Where Americans live can significantly influence how successfully they stay in good health, the personal finance website WalletHub notes in a recent study.
Some cities encourage wellness by improving access to fresh, nutritious food and recreational spaces. Others keep health care affordable or maintain clean, safe parks for residents.
Cities that overlook these essential factors make it challenging for residents to maintain good health.
Financial advisors, take note: Cities with health-focused amenities tend to attract affluent residents, and cities with strong tax bases can afford to invest in these amenities.
In all of these cities except one — Salt Lake City — residents have median annual incomes above the national median of $80,734, and in six of them, median earnings top six figures, according to 2024 Census data.
"Staying healthy is a personal responsibility, and everyone should strive to eat nutritious food, exercise regularly and look after their mental health," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement.
The best cities, Lupo said, provide the greatest access to high-quality health care, green spaces, recreation centers and healthy food.
To identify the cities that place the greatest emphasis on residents' well-being, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated ones, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across these key dimensions:
— Health care, including premature death rate, mental and physical health, family doctors and dentists per capita, and share of residents 65 and older who receive core preventive services
— Food, including inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, farmer's markets and healthy restaurants per capita, share of residents who say they eat healthfully, and dietitians and nutritionists per capita
— Fitness, including share of adults who engage in any physical activity, weight loss centers per capita and intramural leagues per capita
— Green space, including parkland acres per capita, walk and bike scores, hiking trails per capita and recreation access
Researchers evaluated the four dimensions using 41 relevant metrics, and graded each one on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a healthy lifestyle.
WalletHub's sample considered only the city proper in each case, and excluded those in the surrounding metropolitan area. See the gallery for the 12 healthiest American cities.
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