America’s 15 Healthiest Cities Revealed
Americans often strive for an active and healthy lifestyle by staying physically fit, eating well-balanced meals, or simply not overindulging in things that do more harm than good.
However, where we live plays a large part in maintaining an existence conducive to our goals.
A WalletHub study compared 180 of the most populated cities in America across several health indicators to determine the healthiest cities in America. Some of the indicators included the cost of medical visits, fruit and vegetable consumption, fitness levels, and access to recreational areas and activities.
1: San Francisco, California
The Golden Gate City offers multiple fitness studios and outdoor green spaces for its residents to exercise. This, combined with a 19% obese population and access to healthy food, makes San Francisco the healthiest city to reside in, according to WalletHub’s study.
San Francisco spends more per capita on its parks than any of the other major cities evaluated. It also has more healthy restaurants offering vegetarian and gluten-free options than its counterparts. Due to the city’s walkable and bikeable layout, locals often get their steps in daily, too.
2: Honolulu, Hawaii
Also known as the Big Pineapple, this Hawaiian tourist destination comes in just behind San Francisco as the healthiest city after ranking first as the most active city. Due to its almost perfect year-round weather and access to fresh food that comes straight from the source, Honolulu is a great place to live a healthy lifestyle.
According to the WalletHub report, Honolulu is also an excellent city for mental health, with less than 13% of adults having 14 or more bad mental health days. It would be hard to feel down when exploring the beautiful scenery on one of its hundreds of hiking trails.
3: Seattle, Washington
The Emerald City is known for its well-maintained parks and outdoor spaces. WalletHub’s report showed that an impressive 86% of Seattle’s residents participated in physical activity in the past month.
Although Seattle is tied for having the highest medical care costs in the country, locals make a concerted effort to live a healthy lifestyle. Google search results show that its residents are interested in maintaining a healthy diet. They search out key terms, such as “healthy dinner ideas” and “health food stores” more frequently than residents of other cities.
4: San Diego, California
According to WalletHub’s study, America’s Finest City ranks sixth for the number of parks it has. The SoCal metropolis, with its almost perfect weather, offers a variety of outdoor activities right on the beach or at one of its many parks and green spaces.
Locals also enjoy weekly farmer’s markets and can get a subscription from half a dozen neighboring organic farms, and with a food ranking of fifth place, this makes sense. It is not uncommon to have multiple yoga studios, gyms, and outdoor boot camps within a few city blocks of each other, making San Diego one of the healthiest cities to live in.
5: Washington, D.C.
Our nation’s capital is among the top five healthiest cities and ranks ninth for the number of outdoor green spaces available to its residents. According to U.S. News, D.C. residents have a higher life expectancy than the national average, and only 4% of the population lacks medical insurance.
Residents of the capital city enjoy a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables and rank in the top 25 cities evaluated for fitness. Although the district ties with four other cities for having the highest monthly fitness club membership, locals have access to plenty of free public parks to work out at as well.
6: Portland, Oregon
According to WalletHub’s report, the City of Roses boasts the most healthy restaurants per capita while also providing an overwhelming number of greenspaces for outdoor activities and fitness facilities. Within its 279 city parks and natural areas are plenty of hiking and walking trails, allowing residents significant opportunities to maintain a healthier and fit lifestyle.
Oregon, in general, is an agricultural paradise as it’s home to several ecosystems with ideal growing environments. This climate allows its residents to access and consume more fruits and vegetables than in other cities.
7: Denver, Colorado
The Mile High City consistently ranks as one of America’s healthiest cities, and for good reason. With their healthy mindset and exercise culture, Denver residents enjoy fantastic parks and recreational fun, thanks to the city’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains.
With an overall green space ranking of 16, the spring and summer months allow Denver residents to participate in many activities, like hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing. Meanwhile, the winter months enable them to shred some powder.
8: Salt Lake City, Utah
The Crossroads of the West is a city of transplants often seeking a more adventurous and healthy lifestyle. With an incredible amount of national parks and green spaces in its backyard, Salt Lake City (SLC) provides a healthy existence to all its inhabitants. AllTrails reports that about 193 trails in the greater SLC area allow locals ample opportunity to get their heart rates pumping.
Hunter College Professor of Urban Public Health Stephanie Woolhandler told WalletHub that eating healthy, exercising, and avoiding certain addictive substances contribute to long-term health. With a large population of religious individuals who reject the use of addictive substances as part of their doctrine, it makes sense why SLC is ranked as high as it is.
9: Scottsdale, Arizona
Home to 200 golf courses and resorts, the West’s Most Western Town has one of the highest rankings of the most physically active adults in WalletHub’s study and ranks high for fitness. Known for its excellent weather and abundance of retirees trying to stretch their golden years as long as possible, Scottsdale is ideal for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Peter A. Muening, a professor at Columbia University’s Department of Health Policy and Management, shared with WalletHub that exercise is among the leading factors to consider when choosing a city that’s good for your health.
