Many of us have a sense of pride about the city we call home. Some cities appear to have a greater variety of gyms, fitness clubs, wellness-related activities, and healthier food options compared to others. Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) unveiled the annual “fittest city” scoreboard that ranks America’s 100 most populous cities by how well they support healthier active lifestyles. The team uses 34 indicators to determine the outcome.
The ACSM has teamed up with the Elevance Health Foundation for 11 years to deliver this resource and help promote better health. So, how does your city measure up? Here’s the data.
The top 10 fittest American cities
Without further ado — drum roll please — the top 10 fittest American cities in this Fitness Index are:
| City | Personal Health Rank | Community Environment Rank |
| 1.) Arlington, Virginia | 1 | 1 |
| 2.) Washington, D.C. | 5 | 4 |
| 3.) Seattle, Washington | 3 | 9 |
| 4.) San Francisco, California | 2 | 19 |
| 5.) Denver, Colorado | 7 | 7 |
| 6.) Minneapolis, Minnesota | 11.5 | 2 |
| 7.) Madison, Wisconsin | 9 | 10 |
| 8.) Atlanta, Georgia | 13 | 12 |
| 9.) Sacramento, California | 10 | 30 |
| 10.) San Diego, California | 4 | 51 |
These cities have also made the top of previous rankings, so they must be doing something right. You can view all the data and information for all 100 cities on the ACSM website.
Which city came in last place?
Oklahoma City in Oklahoma came in last place again this year on the Fitness Index.
What about air quality and food insecurity?
The not-so-good news is that the rankings revealed that air quality, reports of very good or excellent health, and food insecurity went in the opposite direction. While this data indicates that many of us are trying to increase our physical activity, we’re still facing worsening food insecurity, air quality, and general health. Factors like wildfires and droughts contribute to declining air quality. Nearly every city experienced an increase in food insecurity. Having access to clean air and healthy food plays a pivotal role in our overall health and fitness.
Encouraging stats
The data showed that 94 of the 100 largest U.S. cities and their residents reported improved aerobic activity levels. That’s right, overall, people are becoming more active, which is a move in the right direction.
Here are some interesting stats:
- There was an average increase of 9% in residents meeting the aerobic activity guidelines.
- 89 of 100 cities had an average increase of 7.6% when it comes to residents meeting aerobic and strength activity guidelines.
- The city with the largest increase in residents meeting strength and aerobic activity guidelines is Richmond, Virginia, with an impressive 18.8% rise.
This year’s updated Fitness Index also includes new indicators like trail miles, splashpads, and more accurate measuring of tennis courts, pickleball, and dual-use courts.
