WalletHub compiled data from 182 U.S. cities to determine the healthiest and unhealthiest places to live in America. The rankings are based on a total score, where higher scores indicate better health.
Key factors examined include health care, food, fitness, and parks/workout areas, considering aspects like the number of hospital beds, cost of medical visits, healthy restaurants, hiking trails, and intramural leagues.
For individual categories like health care, food, fitness, and green space, a lower rank (closer to ‘1’) signifies a healthier city, while ‘182’ is the worst.
America’s 25 Healthiest Cities
1: San Francisco, California: (Total score: 67.60)
Ranked as the healthiest city, it excels in food (1) and green space (1). Known for being vegetarian/vegan-friendly and sourcing organic food, San Francisco encourages physical activity with many public parks and over 20 miles of bike lanes. Its health care rank is 76 and fitness rank is 28.
2: Honolulu, Hawaii: (Total score: 64.28)
Honolulu is the second healthiest city. It performs strongly in green space (2), fitness (27), and food (4) ranks. Its health care rank is 99. The city’s favorable environment for outdoor activities contributes to its high overall health score.
3: Seattle, Washington: (Total score: 63.68)
Seattle holds a strong position as the third healthiest city. It features high ranks in fitness (5), food (10), health care (28), and green space (11). This balanced performance across multiple health determinants contributes to its overall high ranking.
4: San Diego, California: (Total score: 63.08)
As the fourth healthiest city, San Diego scores well in food (5), fitness (13), and green space (6). Its health care rank is 81. Despite being the most expensive place to live in the U.S., its health-related infrastructure is notable.
5: Washington, D.C.: (Total score: 63.04)
The nation’s capital ranks fifth, demonstrating good performance in health care (39), food (7), fitness (25), and green space (9). Its strong standing across these categories indicates a conducive environment for residents’ well-being.
6: Portland, Oregon: (Total score: 62.65)
Portland, Oregon, is the sixth healthiest city. It has strong ranks in food (6), green space (8), health care (47), and fitness (31). These favorable conditions contribute to its overall high health ranking.
7: Denver, Colorado: (Total score: 61.99)
Denver secures the seventh spot among the healthiest cities. It shows good performance in health care (29), fitness (19), food (11), and green space (16). This city offers a balanced environment for health and well-being.
8: Salt Lake City, Utah: (Total score: 61.18)
Salt Lake City ranks eighth, with a notably strong green space rank (3). It also performs well in health care (42), fitness (17), and food (18). Utah, in general, has been ranked highly for health by other platforms.
9: Scottsdale, Arizona: (Total score: 60.32)
Scottsdale stands out as the ninth healthiest, achieving the best fitness rank (1) among all cities. It also has a strong health care rank (19) and respectable green space (13). Its food rank is 65.
10: Irvine, California: (Total score: 60.29)
Irvine ranks tenth healthiest, with a high health care rank (12) and fitness rank (10). Its food rank is 30 and green space rank is 17. California cities frequently appear on the healthy list, partly due to national parks.
11: Los Angeles, California: (Total score: 59.61)
Los Angeles, California, ranks eleventh, excelling in food (3) and having good green space (20). Its health care rank is 101, and fitness rank is 41. The city’s culinary landscape contributes significantly to its high healthy ranking.
12: Minneapolis, Minnesota: (Total score: 59.47)
Minneapolis is the twelfth healthiest city, featuring a strong health care rank (14) and a good green space rank (10). Its food rank is 32 and fitness rank is 42. These attributes contribute to its favorable health standing.
13: Austin, Texas: (Total score: 59.43)
Austin ranks thirteenth and is notable for its high fitness rank (6). Austin residents are known for engaging in various physical activities, making it one of the most physically active cities. Its health care rank is 22, food rank is 25, and green space rank is 23.
14: Huntington Beach, California: (Total score: 59.40)
Huntington Beach ranks fourteenth, boasting an impressive fitness rank (2). It also has a strong health care rank (24). Its food rank is 33, and green space rank is 35. This contributes to California’s strong presence on the list.
