The healthiest and unhealthiest US cities
San Francisco is the healthiest city in the United States in 2023, according to a recent ranking from WalletHub.
The home of the Golden Gate bridge topped this year’s rankings thanks to its high scores for green space and food, which were both ranked No. 1. WalletHub ranked 182 U.S. cities for its 2023 list, scoring cities across four key dimensions––healthcare, food, fitness and green space. The methodology included 43 metrics across the four dimensions, with each metric graded on a 100-point scale.
Several cities in the Western part of the U.S. topped the list for 2023, including cities in the Pacific Northwest and others in California. Here are the top 15 healthiest cities:
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Honolulu
- San Diego
- Salt Lake City
- Portland, OR
- Washington, DC
- Minneapolis
- Denver
- Irvine, CA
- Boston
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Portland, ME
San Francisco came out on top, followed by Seattle, which had the second-highest percentage of physically active adults in the nation, after South Burlington, VT. Portland, Oregon, had the highest number of healthy restaurants per capita, while Portland, Maine, had the lowest percentage of adults not eating enough fruits/vegetables per day. Adults in San Francisco were also getting in their fruits and vegetables daily compared to other cities, while Spokane, Washington, had the most mental health counselors per capita.
The findings underscore that availability of services and access to healthy foods, as well as cost of healthy lifestyle resources, such as nutritionists and gym memberships, play a big role in regional health.
“The quality of healthcare facilities and the availability of medical professionals are important for maintaining health,” said Yilu Lin, PhD, MPH, research assistant professor, Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University. "Environmental factors like air quality and climate are always a consideration before choosing a city. City infrastructure such as well-maintained sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, gyms, community centers and sports clubs can also contribute to the decision.”
When cities don’t offer healthy resources or focus on the health benefits of its residents, it can be more challenging to keep up good health.
Here are the five unhealthiest cities in the U.S. in 2023:
- Brownsville, TX
- Gulfport, MS
- Shreveport, LA
- Columbus, GA
- Augusta, GA
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."