These are the healthiest (and unhealthiest) cities in the US

Buddha once said, “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” And indeed, our health is one of the most important factors for success, longevity and altogether good life.

But what contributes to health? Sure, outlook has a lot to do with it. But we also have to consider whether our surroundings are conducive to healthfulness and whether the resources we need to thrive are available to us.

“First, ensure that you have easy access to affordable, healthy food — particularly produce,” Kristin Hocevar, an assistant professor at Southern Oregon University, told WalletHub. “Second, access to safe and appealing outdoor space is important. Even if you don’t live in a place where you can walk to work or the store, nearby parks or other outdoor spaces can help adults spend more time exercising as well as provide important resources for children.”

Two other major influencers could contribute to your health, or lack thereof, Hocevar cautioned.

“From a practical standpoint, affordability and good job opportunities are both also very important,” Hocevar said. “While it may not be immediately apparent that those are specifically good for our health, we want to like where we live and where we work, and struggling to afford an expensive city or working for an organization that isn’t a good fit can be stressful.”

Source: WalletHub

That’s all sound advice, but what about more concrete details? Well, we’re in luck: WalletHub studied four “key dimensions” — health care, food, fitness, and green space — in 174 U.S. cities to find out where the healthiest and unhealthiest cities in the country are. Here’s what they discovered:

America’s healthiest places to live (The Top 25)