15: South Burlington, Vermont: (Total score: 58.52)
South Burlington is the fifteenth healthiest city, distinguished by its exceptionally high health care rank (2). Its food rank is 17, while its fitness and green space ranks are 83 and 65, respectively.
16: Boston, Massachusetts: (Total score: 58.41)
Boston ranks sixteenth. It has a high health care rank (8) and a strong food rank (12). Its fitness and green space ranks are both 48. The city offers good access to healthcare and healthy food options.
17: Madison, Wisconsin: (Total score: 58.39)
Madison is the seventeenth healthiest city, with a notable fitness rank (8) and a good health care rank (15). Its food rank is 39 and green space rank is 29. This combination promotes a healthy lifestyle for residents.
18: New York City, New York: (Total score: 58.12)
New York City ranks eighteenth, standing out with an impressive food rank (2) and a good green space rank (18). Its health care rank is 86, and fitness rank is 117. The city’s diverse healthy food options contribute to its ranking.
19: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: (Total score: 57.76)
Pittsburgh is the nineteenth healthiest city. It has a strong health care rank (11) and a good food rank (20). Its fitness rank is 43 and green space rank is 31. These factors contribute to a positive health environment.
20: Glendale, California: (Total score: 57.17)
Glendale, California, ranks twentieth among the healthiest cities. It shows good performance in fitness (15) and green space (12). Its health care rank is 53 and food rank is 40. Like other California cities, it benefits from outdoor activity encouragement.
21: Atlanta, Georgia: (Total score: 57.01)
Atlanta is the twenty-first healthiest city, distinguished by an impressive fitness rank (4). Its food rank is 19. However, its health care rank is 105 and green space rank is 36.
22: San Jose, California: (Total score: 56.60)
San Jose, California, ranks twenty-second. It has a strong food rank (13) and good health care rank (44). Its fitness rank is 75 and green space rank is 39. California’s national parks are noted for inspiring outdoor activity.
23: Orlando, Florida: (Total score: 56.36)
Orlando is the twenty-third healthiest city, with a notable fitness rank (9) and good food rank (22). Its health care rank is 61 and green space rank is 49. The city’s environment encourages physical activity.
24: Fremont, California: (Total score: 56.34)
Fremont, California, ranks twenty-fourth. It has strong fitness (16), food (26), and health care (40) ranks. Its green space rank is 54. California’s nine national parks play a role in promoting outdoor activity in its cities.
25: Portland, Maine: (Total score: 55.70)
Portland, Maine, is the twenty-fifth healthiest city. It notably has a high green space rank (4) and a good food rank (16). Its health care rank is 32, but its fitness rank is 137.
America’s 25 Unhealthiest Cities
1: Brownsville, Texas: (Total score: 24.36)
Brownsville is ranked as the least healthy city in America. It scores poorly across all categories with ranks of 180 for health care, 182 for food, 182 for fitness, and 179 for green space out of 182 cities.
2: Gulfport, Mississippi: (Total score: 29.13)
Gulfport is the second least healthy city, ranking very low in green space (180), food (178), health care (175), and fitness (168). These low ranks across multiple key areas contribute significantly to its overall unhealthiness.
3: Laredo, Texas: (Total score: 29.67)
Laredo is the third least healthy city, with very poor rankings in health care (181), food (180), and fitness (181). Its green space rank is 153. Several Texas cities appear in the bottom 25.
4: Columbus, Georgia: (Total score: 29.76).
Columbus is the fourth least healthy city, with the worst health care rank (182). It also ranks very low in food (174), fitness (163), and green space (158).
5: Shreveport, Louisiana: (Total score: 30.57)
Shreveport ranks as the fifth least healthy city. It struggles across categories, including food (181), fitness (176), green space (160), and health care (162). This indicates widespread challenges to health for its residents.
6: Augusta, Georgia: (Total score: 32.71)
Augusta is the sixth least healthy city. It has poor rankings in green space (174), fitness (173), food (166), and health care (156). This highlights significant areas for improvement in public health.
