A new ranking has named the 10 healthiest cities to live in across the United States — and also highlighted the places that scored worst for residents’ wellbeing.
Choosing where to live often comes down to lifestyle. Some people prioritize abundant green space and reasonably priced healthcare, while others want gyms, studios, and good places to eat just a short walk from home.
What many don’t realize is that a city can be labeled “unhealthy” when measured against specific indicators — including fruit and vegetable intake, the quality of local parks, and how many mental health counselors are employed in the area.
For anyone curious about how their hometown stacks up, WalletHub has published a detailed list of the healthiest cities in America, alongside the 10 lowest-ranked locations.
In this year’s study, WalletHub evaluated 182 cities using four broad categories: healthcare, food, fitness, and green space.
The analysis drew on 41 separate metrics, graded on a 100-point scale. These included factors such as the average cost of a routine medical visit, premature death rates, the typical price of a fitness club membership, and the share of adults who are physically active.
Once each city was scored across the full set of measures, a weighted average was used to calculate an overall score and final ranking, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the findings show that while personal choices matter, location can play a major role in supporting — or undermining — healthy habits.
“The best cities are the ones that provide the greatest access to high-quality healthcare, green spaces, recreation centers, and healthy food,” he explained, as per NewsWeek.
On the healthiest list, Scottsdale, Arizona, came in 10th place with a score of 60.64.
Austin, Texas, ranked ninth with 61.11 points, while Honolulu, Hawaii, placed eighth on 61.52.
Denver, Colorado, took seventh (61.65 points). Washington, D.C., followed in sixth with an overall score of 61.91.
Rounding out the top five, Portland, Oregon, scored 63.21 points. Salt Lake City, Utah, narrowly missed the top three, landing fourth with 63.26.
Seattle, Washington, was ranked the third-healthiest city in the country at 63.57 points.
The city’s result was boosted by its reputation for greenery and exceptionally high activity levels — with 87 percent of adults reporting physical activity in the last month.
San Diego, California, secured second place with 65.19 points.
San Francisco, which scored highest for food and green space, claimed the top spot with 70.41 points overall.
WalletHub reported that San Francisco had the second-lowest proportion of obese adults nationwide, and that 100 percent of residents live relatively close to places where they can exercise.
San Diego also stood out in the dataset, ranking sixth for hiking trails per capita and placing 10th nationally for healthy restaurants.
Along with the top performers, WalletHub’s results also point to cities where residents may face bigger barriers to healthy living.
Memphis, Tennessee, was ranked the 10th-least healthy city, scoring 33.33 points. Montgomery, Alabama (32.06), and Corpus Christi, Texas (31.87), came next in ninth and eighth.
Toledo, Ohio, was seventh with 31.86 points. Huntington, West Virginia, sat in sixth at 30.88.
Fort Smith, Arkansas, ranked as the fifth least healthy city with 30.84 points, while Shreveport, Louisiana, placed fourth on 28.34.
Laredo, Texas, was third, earning 27.68 points and receiving the second-lowest fitness ranking at 181.
Gulfport, Mississippi, scored 25.60 points, making it the second least healthy city in the country.
Brownsville, Texas — the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley — was listed as the least healthy city in the United States, with an overall score of 24.34 points.
According to the data, it recorded the lowest fitness rank and the second-lowest ranking for healthcare and food.
For a full city breakdown, click here.