2024’s Healthiest Cities In The U.S.

 

When it comes to living your best life, location matters. Some cities go above and beyond to promote the well-being of their residents, whether it’s by ensuring access to nutritious food, providing ample recreational facilities, or keeping healthcare costs affordable. But in other places, maintaining good health can be an uphill battle. To that point, in its annual list of the healthiest cities in the U.S., WalletHub ranks San Francisco as the clear winner — a choice sure to stir some debate considering some of the far-from-healthy problems the city faces.

To uncover the cities that prioritize their residents’ health, WalletHub crunched the numbers on more than 180 of the most populated U.S. cities. They evaluated each city using 41 key indicators of good health, which were grouped into four main categories: Health Care, Food, Fitness, and Green Space. Researchers looked at everything from the cost of a doctor’s visit to how many people are eating their fruits and veggies to the number of physically active adults. The results? This is a fascinating snapshot of where in America the healthy life is most accessible.

By using such a diverse array of indicators and assigning them weights based on their relative importance, WalletHub aimed to create a comprehensive and balanced ranking of the healthiest cities in America. However, it’s important to note that no ranking system is perfect, and individual health outcomes can vary widely even within cities that rank highly on these metrics. Nonetheless, this study provides a useful starting point for understanding which urban environments are most conducive to leading a healthy lifestyle.

That’s why San Fran lands atop the others. Despite being mired in a homelessness and drug overdose crisis, the weighted list is based on health factors most easily available to citizens, along with the number of individuals who take advantage of them in each city. San Francisco, though 76th overall in health care ranking, was number one both in healthy food and green space availability. It also ranked 28th overall in fitness.

Similarly, Honolulu placed second overall in green spaces and fourth overall in food, while ranking 27th in fitness and 99th in healthcare. Seattle seemed a bit more balanced than San Francisco and Honolulu, placing fifth overall in fitness, 10th in food, 11th in green space, and 28th in healthcare.

