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(Stacker) — There are many factors that influence healthy living and weight loss. Genetics and psychology both play a big role, but so does a person’s environment. That’s why her We decided to rank the 50 most populous cities from best to worst based on the ease of living a healthy lifestyle.
Virginia Beach received low marks for both city walkability and healthy living.
What are the most walkable cities?
Walking is a familiar, low-impact exercise that has amazing health benefits. How to Lose WeightYou don't need expensive equipment or a gym membership to get outside and walk, but some cities are great for daily walking and others aren't.
We looked at each city's walkability score based on the location of their city hall to identify the best and worst transit-accessible locations in each city. Daily steps to health.
Most Walkable Cities in the United States
- Chicago, Illinois
- New York, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
America's Least Walkable Cities
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Columbus, Ohio
- Houston, Texas
In big cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, you'll be walking a lot on sidewalks every day. In sprawling cities like Virginia Beach, Columbus, and Houston, it might be difficult to walk out of your office or apartment.
We analyzed four sets of data centered around key pillars that contribute to overall health: nutrition, behavior, physical activity, and healthcare.
To determine the best cities in the United States for healthy living, we used the following data points:
- Concentration of grocery stores relative to population: Access to healthy food is one of the factors associated with increased life expectancy. According to a study by the American Cancer Society.
- How many of you are getting enough sleep? of Report of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Consistently lacking sleep has been shown to increase the risk of a variety of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
- Walkability of the city: Walk regularly Improve a variety of health conditionsThese include weight loss, lowered risk of breast cancer, reduced arthritis pain and improved immunity.
- Access to psychologists and psychiatrists: Mental and physical health are closely linked. depressionfor example, Significantly higher risk (40%) in both cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Ready to find out how your city ranks? Let's take a look at the results now.
Key findings
- New York City dominates New York City is best when it comes to grocery stores, walkability, and access to mental health care. But it's also a city that really never sleeps: About 40% of New Yorkers sleep less than seven hours a night.
- West Coast cities account for half of the 10 healthiest cities. Areas on the list include San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle.
- Raleigh, North Carolina, is the only Southern city to be ranked in the top 10 best cities for healthy living. The tech-centric city received particularly high marks for sleep, walkability and access to psychologists and psychiatrists.
- Las Vegas has been ranked as the worst city in America for healthy living. The concentration of grocery stores and mental health professionals is low relative to the population size, and Las Vegas is not exactly a walkable city.
Best Cities for Healthy Living in the US: Trends and Insights
Before we dive into our final rankings, here's a breakdown of the best and worst cities based on each of the categories we analyzed, including grocery store coverage relative to population, sleep duration, walkability, and access to mental health professionals.
Which city has the most grocery stores?
Eating the right foods plays a big role in losing weight and staying healthy. Protein-rich diet Stock up Healthy SnacksHaving access to fresh, whole foods makes a big difference in your ability to plan nutritious meals. The goal is to: Ultra-processingand tIf there isn't a grocery store nearby, that won't happen.
We looked at the number of grocery stores per capita in each city, and here's what we found when we looked at the best and worst places in this particular category.
Most grocery stores per 100,000 people
- New York-Newark-Jersey City
- New Orleans-Metairie
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Fewest grocery stores per 100,000 people
- Oklahoma City
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson
You might expect a large number of grocery stores in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) like New York or Boston, but New Orleans is a bit more surprising. Food insecurity affects approximately 15% of the population.Neighboring Metairie may help boost that ranking.
Which cities have the best and worst sleep quality?
According to the CDC, the recommended amount of sleep each night is At least 7 hoursQuality sleep reduces the risk of many diseases. Contributes to weight lossWhat's even better is that getting the right amount of sleep can easily improve your health.
The CDC tracks the percentage of adults who get less than seven hours of sleep, so they ranked the best cities for sleep as the cities with the lowest percentage of adults getting less than the recommended minimum amount of sleep. The worst cities for sleep have more adults getting less than seven hours of sleep.
