One of the latest theories in the field of urban-regional development is the theory of creative capital. Creative capital refers to the role of creative and highly skilled individuals in the growth and development of the economic, social, and cultural aspects of urban-regional areas, in critiquing and developing the concept of human capital. The main goal of this research is to explain the factors influencing why the major city of Mashhad is losing its creative and highly skilled human capital and ranking last compared to other major cities. The findings show that creative capital in Iran is a major urban phenomenon, as 42% of the country's creative capital resides in major cities. However, the issue is that creative capital is not evenly distributed in the major cities of the country, and Mashhad, as the second major city in the country, ranks last in many indicators, including population, in terms of creative capital and is currently losing its creative capital with a downward trend in this area. This is considered a warning sign for the sustainable development of the major city of Mashhad. The findings indicate that variables such as tolerance, empathy, diversity, economic conditions, talent, and consumer services or amenities, which reflect the role of urban services, have the most influence on the geography of creative capital in major cities in Iran. The most problematic aspect of the major city of Mashhad in terms of why it is losing its creative capital and ranking last compared to other major cities can be explained by variables such as talent, tolerance, empathy, economic conditions, and amenities.