Healthiest Places to Live in the U.S.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Health Care Rank	Food Rank	Fitness Rank	Green Space Rank
1	San Francisco, CA	67.60	76	1	28	1
2	Honolulu, HI	64.28	99	4	27	2
3	Seattle, WA	63.68	28	10	5	11
4	San Diego, CA	63.08	81	5	13	6
5	Washington, DC	63.04	39	7	25	9
6	Portland, OR	62.65	47	6	31	8
7	Denver, CO	61.99	29	11	19	16
8	Salt Lake City, UT	61.18	42	18	17	3
9	Scottsdale, AZ	60.32	19	65	1	13
10	Irvine, CA	60.29	12	30	10	17
11	Los Angeles, CA	59.61	101	3	41	20
12	Minneapolis, MN	59.47	14	32	42	10
13	Austin, TX	59.43	22	25	6	23
14	Huntington Beach, CA	59.40	24	33	2	35
15	South Burlington, VT	58.52	2	17	83	65
16	Boston, MA	58.41	8	12	48	48
17	Madison, WI	58.39	15	39	8	29
18	New York, NY	58.12	86	2	117	18
19	Pittsburgh, PA	57.76	11	20	43	31
20	Glendale, CA	57.17	53	40	15	12
21	Atlanta, GA	57.01	105	19	4	36
22	San Jose, CA	56.60	44	13	75	39
23	Orlando, FL	56.36	61	22	9	49
24	Fremont, CA	56.34	40	26	16	54
25	Portland, ME	55.70	32	16	137	4
26	Oakland, CA	55.36	98	8	64	57
27	Tampa, FL	55.26	70	28	18	58
28	Las Vegas, NV	55.23	155	27	12	25
29	Burlington, VT	54.83	4	42	86	41
30	Garden Grove, CA	54.79	73	37	74	5
31	Raleigh, NC	54.34	17	41	3	124
32	Long Beach, CA	54.29	62	21	34	63
33	Missoula, MT	54.24	13	99	44	21
34	Chicago, IL	54.23	107	14	62	45
35	Sacramento, CA	54.06	135	15	63	33
36	St. Louis, MO	53.46	139	38	11	47
37	Boise, ID	53.40	25	110	35	19
38	Overland Park, KS	53.11	1	106	45	90
39	Cincinnati, OH	53.06	113	56	26	27
40	Miami, FL	53.05	96	9	89	77
41	St. Paul, MN	53.01	41	79	53	26
42	Grand Rapids, MI	52.96	27	52	61	44
43	Rochester, NY	52.69	78	29	116	15
44	Phoenix, AZ	52.65	92	34	47	51
45	Oceanside, CA	52.24	80	58	7	94
46	Richmond, VA	52.13	36	54	23	95
47	Tempe, AZ	52.12	60	78	39	32
48	Philadelphia, PA	52.04	120	23	66	52
49	Fort Lauderdale, FL	51.97	56	44	77	50
50	Columbia, MD	51.78	6	69	71	91
51	Santa Clarita, CA	51.72	20	48	90	56
52	Anaheim, CA	51.37	64	35	51	82
53	Virginia Beach, VA	51.36	3	74	46	99
54	Plano, TX	50.98	26	97	14	84
55	Bismarck, ND	50.92	35	100	30	100
56	Louisville, KY	50.79	65	66	82	42
57	Vancouver, WA	50.66	88	72	20	87
58	Billings, MT	50.32	63	43	68	121
59	Pembroke Pines, FL	50.27	43	90	67	38
60	Sioux Falls, SD	50.08	7	89	78	112
61	Yonkers, NY	49.90	37	36	150	43
62	Santa Rosa, CA	49.88	97	55	72	59
63	St. Petersburg, FL	49.75	94	57	54	67
64	Albuquerque, NM	49.59	140	64	104	24
65	Buffalo, NY	49.47	66	47	99	69
66	Colorado Springs, CO	49.33	82	88	33	74
67	Charlotte, NC	49.19	48	49	21	151
68	Nashua, NH	49.17	23	105	38	137
69	Tacoma, WA	48.99	112	73	29	104
70	Providence, RI	48.78	59	83	119	28
71	Lincoln, NE	48.72	5	127	70	80
72	Spokane, WA	48.71	71	71	59	98
73	Bridgeport, CT	48.55	55	114	120	7
74	Juneau, AK	48.55	149	76	148	13
75	Jersey City, NJ	48.48	67	31	115	108
76	Manchester, NH	48.47	31	117	60	93
77	Charleston, SC	48.41	9	113	73	126
78	Aurora, CO	48.28	30	46	92	127
79	Pearl City, HI	48.04	95	59	110	73
80	Tucson, AZ	47.69	126	61	88	70
81	Milwaukee, WI	47.58	104	81	105	61
82	Omaha, NE	47.51	10	107	65	128
83	Jacksonville, FL	47.38	119	87	52	78
84	Nashville, TN	47.33	132	51	98	72
85	West Valley City, UT	47.27	128	70	111	55
86	Salem, OR	47.17	50	80	121	76
87	Reno, NV	47.12	137	75	96	64
88	Fargo, ND	47.08	33	101	108	105
89	Worcester, MA	47.08	51	104	85	88
90	Santa Ana, CA	46.86	125	45	113	92
91	Baltimore, MD	46.74	143	24	130	96
92	Houston, TX	46.66	106	63	32	141
93	Chula Vista, CA	46.60	85	67	57	135
94	Dallas, TX	46.51	122	86	37	111
