Skip to Content

Healthiest cities in America


f11photo // Shutterstock

Healthiest cities in America

People with bicycles at San Diego Waterfront Park.

Health is certainly on the minds of many Americans this time of year.

With the start of each year comes the commitment from many of us to move more, eat less, and generally embrace a healthier lifestyle. But while it’s one thing to adopt a healthy mindset, it’s another to actually stick to it.

Where you live plays an important role in reaching and maintaining your health goals. The route to healthy living involves many factors, including access to the outdoors, a sustainable work-life balance, mild weather conditions, and access to education.

Dozens of American cities offer the opportunity for health-conscious New Year’s resolutions. Personal practice requires a lot of discipline, but staying motivated is not difficult when your friends, family, and neighbors are right there with you.

Stacker determined the most health-conscious cities by analyzing Niche’s 2022 Healthiest Places to Live rankings, which account for smoking, regular alcohol consumption, access to gyms, physicians, and mental health professionals, and obesity rates to rank overall health. Each city’s position in the rankings is directly from Niche; there are no ties.

Keep reading to see if your hometown made the cut.

You may also like: 50 terms with origins in rural America



trekandshoot // Shutterstock

#50. Santa Rosa, California

Aerial view of Santa Rosa Valley homes and hillsides.

– Population: 178,391
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Health & Fitness grade: A-



Jon Bilous. // Shutterstock

#49. Ventura, California

Downtown Ventura and the Pacific Coast from Grant Park.

– Population: 108,467
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



ciapix // Shutterstock

#48. Atlanta, Georgia

People jogging in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

– Population: 497,642
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



lunamarina // Shutterstock

#47. Boston, Massachusetts

Boston skyline with Charles River.

– Population: 689,326
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



John Hoffman // Shutterstock

#46. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado, cityscape in autumn.

– Population: 471,686
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A

You may also like: How driving is subsidized in America



f11photo // Shutterstock

#45. Jersey City, New Jersey

Aerial view of Jersey City, New Jersey, at sunset.

– Population: 262,652
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#44. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Pedestrians walking in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan.

– Population: 121,093
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Trong Nguyen // Shutterstock

#43. Richardson, Texas

Elevated view of tennis court and swimming pool in recreation park with Richardson, Texas, in background.

– Population: 118,583
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



// Shutterstock

#42. Plano, Texas

Big Lake Park on Plano, Texas, Chisholm Trail.

– Population: 288,870
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



lunamarina // Shutterstock

#41. Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California, skyline with palm trees from marina port.

– Population: 462,081
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A

You may also like: Most pet-friendly cities in America



Uladzik Kryhin // Shutterstock

#40. San Jose, California

Aerial photo of sunset over downtown San Jose, California.

– Population: 1,029,409
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#39. Lakewood, Colorado

Aerial view of autumn colors in Lakewood, Colorado.

– Population: 155,733
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Canva

#38. Stamford, Connecticut

Marina in Stamford, Connecticut.

– Population: 130,057
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Canva

#37. Overland Park, Kansas

Streetview and clocktower in Overland Park, Kansas.

– Population: 193,412
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Canva

#36. Salt Lake City, Utah

Aerial view of Salt Lake City.

– Population: 200,133
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A

You may also like: How background checks on popular dating apps and websites work



Orhan Cam // Shutterstock

#35. Washington DC

Georgetown and Key Bridge in Washington DC.

– Population: 701,974
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Canva

#34. Provo, Utah

Street view of downtown Provo, Utah.

– Population: 116,886
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Page Light Studios // Shutterstock

#33. Fort Collins, Colorado

A family with a dog plays in Old Town Square in Fort Collins, Colorado.

– Population: 166,069
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Checubus // Shutterstock

#32. Minneapolis, Minnesota

View on Stone Arch Bridge at sunset.

– Population: 424,536
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Nadia Yong // Shutterstock

#31. Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, cityscape and Mount Hood in autumn.

– Population: 650,380
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A

You may also like: How alcohol-related deaths have changed in every state over the past two decades



f11photo // Shutterstock

#30. San Diego, California

People with bicycles at San Diego Waterfront Park.

– Population: 1,414,545
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Canva

#29. Columbia, Maryland

Aerial view of Columbia, Maryland.

– Population: 105,412
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



ZikG // Shutterstock

#28. Roseville, California

Water fountain in Roseville, California.