10: Irvine, California
Access to parks, trails, and open spaces makes Irvine one of the healthiest places for Americans to live. Ranking in second place with the most active adults, its residents take full advantage of all the hike and bike trails, fitness facilities, and access to Seal Beach to catch some waves.
Locals also benefit from two award-winning hospitals, Hoag and Kaiser Permanente, 18 MemorialCare locations, and one of America’s top research universities, UCI Health.
11: Los Angeles, California
Healthy living is the name of the game in the City of Angels, and there are endless options for working out, eating right, and increasing your mindfulness. Thanks to the city’s diversity, innovation, and commitment to healthy living, staying healthy in Los Angeles is much easier than many other American cities.
With a ranking of 5th place for the most healthy restaurants available, residents are sure to find almost any cuisine they love tailored to their needs, whether they are looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or a little bit of both. There are plenty of options in such a fitness-oriented city, like yoga, kickboxing, and pilates, so it’s easy to commit to a healthy lifestyle.
12: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Twin Cities is known for being an active and healthy city in the Midwest. With an abundance of year-round outdoor activities, including a network of bike paths interlinked throughout the city and an ethnically diverse population providing different but healthy foods, the residents of Minneapolis live one of the healthiest lifestyles in America.
Former resident Peter Helmberger recently shared that the city takes a civic-minded approach to healthy outdoor living. City officials ensure the lakes and greenspaces are well cared for so residents are encouraged to participate in more physical activities. With a healthcare rank of 14 and green space rank of 10, the Minnesota city is a great choice if you’re looking to relocate to a healthier town.
13: Austin, Texas
Wallethub’s study ranks the “music capital” sixth for its fitness score, and as a local, I can attest to the healthy lifestyle mentality that many Austinites possess. We pride ourselves on living an active lifestyle, and with multiple well-maintained parks and greenbelts, fitness studios, and healthy restaurants to choose from, it’s easy to achieve health goals.
It’s common to see crowds of people running the Town Lake trails at any time of day or week and then stopping by one of the many juice and smoothie shops to enjoy a fresh-squeezed beverage. Home to Whole Foods headquarters and copious farmers markets, Austin has been a leader in providing its residents with fresh produce and grass-fed lean meats.
14: Huntington Beach, California
Like other cities in southern California, Huntington Beach is a top location for a healthy lifestyle. With its year-round pleasant climate, this Orange County beach town encourages a healthy and active lifestyle, as evidenced by its fourth-place ranking for the physically active people who reside there.
The beach offers a safe place for jogging, beach yoga classes, and countless other outdoor recreational fun options. Mindfulness and consuming nutritious foods are essential to the residents of Huntington Beach, and there is a sufficient number of healthy food options, from vegan and vegetarian fare to fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies.
15: South Burlington, Vermont
South Burlington came in at number 15 on the list of healthiest cities in the U.S., and it’s no wonder why. This New England town boasts the highest number of physically active Americans and tied for fifth place with the lowest percentage of people choosing not to eat fruits and vegetables.
In 2023, a Forbes data study ranked Vermont fifth in the nation for having the best healthcare options for its residents, ensuring citizens’ health concerns are being addressed. A thriving farming community, with farmers markets readily available, adds to an overall healthy existence for those who live there.
The Unhealthiest City
WalletHub’s report shows that Brownsville, Texas, is the unhealthiest city in the U.S. Multiple deciding factors played a role in this determination. The most notable is the need for more fitness facilities, parks, and greenspaces for physical recreation, which has led to a very inactive adult population.
Additionally, this Texas border town lacks dieticians, nutritionists, and other medical facilities that afford its residents to maintain a healthier existence. However, it does rank third for the lowest cost of medical care.
Disagreeing Facts
Although Washington D.C. is ranked the 5th healthiest city in the States, it is important to point out that not all reports agree with this analysis. According to Sustainable DC, there are significant health disparities across race, income, and geography.
Residents of Ward 8 are four times as likely to have diabetes than their counterparts in other wards in the city, while “Black residents are almost 2.5 times more likely to have heart disease than White residents.”
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Making the personal decision to pursue a healthy lifestyle is up to the individual. Seeking out opportunities to improve your diet and increase the physical activity you participate in doesn’t have to be restricted by the city you live in. But it does require commitment and ingenuity.
If your city lacks gyms and fitness studios, countless online subscriptions and YouTube videos allow you to work out at home. Want to eat healthier? Skip the fast food drive-thru and make more nutritious meals. Meal prepping can help with this.
Regularly managing your diet and exercise routine provides a healthier balance and overall existence regardless of where you live.
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