Sleep Increase in U.S. Cities
- Denver, Colorado
- Austin, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
America's least-sleep cities
- Detroit, Michigan
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Cincinnati, Ohio
Where is it easiest to find a psychologist or psychiatrist?
Mental health is just as important as physical health. In fact, the two are inextricably linked. Most people eat to combat stress. For example, anxiety Or if you have depression, you might be able to cut back on your eating habits to improve your mood.
Bigger cities Concentration of psychologists and psychiatrists You can easily find a mental health professional you like and fit them into your schedule in a timely manner.
To avoid Stress eating To Manage your anxietyGetting mental health care is just as important to living a healthy life as finding the right doctor for your physical needs.
Cities with the highest concentration of psychologists and psychiatrists
- Providence, Rhode Island
- New York, New York
- Baltimore, Maryland
Cities with the lowest concentration of psychologists and psychiatrists
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Memphis, Tennessee
Top 25 US Cities for Healthy Living
Based on the criteria above and the methodology outlined below, the best cities for healthy living in the United States are:
- San Francisco, California
- Boston, Massachusetts (tied for 2nd place)
- New York, New York (tied for 2nd place)
- San Diego, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Sacramento, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Miami, Florida
- Hartford, Connecticut
- San Jose, California
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Washington DC
- Los Angeles, California
- Tampa, Florida
- Buffalo, New York
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Denver, Colorado
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Top 25 worst cities to live in for good health in the US
Based on the criteria above and the methodology outlined below, the worst cities in the United States for living a healthy life are:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Columbus, Ohio
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Orlando, Florida
- Detroit, Michigan
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Atlanta, Georgia
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Houston, Texas
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Richmond, Virginia
- Riverside, California
- Dallas, Texas
- San Antonio, Texas
- Austin, Texas
Note: Based on data collected in May 2024.
Data and methodology: How we score cities
To rank the best and worst cities for healthy living, we looked at the 50 most populous MSAs in the U.S. We analyzed data on four categories that contribute to overall health and applied a score to each city based on the following factors:
Tips for a healthy life wherever you live
No matter what city you live in, it's possible to live a healthy life and maintain an optimal weight. Just focus on these four pillars for weight loss and healthy living. Whether you're just starting your health journey or you're ready, Breaking a Weight Loss PlateauThese tips are a good place to start.
nutrition: Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is an effective way to increase your intake of vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables also: fiber; The study revealed Intake of fiber has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and increasing protein intake is another way to maintain energy and satiety while staying healthy.
Actions: Developing healthy habits will benefit you both physically and mentally. In addition to eating nutritious foods, find ways to be active, increase mental stimulation, and be more social. Making healthy lifestyle choices can have a big impact on how long you live. World Economic Forum 70% of deaths worldwide are caused by four behaviors: physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
Movement: Being regularly active is an important part of any weight loss plan. the study Consistently exercising every week has been shown to increase your chances of keeping excess weight off, so if you're having trouble staying motivated, consider finding an accountability partner who can help you keep going.
Also, look for realistic options that fit your schedule and where you live. In large, hard-to-walk areas, you might need to use a treadmill or stationary bike. But it doesn't have to be cost-prohibitive; you can find relatively inexpensive gyms that charge $10 to $20 a month for basic equipment.
Regular exercise not only improves your health, It also helps improve the quality of your sleep—Another fundamental element of healthy living.
medical care: In some cases, your doctor may recommend prescription medications to help you lose weight. According to the FDA, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic Or combined semaglutide is effective in regulating appetite and blood sugar levels. When combined with other healthy behaviours, such as exercise and nutrition, you can have a multi-pronged approach to healthier living.
The next step on your health journey
Location is only one part of healthy living. After all, it's the individual actions you take each day that have the most impact on getting and staying healthy. And the best part is, you don't have to do it alone.
Connect with a provider who can review your personal and medical history and create a realistic plan of action that fits your life and goals.
This story It was produced by her Reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