7: Fayetteville, North Carolina: (Total score: 32.78)
Fayetteville is the seventh least healthy city, ranking very low in food (177), green space (172), fitness (166), and health care (146). These poor showings contribute to its overall low health score.
8: Corpus Christi, Texas: (Total score: 32.81)
Corpus Christi is the eighth least healthy city, with poor ranks in health care (174), fitness (162), food (162), and green space (166). Texas cities feature prominently among the unhealthiest.
9: Detroit, Michigan: (Total score: 32.98)
Detroit ranks as the ninth least healthy city. It has very low ranks in health care (179) and fitness (180). Its food rank is 118 and green space rank is 157.
10: Huntington, West Virginia: (Total score: 33.38)
Huntington is the tenth least healthy city, struggling with very low ranks in health care (176), fitness (172), green space (156), and food (146). These factors combine to place it among the unhealthiest.
11: Fort Smith, Arkansas: (Total score: 33.61)
Fort Smith ranks eleventh among the unhealthiest cities, with very poor performance in fitness (177), green space (173), food (156), and health care (154). This indicates a challenging environment for healthy living.
12: Winston-Salem, North Carolina: (Total score: 33.84)
Winston-Salem is the twelfth least healthy city, with the worst green space rank (182). It also ranks very low in food (172) and fitness (140), with a health care rank of 108.
13: Memphis, Tennessee: (Total score: 34.11)
Memphis ranks thirteenth among the unhealthiest cities, notably struggling with health care (178). Its food rank is 168, fitness rank is 145, and green space rank is 148.
14: Jackson, Mississippi: (Total score: 34.46)
Jackson is the fourteenth least healthy city, with low ranks in green space (169), fitness (167), food (161), and health care (138). These factors collectively contribute to its low overall health score.
15: Montgomery, Alabama: (Total score: 34.63)
Montgomery ranks fifteenth among the unhealthiest cities. It has a very low green space rank (181) and poor food (175) and health care (157) ranks. Its fitness rank is 133.
16: North Las Vegas, Nevada: (Total score: 35.34)
North Las Vegas is the sixteenth least healthy city, with very poor ranks in fitness (179), health care (173), and food (158). Its green space rank is 102.
17: Amarillo, Texas: (Total score: 35.55)
Amarillo ranks seventeenth among the unhealthiest cities. It has poor standings in fitness (170), health care (164), and food (164). Its green space rank is 116.
18: Las Cruces, New Mexico: (Total score: 35.67)
Las Cruces is the eighteenth least healthy city, with very low ranks in fitness (174) and food (179). Its health care rank is 84, and green space rank is 145.
19: Toledo, Ohio: (Total score: 36.15)
Toledo ranks nineteenth among the unhealthiest cities. It has low ranks in health care (171), food (163), and fitness (161). Its green space rank is 103.
20: Baton Rouge, Louisiana: (Total score: 36.26)
Baton Rouge is the twentieth least healthy city. It struggles with very low ranks in food (173), health care (159), and green space (133). Its fitness rank is 131.
21: Wichita, Kansas: (Total score: 36.54)
Wichita ranks twenty-first among the unhealthiest cities. It has poor ranks in green space (164), food (169), and health care (141). Its fitness rank is 109.
22: Greensboro, North Carolina: (Total score: 36.76)
Greensboro is the twenty-second least healthy city, with notably low ranks in green space (175), fitness (135), and food (144). Its health care rank is 118.
23: Mobile, Alabama: (Total score: 36.88)
Mobile ranks twenty-third among the unhealthiest cities. It has very low ranks in green space (177), health care (158), and food (150). Its fitness rank is 132.
24: Charleston, West Virginia: (Total score: 37.06)
Charleston is the twenty-fourth least healthy city. It has very low ranks in green space (176), fitness (146), and health care (144). Its food rank is 132.
25: Lewiston, Maine: (Total score: 37.52)
Lewiston is the twenty-fifth least healthy city. It has poor ranks in fitness (171), health care (152), and food (140). Its green space rank is 110.
Alicia Richards