Which cities are the healthiest?

WalletHub shared its latest report on 2024’s Healthiest Cities in America.

In order to find out which cities are the healthiest, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 41 key metrics. The data set ranges from the cost of a medical visit to fruit and vegetable consumption to the share of physically active adults.

Healthiest Cities:        Unhealthiest Cities:

1. San Francisco, Calif.    173. Huntington, W.Va.                

2. Honolulu, Hawaii         174. Detroit, Mich.             

3. Seattle, Wash.             175. Corpus Christi, Texas           

4. San Diego, Calif.          176. Fayetteville, N.C.                

5. Washington, D.C.         177. Augusta, Ga,         

6. Portland, Oreg.            178. Shreveport, La.                  

7. Denver, Colo.                179. Columbus, Ga.                   

8. Salt Lake City, Utah     180. Laredo, Texas             

9. Scottsdale, Ariz.           181. Gulfport, Miss.        

10. Irvine, Calif.                 182. Brownsville, Texas                  

Key stats:

Overland Park, Kan., has the lowest share of physically unhealthy adults, which is 2.4 times lower than in Augusta, Ga., the city with the highest.

[Read more: Which states vaccinate the most?]

Laredo, Texas, has the lowest cost per doctor’s visit, which is 3.1 times less expensive than in Juneau, Alaska, the city with the highest.

Portland, Maine, has the lowest share of adults eating fruits less than once daily, which is 1.6 times lower than in Chattanooga, Tenn., the city with the highest.

Lubbock, Texas, has the lowest average monthly cost for a fitness-club membership, which is 8.8 times less expensive than in New York, the city with the highest.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, visit here. 

“Staying healthy is a personal responsibility, and everyone should strive to eat nutritious food, exercise regularly and look after their mental health. However, where people live can have a big influence on how successful they are at staying in good health, so the best cities are the ones that provide the greatest access to high-quality healthcare, green spaces, recreation centers, and healthy food,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst.

Happe added, “San Francisco is the healthiest city in America, in part because it has the lowest share of obese adults in the country, at just 19% of the population. San Franciscans eat well and have good opportunities for exercise, too. San Francisco has the second-lowest share of people who eat less than one serving of fruits or vegetables per day, and 100% of the population lives reasonably close to a location where they can do some sort of physical activity.”

[Read more: Retail pharmacies address challenges around health equity]

What are the most important factors to consider in choosing a city that is good for your health?

Jia Yu,  associate professor of Southern Connecticut State University offered this view: “From my perspective, I would consider three points on the top, affordability and cost of living, access to health care and quality of care, and safety and social support. A city that is affordable [in regard] to housing, medical and daily expenses, allows a comfortable standard of living. It can reduce financial stress and lead to overall health and well-being. A city with easy access to health care and good quality of care eases the stress of being ill. Easy access to care and good quality of care are always the main aspects of health improvement. A safe city with strong social and community support is essential for mental health and emotional well-being. And strong social connections can provide certain support even during challenging times for individuals.”

What measures can local authorities undertake in order to improve local healthcare systems?

Yu said, “There are a couple of suggestions the local authorities can make to improve local healthcare systems: Improve healthcare access to all residents, including low-income families, uninsured groups, [underserved] areas, etc. Enhance public health programs to raise awareness about preventive care, healthy lifestyle and disease management to reduce the burden on healthcare facilities. Develop emergency response plans and infrastructure to effectively manage public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), natural disasters and any other emergencies.”

“Prevention is the best cure. Improving local health systems starts with making your population healthier so that the existing health system is not overburdened," said Peter Muennig, professor at Columbia University. "Pollution reduction efforts can include capping freeways with parks and filtering the air, diverting logistics hubs to areas outside of densely populated cities, increasing the amount of green space, increasing the number of bike lanes, increasing the number of bike share programs and other modes of active transportation.”