The Best and Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

By LeeAnn Whittemore Published December 17, 2019

Well, the big ball has dropped and we’ve managed to stave off any ancient Doomsday Prophecies for another year, so you know what that means: now we all have to actually try to stick to those resolutions we hastily and/or drunkenly made over the past few weeks. While successful resolution-keeping ultimately comes down to determination, there are always a few outside forces that can help (or hinder) your life goals for the year. We all know the importance of support systems, new habits, helpful gear, and will power, but it turns out that where you live might have an effect on your resolutions, too.

To help you see if you’re starting your year off in the right place, the folks over at WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 52 key metrics (like income growth, unemployment rates, and adult obesity levels) to determine the best and worst cities for keeping your New Year’s Resolutions in 2018. You can pop on over to WalletHub for the full list, but we’ve rounded up the top ten from each side here so you can check your spot (after all, if you’re already doomed to fail you might as well go ahead and have that cake for breakfast).

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Top 10 Best Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Seattle, Washington
San Francisco, California
San Diego, California
Scottsdale, Arizona
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Jose, California
Orlando, Florida
Irvine, California
Austin, Texas
Portland, Oregon

Top 10 Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Columbus, Georgia
Hialeah, Florida
Mobile, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Augusta, Georgia
Detroit, Michigan
Jackson, Mississippi
Newark, New Jersey
Shreveport, Louisiana
Gulfport, Mississippi

By The Numbers: Best vs. Worst

Fremont, California, has the lowest share of obese adults, 14.7 percent, which is 3.1 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 45.1 percent.
Fremont, California, has the lowest share of delinquent debtors, 1.80 percent, which is seven times lower than in Tempe, Arizona, the city with the highest at 12.65 percent.
South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest unemployment rate, 2.1 percent, which is 5.2 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 10.9 percent.
Charleston, West Virginia, has the lowestprevalence of adult binge- and heavy drinking, 11.1 percent, which is 2.4 times lower than in Madison, Wisconsin, the city with the highest at 26.4 percent.
San Jose, California, has the lowest share of adult smokers, 8.4 percent, which is 3.1 times lower than in St. Louis, the city with the highest at 26.3 percent.
El Paso, Texas, has the lowest average wedding cost (as a share of the median annual household income), 31.19 percent, which is 3.9 times lower than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the highest at 121.43 percent.

Now that you’ve got the facts, you can face your resolutions (and 2018) prepared. Happy New Year!

LeeAnn Whittemore

Former Digital Trends Contributor

LeeAnn Whittemore is a writer, artist, and graphic designer who grew up in the Midwest before moving to the Gulf Coast. As a…

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