources　and　environment　for　development　and　identifies　59　cities　in　UDRRAs.　The　results　of　the　study　are　as　follows:　a.　Cities　in　UDRRAs　are　mainly　distributed　in　the　central　and　western　regions　and　in　ecologically　fragile　areas.　b.　The　contribution　rate　of　the　TFRE　to　the　economic　growth　of　cities　in　UDRRAs　is　only　19.30%,　while　the　contribution　rate　of　the　factor　input　is　as　high　as　80.70%,　and　there　is　a　phenomenon　of　the　＂resource　curse＂　at　the　urban　level.　c.　The　carbon　dioxide　input　contributed　the　most　to　the　economic　growth　of　cities　in　UDRRAs,　accounting　for　52.26%.　d.　The　problems　faced　by　the　different　types　of　cities　in　UDRRAs　are　quite　different,　especially　the　declining　cities　in　UDRRAs　urgently　need　to　formulate　sustainable　development　paths.　Finally,　we　put　forward　some　reference　opinions　on　the　sustainable　development　path　of　cities　in　UDRRAs.