The 50 Fittest Cities

What makes a fit city? Find out from the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) American Fitness Index, an annual report that measures and ranks the 50 most populous cities based on personal and community health indicators.

By Bryan D. Vargo

What makes a fit city? Of course, we’re not talking about the actual buildings, but rather the people who live, work and play in them.

Each year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) releases the American Fitness Index, a report that measures the state of fitness at the local and community level and identifies ways to increase physical activity among Americans. The index also ranks the 50 most populous cities, or metropolitan and surrounding areas, based on personal and community health indicators, ranging from access to health care to health behaviors including smoking and eating habits.

A few other factors considered in the ranking include:

• A greater number of farmers’ markets

• Lower unemployment

• Higher level of physical activity

• More parks, dog parks, golf courses and recreation centers

• Higher percentage using public transportation

• Greater number of people biking and walking to work

• Lower obesity rate

While some factors, such as using public transportation, may seem counterintuitive to a fit community, research shows that 29 percent of people using public transportation met or exceeded the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise by walking to and from transit.

Washington, D.C., was ranked No. 1 due to the high percentage of its citizens who eat five or more fruits and vegetables per day and use public transportation or bike/walk to work; a high percentage of parks and recreation areas per capita, such as tennis courts and swimming pools; a higher-than-average number of primary health-care providers; and a low percentage of smokers and those with chronic health problems, such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease.

Top 50 Fittest U.S. Cities

1. Washington, D.C.

2. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

3. Denver, Colo.

4. Boston, Mass.

5. San Francisco, Calif.

6. Seattle, Wash.

7. Portland, Ore.

8. San Diego, Calif.

9. Austin, Texas

10. Virginia Beach, Va.

11. Hartford, Conn.

12. Sacramento, Calif.

13. San Jose, Calif.

14. Cincinnati, Ohio

15. Atlanta, Ga.

16. Pittsburgh, Pa.

17. Milwaukee, Wis.

18. Buffalo, N.Y.

19. Baltimore, Md.

20. Raleigh, N.C.

21. Kansas City, Kan.

22. New York, N.Y.

23. Tampa, Fla.

24. Cleveland, Ohio

25. Chicago, Ill.

26. Nashville, Tenn.

27. Philadelphia, Pa.

28. Jacksonville, Fla.

29. Columbus, Ohio

30. Los Angeles, Calif.

31. Miami, Fla.

32. Phoenix, Ariz.

33. St. Louis, Mo.

34. Charlotte, N.C.

35. Dallas, Texas

36. Indianapolis, Ind.

37. Memphis, Tenn.

38. Louisville, Ky.

39. San Antonio, Texas

40. Riverside, Calif.

41. Houston, Texas

42. Las Vegas, Nev.

43. Birmingham, Ala.

44. Detroit, Mich.

45. Oklahoma City, Okla.

NR. Orlando, Fla.

NR. Providence, R.I.

NR. Richmond, Va.

NR. Rochester, N.Y.

NR. Salt Lake City, Utah

Cities marked “NR” were included in the index but not ranked due to a lack of information.

Sources: American College of Sports Medicine’s 2009 American Fitness Index and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention