The number of parks in your city or how close you are to healthy restaurants may affect your personal health. Certain things you may not even consider, like the number of hospital beds, can determine the overall health of your city too.
America is known for being a diverse country, with countless differences as one travels from city to city. When it comes to health, things are just as different depending on which part of the country you live in.
WalletHub compiled data showing which cities in the U.S. rank as the healthiest and unhealthiest. Find out if your city made the (hopefully positive) cut.
Finding the Healthiest Cities
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To determine the healthiest and least healthy cities in America, WalletHub examined data connected to health care, food, fitness, parks, and workout areas in 182 cities. The cost of medical visits and the number of hiking trails per city are examples of key factors WalletHub used to rank each city.
WalletHub based their rankings on a total score, with higher scores indicating better health. For context, we also included the health care, food, fitness, and green space ranking for each city. For these categories, lower numbers correspond with healthier cities, with “1” being the best city for that category and “182” being the worst.
The following cities are the healthiest in America, starting with the most healthy. Click through the slideshow to see which Florida city made the cut.
San Francisco, California
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Total score: 67.60
Health care rank: 76
Food rank: 1
Fitness rank: 28
Green space rank: 1
2: Honolulu, Hawaii
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Total score: 64.28
Health care rank: 99
Food rank: 4
Fitness rank: 27
Green space rank: 2
3: Seattle, Washington
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Total score: 63.68
Health care rank: 28
Food rank: 10
Fitness rank: 5
Green space rank: 11
4: San Diego, California
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Total score: 63.08
Health care rank: 81
Food rank: 5
Fitness rank: 13
Green space rank: 6
5: Washington, D.C.
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Total score: 63.04
Health care rank: 39
Food rank: 7
Fitness rank: 25
Green space rank: 9
6: Portland, Oregon
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Total score: 62.65
Health care rank: 47
Food rank: 6
Fitness rank: 31
Green space rank: 8
7: Denver, Colorado
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Total score: 61.99
Health care rank: 29
Food rank: 11
Fitness rank: 19
Green space rank: 16
8: Salt Lake City, Utah
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Total score: 61.18
Health care rank: 42
Food rank: 18
Fitness rank: 17
Green space rank: 3
9: Scottsdale, Arizona
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Total score: 60.32
Health care rank: 19
Food rank: 65
Fitness rank: 1
Green space rank: 13
10: Irvine, California
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Total score: 60.29
Health care rank: 12
Food rank: 30
Fitness rank: 10
Green space rank: 17
11: Los Angeles, California
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Total score: 59.61
Health care rank: 101
Food rank: 3
Fitness rank: 41
Green space rank: 20
12: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Total score: 59.47
Health care rank: 14
Food rank: 32
Fitness rank: 42
Green space rank: 10
13: Austin, Texas
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Total score: 59.43
Health care rank: 22
Food rank: 25
Fitness rank: 6
Green space rank: 23
14: Huntington Beach, California
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Total score: 59.40
Health care rank: 24
Food rank: 33
Fitness rank: 2
Green space rank: 35
15: South Burlington, Vermont
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Total score: 58.52
Health care rank: 2
Food rank: 17
Fitness rank: 83
Green space rank: 65
16: Boston, Massachusetts
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Total score: 58.41
Health care rank: 8
Food rank: 12
Fitness rank: 48
Green space rank: 48
17: Madison, Wisconsin
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Total score: 58.39
Health care rank: 15
Food rank: 39
Fitness rank: 8
Green space rank: 29
18: New York City, New York
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Total score: 58. 12
Health care rank: 86
Food rank: 2
Fitness rank: 117
Green space rank: 18
19: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Total score: 57.76
Health care rank: 11
Food rank: 20
Fitness rank: 43
Green space rank: 31
20: Glendale, California
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Total score: 57.17
Health care rank: 53
Food rank: 40
Fitness rank: 15
Green space rank: 12
21: Atlanta, Georgia
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Total score: 57.01
Health care rank: 105
Food rank: 19
Fitness rank: 4
Green space rank: 36
22: San Jose, California
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Total score: 56.60
Health care rank: 44
Food rank: 13
Fitness rank: 75
Green space rank: 39
23: Orlando, Florida
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Total score: 53.36
Health care rank: 61
Food rank: 22
Fitness rank: 9
Green space rank: 49
24: Fremont, California
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Total score: 56.34
Health care rank: 40
Food rank: 26
Fitness rank: 16
Green space rank: 54
25: Portland, Maine
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Total score: 55.70
Health care rank: 32
Food rank: 16
Fitness rank: 137
Green space rank: 4
Healthy California
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One reason California cities were repeatedly higher on WalletHub’s healthy cities list is because of California’s national parks, which inspire outdoor activity. The Golden State is home to nine national parks, more than any other state. Alaska comes in second place with eight national parks.
Which Cities Rank Lowest
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In order to determine the 25 least healthy cities, WalletHub took the same data used to create the healthiest cities list. They measured items like the number of healthy restaurants and even the amount of intramural leagues.
Without further ado, these are the least healthy cities in America.
