2021’s best and worst cities for recreation

Staying active isn’t just good for your health. It’s also good for your wallet. One of the best ways to maintain an active lifestyle is to choose a city that encourages and facilitates recreation. The best cities have a wide range of leisure activities, both indoor and outdoor. Those activities require varying levels of exercise and contribute to a city’s overall well-being and economy.

Neighborhood parks are one of the most beneficial types of recreation a city can offer. Research has found that having a park within 500 to 600 feet of your property can have significant impact on its value. In addition, parks help people stay fit, saving them as much as $1,500 in healthcare costs per year, and they reduce the overall costs of air pollution by $3.8 billion per year. It’s also important for cities to offer recreation opportunities that don’t require good weather, though, so things like movie theaters, music venues and coffee shops also contribute to each city’s recreation-friendliness.

Some cities offer more numerous and cheaper options than others. To determine the places where recreation is a high priority, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 48 key metrics that speak to the benefits of recreational activities. In each city, we examined basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities and the weather.

Source: WalletHub

1	Orlando, FL	62.96	1	37	59	28
2	Las Vegas, NV	61.80	2	68	34	18
3	San Diego, CA	57.31	5	82	17	34
4	Cincinnati, OH	56.81	13	34	20	58
5	Tampa, FL	56.51	11	65	75	13
6	Honolulu, HI	56.04	4	84	21	43
7	Atlanta, GA	55.70	9	67	42	41
8	Albuquerque, NM	54.87	40	17	3	37
9	St. Louis, MO	54.17	19	4	12	94
10	New Orleans, LA	53.46	16	80	2	53
11	Scottsdale, AZ	53.37	36	60	31	3
12	Tucson, AZ	53.27	27	42	55	16
13	Los Angeles, CA	52.92	10	94	66	7
14	Denver, CO	52.76	17	66	15	64
15	San Francisco, CA	52.03	3	99	6	49
16	Minneapolis, MN	51.99	23	40	8	77
17	Sacramento, CA	51.91	29	74	24	9
18	Chicago, IL	50.86	6	93	7	92
19	Glendale, AZ	50.85	71	7	69	11
20	Boise, ID	50.83	54	5	60	26
21	Portland, OR	50.58	14	70	32	78
22	El Paso, TX	50.28	78	3	30	25
23	St. Petersburg, FL	50.10	31	57	44	40
24	Austin, TX	49.97	18	15	81	81
25	Philadelphia, PA	49.89	21	73	23	52
26	Henderson, NV	49.84	68	31	72	4
27	Reno, NV	49.75	44	9	88	27
28	Chandler, AZ	48.65	89	10	57	14
29	Phoenix, AZ	48.40	55	44	70	17
30	New York, NY	48.39	7	100	1	55
31	Houston, TX	48.39	24	48	26	86
32	San Antonio, TX	48.19	25	35	49	74
33	Madison, WI	48.11	39	47	4	73
34	Pittsburgh, PA	48.04	20	54	52	84
35	Miami, FL	47.99	8	86	64	68
36	Birmingham, AL	47.81	50	21	99	59
37	Kansas City, MO	47.70	66	32	25	44
38	Lincoln, NE	47.61	61	41	18	46
39	Seattle, WA	47.55	12	95	22	70
40	Omaha, NE	47.42	38	33	27	75
41	Jacksonville, FL	47.38	34	26	56	67
42	Tulsa, OK	47.37	56	36	78	30
43	Cleveland, OH	47.37	32	18	50	83
44	Washington, DC	47.21	15	91	14	93
45	Oklahoma City, OK	46.81	60	8	90	35
46	Columbus, OH	46.37	46	38	46	61
47	Baton Rouge, LA	46.36	42	14	85	54
48	Mesa, AZ	46.34	79	24	80	20
49	Milwaukee, WI	45.88	33	58	16	95
50	Bakersfield, CA	45.84	92	16	93	2
51	Stockton, CA	45.79	91	64	54	10
52	Dallas, TX	45.72	30	55	48	72
53	Colorado Springs, CO	45.67	58	49	53	42
54	Virginia Beach, VA	45.66	43	25	33	90
55	Anaheim, CA	45.52	51	81	89	6
56	Fort Worth, TX	45.50	63	46	65	32
57	Long Beach, CA	45.41	48	90	47	12
58	St. Paul, MN	45.38	41	52	28	69
59	Buffalo, NY	45.36	26	51	38	100
60	Irvine, CA	45.31	47	97	10	21
61	Norfolk, VA	45.17	52	56	19	62
62	Gilbert, AZ	44.79	95	6	97	14
63	Winston-Salem, NC	44.55	86	20	79	39
64	Chesapeake, VA	44.46	94	39	11	47
65	Louisville, KY	44.45	28	45	71	91
66	Plano, TX	44.08	62	71	37	45
67	Fresno, CA	43.49	84	59	67	19
68	Detroit, MI	43.46	70	43	35	60
69	Corpus Christi, TX	43.44	65	23	45	66
70	Toledo, OH	43.39	81	22	51	50
71	Raleigh, NC	43.21	49	28	82	79
72	Lubbock, TX	43.03	87	27	76	48
73	Riverside, CA	42.98	74	69	96	1
74	Charlotte, NC	42.69	53	62	40	71
75	Arlington, TX	42.57	72	61	91	36
76	San Bernardino, CA	42.56	97	75	99	8
77	Santa Ana, CA	42.51	83	78	61	21
78	Baltimore, MD	42.45	37	76	29	89
79	San Jose, CA	42.33	64	88	36	23
80	Aurora, CO	41.96	67	53	39	65
81	Nashville, TN	41.95	35	63	77	88
82	Wichita, KS	41.86	80	1	83	85
83	Lexington-Fayette, KY	41.71	82	12	86	62
84	Laredo, TX	41.70	99	13	84	31
85	Boston, MA	41.50	22	98	9	98
86	Greensboro, NC	41.31	85	30	62	57
87	North Las Vegas, NV	41.29	98	79	41	5
88	Indianapolis, IN	41.15	45	11	95	99
89	Anchorage, AK	40.93	57	85	5	82
90	Memphis, TN	40.37	73	29	68	87
91	Fremont, CA	39.86	96	92	13	24
92	Hialeah, FL	39.73	75	83	74	38
93	Newark, NJ	37.86	68	72	43	97
94	Jersey City, NJ	37.77	76	87	58	55
95	Irving, TX	37.65	93	50	63	76
96	Fort Wayne, IN	37.49	88	2	92	96
97	Chula Vista, CA	37.25	100	77	87	29
98	Garland, TX	36.81	90	89	94	33
99	Durham, NC	36.78	77	19	98	79
100	Oakland, CA	36.26	59	96	73	51

This article originally appeared in WalletHub.

2021’s best and worst cities for recreation

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