– Population: 138,860
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Strike First // Shutterstock

#27. Los Angeles, California

Aerial view of Echo Lake Park with city skyline in the background.

– Population: 3,973,278
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Felipe Sanchez // Shutterstock

#26. Orange, California

Water fountain at Orange Plaza Square Park.

– Population: 139,322
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A

You may also like: From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history



Ryan DeBerardinis // Shutterstock

#25. New York City, New York

Busy downtown street scene in Manhattan, New York.

– Population: 8,379,552
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



antsdrone // Shutterstock

#24. Scottsdale, Arizona

Urban sunset over downtown Scottsdale, Arizona.

– Population: 254,995
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Steve Heap // Shutterstock

#23. Alexandria, Virginia

Wide view of the historic city of Alexandria, Virginia, along the Potomac River.

– Population: 158,309
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A



Creative Family // Shutterstock

#22. Denver, Colorado

Aerial view of the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver.

– Population: 715,878
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



trekandshoot // Shutterstock

#21. Thousand Oaks, California

Aerial view of Ventura 101 freeway and suburban Thousand Oaks, California.

– Population: 127,648
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+

You may also like: Biggest Native American tribes in the U.S. today



Sundry Photography // Shutterstock

#20. Oakland, California

Aerial view of north Oakland, California, on a sunny autumn evening.

– Population: 422,575
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



James Andrews1 // Shutterstock

#19. Naperville, Illinois

Shops and restaurants along the Naperville Riverwalk.

– Population: 147,734
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Sundry Photography // Shutterstock

#18. Sunnyvale, California

Murphy Historic Avenue in Sunnyvale, California.

– Population: 152,569
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



MNStudio // Shutterstock

#17. Honolulu, Hawaii

Elevated view of downtown Honolulu, Hawaii.

– Population: 398,258
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Sundry Photography // Shutterstock

#16. Santa Clara, California

Elevated view of area surrounding Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

– Population: 126,723
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+

You may also like: The most financially damaging cybercrimes in your state



Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#15. Sandy Springs, Georgia

Aerial view of Sandy Springs, Georgia.

– Population: 108,180
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Lux Blue // Shutterstock

#14. Burbank, California

Street traffic in the city of Burbank, California.

– Population: 103,411
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Kit Leong // Shutterstock

#13. Glendale, California

Fountain at the shopping mall in Glendale, California.

– Population: 199,357
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Matt Gush // Shutterstock

#12. Costa Mesa, California

Buildings and park in Costa Mesa, California.

– Population: 112,958
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Ben Vegel Visual // Shutterstock

#11. Carlsbad, California

Aerial view of the beach in Carlsbad, California.

– Population: 114,411
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+

You may also like: Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this year, adding more supply chain disruptions



Orhan Cam // Shutterstock

#10. Arlington, Virginia

Memorial Bridge in autumn in Arlington, Virginia.

– Population: 236,434
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Jorge Salcedo // Shutterstock

#9. Cambridge, Massachusetts

Rowers on the river in front of Harvard Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

– Population: 117,822
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Matt Gush // Shutterstock

#8. Pasadena, California

Aerial view of downtown Pasadena, California.

– Population: 142,017
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Maciej Bledowski // Shutterstock

#7. Boulder, Colorado

Aerial view of Boulder City, Colorado, in autumn.

– Population: 108,777
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



KevinKim // Shutterstock

#6. Torrance, California

South Bay lifeguard tower in Torrance Beach in California.

– Population: 144,430
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Health & Fitness grade: A+

You may also like: States with the highest marriage rates—and how they’ve changed



Canva

#5. Bellevue, Washington

Waterfront homes and boats in Bellevue, Washington.

– Population: 146,145
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



kan_khampanya // Shutterstock

#4. Seattle, Washington

Elevated view of Seattle Space Needle and downtown.

– Population: 741,251
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



Canva

#3. Irvine, California

Aerial view of Irvine, California.

– Population: 272,694
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



jack-sooksan // Shutterstock

#2. San Francisco, California

People at Mission Dolores park with San Francisco skyline in the background.

– Population: 874,784
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+



David A Litman // Shutterstock

#1. Berkeley, California

Students pass through Sather Gate at University of Berkeley, California.

– Population: 123,065
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Health & Fitness grade: A+

You may also like: States with the most homelessness


Article Topic Follows: stacker-Science

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Stacker

Stacker is a news organization committed to telling engaging, research-driven stories. For more information, click here.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content