Healthiest & Unhealthiest American Cities

In-Depth Look at the Healthiest and Unhealthiest U.S. Cities

Below, we take a look at the top ten healthiest cities in America, and then we look at the ten unhealthiest cities.

Ten Healthiest U.S. Cities

See why these cities topped our list for the healthiest cities in America.

1. Seattle, WA

Seattle, Washington, is the healthiest city in America. It has a park access score of 99 and a walkability score of 74. Only 6.2% of adults have diabetes, which is the lowest among the cities on our list. Seattle also has the most active adult population, with only 12.2% of adults being physically inactive.

- Park Access Score: 99

- Walkability Score: 74 

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 150.4

- Diabetes Percentage: 6.2%

- Obesity Percentage: 23.0%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 12.2%

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2. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco comes in second place. It has the best park access score of the cities on our list, with 100 points. It’s among the top five for walkability, with a score of 89. San Francisco also has the second lowest obesity percentage, at 18.1%.

- Park Access Score: 100

- Walkability Score: 89

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 147.3

- Diabetes Percentage: 10.1%

- Obesity Percentage: 18.1%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 18.5%

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3. Arlington, VA

Arlington, Virginia, takes third place for the healthiest American cities. It comes in second for physically inactive adults, with only 13.9% reporting physical inactivity. Also, only 7.9% of adults are obese, which ties for fourth lowest on our list.

- Park Access Score: 99

- Walkability Score: 71

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 176

- Diabetes Percentage: 7.9%

- Obesity Percentage: 24.6%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 13.9%

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4. Irvine, CA

Irvine, California, comes in fourth place. This city has the lowest rate of cardiovascular disease deaths per 100,000 people, at 122.2. It also scored well due to its low percentage of adults with diabetes (8.1%) and physically inactive adults (16.1%).

- Park Access Score: 92

- Walkability Score: 43

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 122.2

- Diabetes Percentage: 8.1%

- Obesity Percentage: 20.0%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 16.1%

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5. Denver, CO

Coming in fifth place is Denver, Colorado. The city scores high due to its low percentage of diabetes, obesity, and adult physical inactivity. In fact, Denver has the second-lowest diabetes rate, at 6.8%. It ties with Seattle for obesity rates at 23.0% and comes in seventh for physically inactive adults at 17.7%.

- Park Access Score: 90

- Walkability Score: 61

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 162.2

- Diabetes Percentage: 6.8%

- Obesity Percentage: 23.0%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 17.7%

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6. Boston, MA

Boston, Massachusetts, ties with San Fransico for park access at 100 points. It has a walkability of 83, which is among the top ten on our list. Boston comes in third for cardiovascular disease deaths, with an estimated 134.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

- Park Access Score: 100

- Walkability Score: 83

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 134.8

- Diabetes Percentage: 8.5%

- Obesity Percentage: 25.4%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 21.8%

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7. Fremont, CA

Despite having a lower park access and walkability score, Fremont, California, takes seventh place. It scores high for its low cardiovascular disease death rate, with only 123.9 deaths per 100,000 people. The city also has the lowest obesity percentage, at 14.5%.

- Park Access Score: 61

- Walkability Score: 50

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 123.9

- Diabetes Percentage: 9.0%

- Obesity Percentage: 14.5%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 16.6%

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8. Madison, WI

Madison, Wisconsin, comes in eighth place. With a park access score of 93, a low number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease (138), and a diabetes rate of 7.5% (the third lowest), Madison earns its place on our list.

- Park Access Score: 93

- Walkability Score: 50

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 138

- Diabetes Percentage: 7.5%

- Obesity Percentage: 30.6%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 18.6%

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9. Portland, OR

In ninth place is Portland, Oregon. This city scores high because of its low percentage of diabetes and number of physically active adults. Portland ties with Washinton, D.C. for fourth in diabetes percentage, at 7.9%. Additionally, only 16.3% of adults are physically inactive, placing it fifth for that metric.

- Park Access Score: 88

- Walkability Score: 67

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 192.6

- Diabetes Percentage: 7.9%

- Obesity Percentage: 28.4%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 16.3%

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10. Washington, DC

The tenth healthiest city on our list is Washington, D.C. This city has some of the highest scores for park accessibility (99) and the highest walkability score of 98. It ties with Portland for diabetes percentage at 7.9%. It also has the third lowest percentage of physically inactive adults, at 15.1%.

- Park Access Score: 99

- Walkability Score: 98

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 232

- Diabetes Percentage: 7.9%

- Obesity Percentage: 24.7%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 15.1%

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Ten Unhealthiest U.S. Cities

See why these cities ranked at the bottom of our list for the healthiest cities in America.

91. El Paso, TX

El Paso, Texas, is 91st on our list. The city has low park accessibility and walkability. On top of that, 31.6% of adults report being physically inactive, which makes El Paso rank ninety-second for the metric. It also has a high obesity rate of 39.0%.

- Park Access Score: 50

- Walkability Score: 40

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 197.3

- Diabetes Percentage: 17.3%

- Obesity Percentage: 39.0%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 31.6%

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92. Corpus Christi, TX

Ranking 92nd on our list is Corpus Christi, Texas. This city scores low due to its high percentage of obese adults (42.4%), high number of cardiovascular disease deaths (227.8), large diabetes rate (16.1%), and finally, high percentage of physically inactive adults (31.9%).

- Park Access Score: 66

- Walkability Score: 40

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 227.8

- Diabetes Percentage: 16.1%

- Obesity Percentage: 42.4%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 31.9%

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93. Cleveland, OH

Cleveland, Ohio, comes in 93rd place. While its park access score is not terrible, at 75 points, the city scores low because of its high number of cardiovascular disease deaths, at 274.1, and high obesity percentage, of 44.6%, which places Cleveland ninety-eighth for that metric.