95	Chandler, AZ	46.39	46	96	22	152
96	Durham, NC	46.17	21	50	87	168
97	Cedar Rapids, IA	46.08	18	149	69	115
98	Warwick, RI	45.95	34	92	128	122
99	Oxnard, CA	45.91	123	68	134	53
100	New Orleans, LA	45.58	169	123	97	34
101	Chesapeake, VA	45.54	16	119	129	89
102	Lexington-Fayette, KY	45.38	49	77	118	134
103	Modesto, CA	45.27	151	98	95	68
104	San Antonio, TX	45.21	160	112	40	83
105	New Haven, CT	45.18	87	93	159	30
106	Mesa, AZ	44.99	102	95	55	130
107	Riverside, CA	44.90	148	91	49	106
108	Henderson, NV	44.90	127	136	100	62
109	Fort Worth, TX	44.74	69	125	36	143
110	Columbus, OH	44.73	83	84	106	131
111	Springfield, MO	44.71	114	147	76	75
112	Aurora, IL	44.14	91	109	152	22
113	Wilmington, DE	44.12	52	85	178	40
114	Kansas City, MO	43.94	77	121	101	113
115	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	43.92	115	138	58	101
116	Nampa, ID	43.87	124	139	50	117
117	Glendale, AZ	43.84	117	111	84	107
118	Anchorage, AK	43.75	165	102	157	37
119	Peoria, AZ	43.68	72	120	127	97
120	Des Moines, IA	43.18	58	122	126	118
121	Gilbert, AZ	43.18	75	103	24	178
122	Columbia, SC	43.18	45	143	81	165
123	Little Rock, AR	42.99	68	148	91	140
124	Indianapolis, IN	42.93	130	94	79	150
125	Rapid City, SD	42.75	38	126	144	139
126	Cleveland, OH	42.61	116	53	158	120
127	Newport News, VA	42.05	74	141	142	81
128	Casper, WY	42.02	133	151	143	85
129	Knoxville, TN	41.98	136	115	107	147
130	Port St. Lucie, FL	41.80	100	116	114	167
131	Dover, DE	41.46	90	152	122	161
132	Akron, OH	41.37	89	160	139	71
133	Tulsa, OK	41.33	103	159	80	136
134	Tallahassee, FL	41.33	79	165	103	129
135	Lubbock, TX	40.78	129	176	56	132
136	Cheyenne, WY	40.66	57	171	155	144
137	Ontario, CA	40.31	167	133	141	46
138	Norfolk, VA	40.04	54	128	138	154
139	Fresno, CA	40.03	161	82	147	142
140	Stockton, CA	39.99	172	108	153	86
141	Birmingham, AL	39.87	121	157	112	138
142	Oklahoma City, OK	39.83	93	131	136	146
143	Arlington, TX	39.57	110	154	93	155
144	Grand Prairie, TX	39.54	111	155	165	60
145	Chattanooga, TN	39.37	131	170	124	66
146	Cape Coral, FL	39.01	134	153	125	159
147	El Paso, TX	38.76	168	124	154	109
148	Irving, TX	38.75	145	134	94	163
149	Huntsville, AL	38.70	109	167	123	170
150	Newark, NJ	38.64	166	62	175	149
151	Moreno Valley, CA	38.52	150	129	164	119
152	Hialeah, FL	38.50	142	60	169	162
153	Garland, TX	38.28	153	145	149	114
154	Bakersfield, CA	37.88	170	130	151	125
155	San Bernardino, CA	37.69	177	137	160	79
156	Fort Wayne, IN	37.60	147	142	102	171
157	Fontana, CA	37.54	163	135	156	123
158	Lewiston, ME	37.52	152	140	171	110
159	Charleston, WV	37.06	144	132	146	176
160	Mobile, AL	36.88	158	150	132	177
161	Greensboro, NC	36.76	118	144	135	175
162	Wichita, KS	36.54	141	169	109	164
163	Baton Rouge, LA	36.26	159	173	131	133
164	Toledo, OH	36.15	171	163	161	103
165	Las Cruces, NM	35.67	84	179	174	145
166	Amarillo, TX	35.55	164	164	170	116
167	North Las Vegas, NV	35.34	173	158	179	102
168	Montgomery, AL	34.63	157	175	133	181
169	Jackson, MS	34.46	138	161	167	169
170	Memphis, TN	34.11	178	168	145	148
171	Winston-Salem, NC	33.84	108	172	140	182
172	Fort Smith, AR	33.61	154	156	177	173
173	Huntington, WV	33.38	176	146	172	156
174	Detroit, MI	32.98	179	118	180	157
175	Corpus Christi, TX	32.81	174	162	162	166
176	Fayetteville, NC	32.78	146	177	166	172
177	Augusta, GA	32.71	156	166	173	174
178	Shreveport, LA	30.57	162	181	176	160
179	Columbus, GA	29.76	182	174	163	158
180	Laredo, TX	29.67	181	180	181	153
181	Gulfport, MS	29.13	175	178	168	180
182	Brownsville, TX	24.36	180	182	182	179