Overall Rank*	City	Total Score	‘Health Care’ Rank	‘Food’ Rank	‘Fitness’ Rank	‘Green Space’ Rank
1	San Francisco, CA	73.29	24	1	10	1
2	Seattle, WA	69.94	25	5	5	2
3	San Diego, CA	67.62	33	3	3	7
4	Portland, OR	65.73	47	6	17	4
5	Washington, DC	65.48	29	10	15	3
6	New York, NY	62.79	70	2	20	14
7	Denver, CO	61.93	60	15	2	16
8	Honolulu, HI	61.76	43	8	57	5
9	Scottsdale, AZ	61.37	12	41	1	19
10	Irvine, CA	61.26	2	30	16	11
11	Burlington, VT	60.95	13	28	7	18
12	Minneapolis, MN	60.85	3	22	41	9
13	Los Angeles, CA	60.30	68	4	12	38
14	Austin, TX	60.09	39	16	11	17
15	Chicago, IL	60.05	72	12	19	10
16	Huntington Beach, CA	59.70	8	37	9	34
17	Salt Lake City, UT	59.51	42	14	13	35
18	Fremont, CA	57.79	9	23	23	30
19	Atlanta, GA	57.71	75	26	6	28
20	Boston, MA	57.44	41	20	24	20
21	San Jose, CA	57.11	23	11	29	54
22	Glendale, CA	56.83	31	54	33	8
23	Raleigh, NC	56.55	11	27	4	85
24	Santa Clarita, CA	56.32	7	75	64	6
25	Portland, ME	56.05	18	24	59	40
26	Lincoln, NE	55.36	10	64	35	25
27	Philadelphia, PA	54.58	147	13	40	21
28	Virginia Beach, VA	54.57	5	74	30	33
29	Pittsburgh, PA	54.23	26	21	43	58
30	Orlando, FL	54.17	44	19	51	52
31	Madison, WI	54.14	14	67	54	26
32	Tampa, FL	54.01	80	25	26	36
33	Overland Park, KS	53.94	1	58	53	130
34	Oakland, CA	53.49	55	9	74	56
35	Long Beach, CA	53.47	37	32	69	29
36	Boise, ID	53.37	59	68	50	13
37	Fort Lauderdale, FL	53.06	44	40	58	46
38	Peoria, AZ	53.06	30	104	45	12
39	Miami, FL	53.03	78	7	73	67
40	Sacramento, CA	52.99	94	18	90	24
41	Santa Rosa, CA	52.99	71	52	37	32
42	Las Vegas, NV	52.93	163	17	8	50
43	Plano, TX	52.77	4	73	25	70
44	St. Paul, MN	52.73	28	66	49	31
45	Sioux Falls, SD	52.31	6	96	32	99
46	Tempe, AZ	51.80	58	46	44	60
47	Oceanside, CA	51.59	57	79	14	124
48	Garden Grove, CA	50.99	56	45	56	83
49	Vancouver, WA	50.85	66	84	18	109
50	St. Louis, MO	50.58	126	44	42	37
51	Phoenix, AZ	50.56	98	31	72	39
52	Richmond, VA	50.51	67	72	36	64
53	Aurora, CO	50.21	54	82	28	61
54	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	50.16	69	135	21	23
55	Rochester, NY	50.10	82	34	96	44
56	Tallahassee, FL	50.09	15	106	118	15
57	Colorado Springs, CO	49.98	83	89	27	49
58	Missoula, MT	49.97	40	148	52	41
59	Yonkers, NY	49.74	38	43	114	65
60	Chandler, AZ	49.63	32	81	22	119
61	Anaheim, CA	49.61	50	42	65	75
62	Charlotte, NC	49.53	51	53	31	106
63	Albuquerque, NM	49.07	116	50	63	43
63	Fargo, ND	49.07	35	107	55	77
65	Chesapeake, VA	49.06	17	129	70	42
66	Pembroke Pines, FL	49.02	27	55	84	155
67	Grand Rapids, MI	48.67	20	88	116	59
68	Cincinnati, OH	48.61	130	47	62	47
69	Tacoma, WA	48.59	104	63	39	104
70	Durham, NC	48.53	21	85	66	101
71	Des Moines, IA	48.37	19	94	94	89
72	Houston, TX	48.30	131	33	38	94
73	Spokane, WA	48.22	100	56	82	55
74	Omaha, NE	48.22	36	60	79	78
75	Baltimore, MD	48.11	87	29	105	57
76	Reno, NV	48.00	138	61	48	51
77	Gilbert, AZ	47.89	22	95	61	112
78	Wilmington, DE	47.79	46	91	144	27
79	Charleston, SC	47.66	34	97	95	87
80	Warwick, RI	47.58	52	77	75	133
81	Chula Vista, CA	47.33	62	69	34	127
82	Bridgeport, CT	47.14	74	108	68	86
83	West Valley City, UT	47.03	110	35	67	151
84	Cedar Rapids, IA	46.96	16	134	71	131
85	Providence, RI	46.79	112	57	110	48
86	Dallas, TX	46.69	141	36	60	90
87	St. Petersburg, FL	46.55	79	83	83	69
88	Tucson, AZ	46.13	121	51	91	63
89	Nashville, TN	46.08	90	49	99	80
90	Worcester, MA	46.04	84	102	80	84
91	Buffalo, NY	45.80	63	76	128	68
92	Milwaukee, WI	45.50	109	59	111	62
93	Aurora, IL	45.39	49	113	104	108
94	Rapid City, SD	44.99	48	115	107	126
95	Nashua, NH	44.89	76	156	47	115
96	San Antonio, TX	44.52	127	78	81	88
97	Henderson, NV	44.52	129	126	46	73
98	Jacksonville, FL	44.41	132	80	89	76
99	New Orleans, LA	44.31	158	114	115	22
100	Newport News, VA	44.17	64	130	103	96