- Park Access Score: 75

- Walkability Score: 57

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 274.1

- Diabetes Percentage: 17.3%

- Obesity Percentage: 44.6%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 32.7%

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94. Toledo, OH

Toledo, Ohio, comes in 94th place on our list. However, it ranks eighty-seventh for cardiovascular disease deaths, with 282.9 deaths per 100,000 people. Its high obesity rate (44.5%) and percentage of physically inactive adults (31.4%) also lower Toledo’s overall rank.

- Park Access Score: 77

- Walkability Score: 46

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 282.9

- Diabetes Percentage: 15.7%

- Obesity Percentage: 44.5%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 31.4%

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95. Tulsa, OK

In 95th place is Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not only does Tulsa have a low park access and walkability score, but it has one of the highest cardiovascular disease death numbers, at 338 deaths per 100,000 people. The city also has a high percentage of inactive adults, at 31.5%.

- Park Access Score: 54

- Walkability Score: 39

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 338

- Diabetes Percentage: 13.4%

- Obesity Percentage: 38.8%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 31.5%

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96. Laredo, TX

Laredo, Texas, comes in 96th place because of its high diabetes rate (17.2%), obesity prevalence (41.7%), and percentage of physically inactive adults (36.7%), which is the highest percentage of inactive adults among the cities on our list.

- Park Access Score: 44

- Walkability Score: 37

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 202

- Diabetes Percentage: 17.2%

- Obesity Percentage: 41.7%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 36.7%

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97. San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, Texas, scores low across all metrics, placing it 97th on our list. It scored least for diabetes rates, with 16.5% of the population being diagnosed, which places it ninety-fourth in that metric. San Antonio also has a high prevalence of obesity, at 37.8%.

- ParkAccess Score: 36

- Walkability Score: 37

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 247.2

- Diabetes Percentage: 16.5%

- Obesity Percentage: 37.8%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 29.4%

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98. Detroit, MI

Detroit, Michigan, places 98th, despite having a decent park access score of 79. Unfortunately, the city has around 370.9 cardiovascular disease deaths per 100,000 people, a high diabetes rate of 17.7%, a large percentage of obesity at 44.8% (which is ninety-ninth place for that metric), and 33.4% of inactive adults.

- Park Access Score: 79

- Walkability Score: 51

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 370.9

- Diabetes Percentage: 17.7%

- Obesity Percentage: 44.8%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 33.4%

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99. Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, comes in 99th place. The number of cardiovascular disease deaths is the biggest reason for this, with an estimated 422.3 deaths per 100,000 people, placing it ninety-eighth for the metric. Baton Rouge also ranks low because of its low park accessibility and walkability scores as well as its high percentage of obesity, at 38.4%.

- Park Access Score: 36

- Walkability Score: 39

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 422.3

- Diabetes Percentage: 14.0%

- Obesity Percentage: 38.4%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 30.0%

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100. Memphis, TN

Memphis, Tennessee, lands at the bottom of our list at 100th place. It has one of the lowest park accessibility scores (28) and a low walkability score (35). It also has one of the largest percentages of diabetes at 17.8%, the highest obesity rate of the cities on our list at 44.9%, and a high percentage of physically inactive adults at 33.8%.

- Park Access Score: 28

- Walkability Score: 35

- Cardiovascular Disease Deaths per 100,000 People: 314.7

- Diabetes Percentage: 17.8%

- Obesity Percentage: 44.9%

- Physically Inactive Adults: 33.8%

Methodology

The LookMeds research team identified six key metrics to determine the overall health of each city's population. We looked at park access, city walkability, the number of people who’ve died due to cardiovascular disease, the percentage of adults with diabetes, the percentage of adults who’re obese, and the percentage of physically inactive adults.

We ranked each city within each metric and scored them on a 100-point scale. Healthier cities earned more points within each metric, contributing to their total weighted score.

Park Access Score—Total 10 Points

Using data from The Trust for Public Land, we considered each city’s park access score. This score is determined by the percentage of people who live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Cities with a higher score earned more points.

Walkability Score—Total 10 Points

We identified each city’s walk score, which is related to how walkable neighborhoods are and their proximity to people and places. Cities with a higher walkability score secured more points.

Cardiovascular Disease Deaths—Total 20 Points

Based on data from the City Health Dashboard, LookMeds identified the estimated number of deaths from cardiovascular disease per 100,000 people. Cities with a lower number of estimated deaths scored better.

Diabetes Percentage—Total 20 Points

We found the estimated percentage of adults with diabetes. Cities with a lower percentage scored higher.

Obesity Percentage—Total 20 Points

We found the estimated percentage of adults with obesity or a reported BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Cities that had a smaller percentage of obese adults earned more points.

Physically Inactive Adults—Total 20 Points

Based on data from the City Health Dashboard, we determined the percentage of adults who reported being physically inactive within the past 30 days. Cities with a higher percentage of inactive adults scored fewer points.

Bottom Line

Health is an important part of life that we must actively work to maintain and improve. Looking at the data, we can see that cities with higher park access and better walkability generally have healthier citizens, seeing lower cardiovascular disease deaths, diabetes rates, obesity prevalence, and percentages of physically inactive adults.

While environment does play a role in the general health of a population, health is ultimately the responsibility of the individual. If you live in any of these cities, regardless of how it ranked on the list, consider what you can do to improve and maintain your health. Taking daily walks, eating well, and incorporating regular physical activity are great ways to better one’s health.

Cities can encourage healthy habits by increasing access to parks, making neighborhoods safer to walk through, and starting initiatives that make quality gyms more accessible.

Fair Use Statement

If our findings are interesting to you, please share for non-commercial purposes and include a link back to this article so readers can access our methodology.