1: Brownsville, Texas
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Total score: 24.36
Health care rank: 180
Food rank: 182
Fitness rank: 182
Green space rank: 179
2: Gulfport, Mississippi
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Total score: 29.13
Health care rank: 175
Food rank: 178
Fitness rank: 168
Green space rank: 180
3: Laredo, Texas
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Total score: 29.67
Health care rank: 181
Food rank: 180
Fitness rank: 181
Green space rank: 153
4: Columbus, Georgia
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Total score: 29.76
Health care rank: 182
Food rank: 174
Fitness rank: 163
Green space rank: 158
5: Shreveport, Louisiana
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Total score: 30.57
Health care rank: 162
Food rank: 181
Fitness rank: 176
Green space rank: 160
6: Augusta, Georgia
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Total score: 32.71
Health care rank: 156
Food rank: 166
Fitness rank: 173
Green space rank: 174
7: Fayetteville, North Carolina
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Total score: 32.78
Health care rank: 146
Food rank: 177
Fitness rank: 166
Green space rank: 172
8: Corpus Christi, Texas
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Total score: 32.81
Health care rank: 174
Food rank: 162
Fitness rank: 162
Green space rank: 166
9: Detroit, Michigan
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Total score: 32.98
Health care rank: 179
Food rank: 118
Fitness rank: 180
Green space rank: 157
10: Huntington, West Virginia
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Total score: 33.38
Health care rank: 176
Food rank: 146
Fitness rank: 172
Green space rank: 156
11: Fort Smith, Arkansas
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Total score: 33.61
Health care rank: 154
Food rank: 156
Fitness rank: 177
Green space rank: 173
12: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Total score: 33.84
Health care rank: 108
Food rank: 172
Fitness rank: 140
Green space rank: 182
13: Memphis, Tennessee
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Total score: 34.11
Health care rank: 178
Food rank: 168
Fitness rank: 145
Green space rank: 148
14: Jackson, Mississippi
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Total score: 34.46
Health care rank: 138
Food rank: 161
Fitness rank: 167
Green space rank: 169
15: Montgomery, Alabama
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Total score: 34.63
Health care rank: 157
Food rank: 175
Fitness rank: 133
Green space rank: 181
16: North Las Vegas, Nevada
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Total score: 35.34
Health care rank: 173
Food rank: 158
Fitness rank: 179
Green space rank: 102
17: Amarillo, Texas
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Total score: 35.55
Health care rank: 164
Food rank: 164
Fitness rank: 170
Green space rank: 116
18: Las Cruces, New Mexico
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Total score: 35.67
Health care rank: 84
Food rank: 179
Fitness rank: 174
Green space rank: 145
19: Toledo, Ohio
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Total score: 36.15
Health care rank: 171
Food rank: 163
Fitness rank: 161
Green space rank: 103
20: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Total score: 36.26
Health care rank: 159
Food rank: 173
Fitness rank: 131
Green space rank: 133
21: Wichita, Kansas
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Total score: 36.54
Health care rank: 141
Food rank: 169
Fitness rank: 109
Green space rank: 164
22: Greensboro, North Carolina
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Total score: 36.76
Health care rank: 118
Food rank: 144
Fitness rank: 135
Green space rank: 175
23: Mobile, Alabama
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Total score: 36.88
Health care rank: 158
Food rank: 150
Fitness rank: 132
Green space rank: 177
24: Charleston, West Virginia
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Total score: 37.06
Health care rank: 144
Food rank: 132
Fitness rank: 146
Green space rank: 176
25: Lewiston, Maine
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Total score: 37.52
Health care rank: 152
Food rank: 140
Fitness rank: 171
Green space rank: 110
The Texas Conundrum
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Several Texas cities sit in the bottom 25, with Brownsville and Laredo ranking in the top three unhealthiest cities. It’s important to take this data with a grain of salt, though. In 2022, fitness advice platform BarBend ranked the Lone Star State at number 31 for health. Utah ranked the healthiest on that list.
Furthermore, not all of Texas is unhealthy in WalletHub’s eyes, as Austin came in at number 13. Austin residents reportedly engage in all types of physical activity, making it the eighth-most physically active city in the U.S.
Top City’s Health Trends
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San Francisco topped the list of the healthiest American cities. It’s also one of the most vegetarian and vegan-friendly cities in the U.S. Additionally, much of its food is sourced organically, promoting a healthier diet.
San Francisco has many public parks and biking paths. In 2010, the city installed upwards of 20 miles of bike lanes and areas to park bikes, making it easier for San Francisco residents to get some healthy biking exercise.
High Price for Health
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Residents of the healthiest cities in the U.S. might end up paying more to live in those cities compared to others. For example, San Diego, California, is the fourth-healthiest city, but it also ranks as the most expensive place to live in the U.S.
The price of healthier foods might be too high for some Americans as well. In a national survey from 2023, almost half of Americans said the reason they’re unable to have a healthier diet is because healthy food is too expensive. In the same survey, 45% of Americans admitted they purchased fast food at least once a week.
21 Signs a Florida Transplant Is a Transplant
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Floridians, get ready to laugh. From the clothes they wear to the things they say, these are some of the many ways Floridians unequivocally spot a Florida transplant.
Florida City Ranks Among 30 Most Expensive Cities in the World
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According to data, residents in one Florida city are shelling out more money than the rest of the Sunshine State. Can you guess which Florida city made the (unwanted) cut?
Marcelo Pico is a writer, podcaster, and founder of TalkFilmSociety.com. He spends his free time watching movies, collecting records, and hanging out with his cat Jiji in Austin, TX. His favorite drink is a club soda with lime.
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