101	Manchester, NH	44.11	93	141	77	100
102	Glendale, AZ	44.07	96	99	119	66
103	Santa Ana, CA	44.05	113	62	106	93
104	Billings, MT	43.92	65	117	120	110
105	Kansas City, MO	43.90	97	86	124	81
106	Mesa, AZ	43.83	77	87	78	143
107	New Haven, CT	43.75	92	132	135	45
108	Oxnard, CA	43.67	119	93	117	102
109	Jersey City, NJ	43.40	73	48	148	118
110	Anchorage, AK	42.97	134	100	141	53
111	Louisville, KY	42.95	101	65	108	128
112	Columbus, OH	42.77	89	71	147	98
113	Greensboro, NC	42.72	88	144	100	72
114	Riverside, CA	42.44	103	123	76	116
115	Knoxville, TN	42.26	117	112	132	79
116	Modesto, CA	42.23	156	125	86	74
117	Columbia, SC	42.00	61	109	134	164
118	Cleveland, OH	41.95	148	39	154	92
119	Salem, OR	41.91	99	111	121	139
120	Springfield, MO	41.64	125	152	97	82
121	Fort Worth, TX	41.28	120	92	101	142
122	Port St. Lucie, FL	41.24	102	121	98	165
123	Norfolk, VA	41.22	86	128	137	97
124	Charleston, WV	41.16	85	138	146	91
125	Cheyenne, WY	40.96	81	162	88	167
126	Lexington-Fayette, KY	40.82	53	101	152	134
127	Indianapolis, IN	40.76	161	98	112	105
128	Fontana, CA	40.36	137	142	85	140
129	Birmingham, AL	40.26	123	127	113	120
130	Ontario, CA	39.82	150	133	93	156
131	El Paso, TX	39.77	152	118	126	107
132	Little Rock, AR	39.63	95	159	125	103
133	Fresno, CA	39.49	155	90	133	132
134	Arlington, TX	39.40	106	119	127	144
135	Nampa, ID	39.28	169	105	92	162
136	Grand Prairie, TX	39.20	140	124	149	129
137	Huntsville, AL	39.05	91	147	153	138
138	Oklahoma City, OK	38.86	107	103	162	113
139	Tulsa, OK	38.68	105	137	151	111
140	Garland, TX	38.60	154	116	130	123
141	Moreno Valley, CA	38.59	122	143	150	121
142	Irving, TX	38.52	149	122	102	153
143	Fort Wayne, IN	38.49	139	146	87	145
144	Akron, OH	38.07	114	131	161	117
145	Las Cruces, NM	37.53	108	167	122	161
146	Newark, NJ	37.53	159	70	159	137
147	Stockton, CA	37.38	160	120	123	150
148	Amarillo, TX	37.07	157	150	142	141
149	Bakersfield, CA	37.04	153	110	145	154
150	Hialeah, FL	37.02	128	38	171	163
151	Cape Coral, FL	37.01	135	158	129	158
152	Lubbock, TX	36.94	133	165	109	135
153	Fayetteville, NC	36.07	111	166	136	166
154	Wichita, KS	35.92	145	149	138	149
155	San Bernardino, CA	35.60	171	140	156	95
156	Winston-Salem, NC	35.20	118	168	131	152
157	Chattanooga, TN	34.96	144	164	155	125
158	Baton Rouge, LA	34.80	170	153	139	136
159	North Las Vegas, NV	34.79	173	154	163	71
160	Mobile, AL	34.55	151	161	140	170
161	Jackson, MS	34.16	124	163	143	169
162	Columbus, GA	33.82	142	160	168	114
163	Corpus Christi, TX	33.74	146	157	158	146
164	Toledo, OH	33.73	136	136	165	157
165	Montgomery, AL	33.07	143	169	157	160
166	Detroit, MI	32.30	172	139	169	122
167	Memphis, TN	31.07	165	155	164	159
168	Augusta, GA	30.70	115	171	160	174
169	Fort Smith, AR	30.35	166	151	170	171
170	Huntington, WV	30.32	164	145	173	147
171	Shreveport, LA	28.73	162	173	166	168
172	Gulfport, MS	27.99	168	170	167	173
173	Laredo, TX	25.46	167	172	174	148
174	Brownsville, TX	24.19	174	174	172	172

Key takeaways

People eat their fruits and vegetables in California, and certain parts of Texas seem to have very few healthy restaurants. It’s costly to be fit in big cities such as New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., but monthly fees at fitness clubs are also high where you might not expect — such as in Anchorage, Alaska, or Laredo, Texas. You may not see too many people running around Newark, New Jersey, but there are plenty of running trails in Austin, Texas, and Chicago.

Here are some of the other discoveries from the WalletHub data:

Credit: WalletHub

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These are the healthiest (and unhealthiest) cities in the US

America’s healthiest places to live (The Top 25)

Key takeaways