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Standout Cities

Now, just because some cities placed lower on the overall list doesn’t mean they don’t have standout qualities. Here are some interesting points that the researchers discovered in their data.

Let’s start with one of the most crucial factors: healthcare affordability. In Laredo, Texas, the cost of a medical visit is three times lower than in Juneau, Alaska. That’s a huge difference that can make or break someone’s ability to get the care they need. St. Louis, Kansas City, and Brownsville, Texas also stood out for their low healthcare costs.

But it’s not just about affordable doctor’s visits – having enough mental health support matters too. If you’re looking for easy access to mental health counselors, Spokane, Washington, and Colorado Springs are tied as the top places to be, with 12 times more counselors per capita than Laredo, Texas, despite the city’s aforementioned affordability. Rapid City, South Dakota, and Richmond, Virginia also scored high in this category.

Of course, preventative care is key to staying healthy, and that starts with what we put on our plates. Portland, Maine takes the cake (or should we say the carrot?) for the lowest percentage of adults not eating enough fruits and veggies per day. San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont, California are also crushing it in the healthy eating department. On the flip side, southern cities like Memphis, Chattanooga, and Baton Rouge could use some work in getting their greens.

(WalletHub)

Along with what you eat, where you can eat healthy matters too. Portland, Oregon tops the list for the most healthy restaurants per capita, followed closely by New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a dietitian or nutritionist to help you stay on track, Durham, North Carolina, Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky, Billings, Montana, San Jose, California, and Madison, Wisconsin have the highest number of these professionals per capita.

Staying active is another crucial component of health, and some cities make it easier than others. If you want to break a sweat without breaking the bank, Lubbock, Texas has the lowest average monthly cost of a fitness club membership – nine times lower than in New York City. Glendale, Arizona, Bismarck, North Dakota, Columbus, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama also offer budget-friendly fitness options.

(WalletHub)

But the real superstars of physical activity? Look no further than South Burlington, Vermont, where the percentage of physically active adults is twice as high as in Hialeah, Florida. Irvine, California, Seattle, Washington, Huntington Beach, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona are also filled with folks who know the value of getting their heart rate up. 

Still don’t get how the researchers came to their conclusions? Here’s a more in-depth breakdown of WalletHub methodology:

1. Each of the 41 indicators was assigned a specific weight based on its perceived importance in promoting overall health and well-being. For example, the premature death rate was given a triple weight, while metrics like the number of farmer’s markets per capita were given a full weight.
2. The researchers gathered data for each metric from a variety of reputable sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, County Health Rankings, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others.
3. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a healthy lifestyle.
4. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the data was only available at the state level. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), the researchers calculated the population size using the square root of the population to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.
5. After determining each city’s weighted average across all metrics, WalletHub used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities from most to least healthy.

Within each of the four categories, certain indicators were given additional weight:

• In the Health Care dimension, the premature death rate was given a triple weight, while other metrics like the cost of a doctor’s visit or the number of mental health counselors per capita were given full weight.
• Under the Food dimension, inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption was assigned a double weight, while factors like the number of healthy restaurants per capita were given a full weight.
• For Fitness, the share of adults who engage in any physical activity was given a double weight, while metrics like the average cost of a fitness club membership were assigned a full weight.
• In the Green Space category, all indicators – such as acres of parkland per capita, hiking trails per capita, and a city’s “greenness” – were given equal weights.

So what’s the takeaway? Where you call home can have a real impact on how easy it is to live a healthy life. No matter where you hang your hat, however, making your well-being a priority – whether that’s through regular check-ups, loading up on veggies, moving your body, or taking care of your mental health – is always a worthwhile investment. And who knows? Maybe your city will top the charts next year as America’s healthiest hometown.