The Most (and Least) Fit States in America

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_{Sort the table below to see where your state ranks in each category.}

Most Fit States in America

Below, we examine the fittest states to identify how physical activity, gym, and trail access correlate to obesity and high blood pressure.

1. New Hampshire

New Hampshire ranks as the most fit state overall, with 33.1% of adults and 23.7% of children being physically active and exercising, which is more than the national average for both. It also has a large number of hiking trails, at 6.32%, and a gym access rate of 1.81. These factors lead to lower-than-average obesity and high blood pressure rates.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 33.1%
• Physically Active Children: 23.7%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 6.32%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.81
• Obesity Rate: 32.8
• High Blood Pressure: 33.3%

2. Massachusetts

Massachusetts takes second place, with 31.1% of adults getting the recommended amount of exercise. While only 19.9% of children meet physical activity requirements, the state has an impressive trail infrastructure at 7.55% and high gym access rates at 2.11 per capita. This leads to lower-than-average obesity and high blood pressure rates.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 31.1%
• Physically Active Children: 19.9%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 7.55%
• Gym Access per Capita: 2.11
• Obesity Rate: 27.4
• High Blood Pressure: 31.0%

3. Washington

Jumping across the nation, Washington state takes third place. About 31.8% of adults meet exercise recommendations, and 16.7% of children are physically active for at least 60 minutes daily. Washington ranks high due to its 6.06% percentage of hiking trails and 2.14% per capita gym access, which leads to lower-than-average obesity and high blood pressure rates.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 31.8%
• Physically Active Children: 16.7%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 6.06%
• Gym Access per Capita: 2.14
• Obesity Rate: 30.6
• High Blood Pressure: 30.6%

4. Colorado

Colorado comes in fourth, with the second-largest percentage of exercising adults, at 35.4%. Additionally, with 6.28% of trail miles per lane miles and 1.61 gym access per capita, Colorado has the second-lowest obesity rate, at 24.9%, and the lowest high blood pressure rate in the nation.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 35.4%
• Physically Active Children: 17.9%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 6.28%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.61
• Obesity Rate: 24.9
• High Blood Pressure: 27.3%

5. Vermont

The fifth most fit state in America is Vermont. It scores in the top five for percent of exercising adults (33.7%), top ten for physically active children (24.3%), and has a higher-than-average percentage of hiking trails (5.14%). Despite only having 1.40 gym access per capita, Vermont’s obesity rate is far below the national average at 28.8, and a lower-than-average high blood pressure rate of 32.5%.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 33.7%
• Physically Active Children: 24.3%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 5.14%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.40
• Obesity Rate: 28.8
• High Blood Pressure: 32.5%

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Least Fit States in America

Explore why these states scored the lowest in our rankings.

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47. Mississippi

Mississippi comes in 47th on our list, making it one of the least fit states in America. Only 23.4% of adults meet exercise recommendations, which is less than the national average. However, 21.5% of children are physically active, which is slightly higher than the national average. Despite this, Mississippi has poor trail infrastructure and low gym access per capita, leading to higher obesity and high blood pressure rates.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 23.4%
• Physically Active Children: 21.5%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 0.22%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.65
• Obesity Rate: 40.1
• High Blood Pressure: 46.0%

48. Alabama

Alabama ranks 48th, with lower-than-average adult exercise (25.0%) and physically active (20.6%) rates. It also has only 0.52% trail miles per lane miles and lower gym access per capita at 1.43, leading to high obesity and high blood pressure rates in Alabama’s population.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 25.0%
• Physically Active Children: 20.6%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 0.52%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.43
• Obesity Rate: 39.2
• High Blood Pressure: 44.7%

49. Kansas

Kansas takes the 49th spot on our list. The state's less-than-average exercise (26.8%) and physical activity (20.5%) rates, combined with a low percentage of trail miles per lane mile (0.19%), are the biggest factors earning its rank. Additionally, Kansas has higher-than-average obesity and high blood pressure rates, indicating that exercise, trails, and gym access do impact these metrics.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 26.8%
• Physically Active Children: 20.5%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 0.19%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.19
• Obesity Rate: 35.9
• High Blood Pressure: 34.7%

50. Oklahoma

Coming in 50th place is Oklahoma. It scored below the national average for adult exercise (23.4%), child physical activity (19.5%), trail percentage (0.21%), and gym access (1.62), leading to above-average obesity (38.7) and high blood pressure (38.4%) rates.

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 23.4%
• Physically Active Children: 19.5%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 0.21%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.62
• Obesity Rate: 38.7
• High Blood Pressure: 38.4%

51. Kentucky

Kentucky ranks at the bottom of the list, making it the least-fit state in America. Only 15.3% of adults meet federal exercise recommendations (the lowest in the nation), 18.0% of children are physically active for 60 minutes daily, only 0.22% of travel miles are made up of hiking trails, and there are only 1.40 gyms per capita. As a result, Kentucky has a higher-than-average obesity prevalence (37.7) and high blood pressure rate (39.9%).

• Percentage Adult Exercise: 15.3%
• Physically Active Children: 18.0%
• Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles: 0.22%
• Gym Access per Capita: 1.40
• Obesity Rate: 37.7
• High Blood Pressure: 39.9%

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Methodology

To find the most and least fit states in America, LookMeds gathered state physical activity data, trail infrastructure, and gym access. We also considered obesity rates and high blood pressure prevalence to determine if some states have a better blueprint for encouraging a healthy population.

We ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia across these six metrics and scored them on a 100-point scale.

Percentage Adult Exercise—Total 20 Points

Using data from the United Health Foundation, LookMeds gathered the percentage of adults who meet the federal physical activity guidelines. States with a higher percentage of adults who meet these exercise guidelines scored higher.

Physically Active Children—Total 15 Points

States with a higher percentage of children ages 6-17 who were physically active for at least 60 minutes daily earned more points.

Percentage of Trail Miles per Lane Miles—Total 20 Points

We found the total number of trail miles in each state and DC and compared them to the total number of lanes or roads. States with a higher percentage of trails scored better.

Gym Access per Capita—Total 25 Points

We identified five of the largest gym chains in the United States and found how many locations each has in every state. We then compared that number to each state’s population to estimate how many gyms there are per 100,000 people.

States with a greater number of gyms per capita scored higher.

Obesity Rate—Total 10 Points

We found the prevalence of obesity in each state. States with a lower rate score better.

High Blood Pressure—Total 10 Points

We determined the percentage of adults with high blood pressure in each state, and those with a lower percentage scored higher.

Bottom Line

Looking at the data, we can see that states with a higher percentage of adults meeting federally recommended exercise guidelines, more physically active children, more hiking trails, and greater gym access per capita generally have lower rates of obesity and high blood pressure.

A good blueprint for a healthy population seems to involve making it easier to access gyms and offering more publicly available hiking trails, which correlates with a more active population.

States that seek to encourage a healthy population should look into initiating programs to create free or affordable ways for people to exercise. Hiking trails are a great way to help people start their exercise journey for free, and gyms with affordable memberships also help encourage healthy habits.

Fair Use Statement

If you share our findings with others, please include a link back to this page so readers can access our full methodology.

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