With the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, everyone seems to have something to say about the state of health care in America.
NerdWallet sifted through data available on the 50 largest metropolitan areas to find the healthiest places in the U.S. NerdWallet assessed the general fitness of residents, overall health insurance coverage, and the availability of doctors.
The rankings were based on the following factors:
- How fit are the residents? We assessed the overall fitness of residents in line with the American Fitness Index, a composite index that includes data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), environmental factors from the Trust for Public Lands, rates of disease, and other government data. We also included the percentage of residents with healthy weight levels and the percentage of residents who engage in physical activity, according to data from the CDC.
- Is health care accessible? We incorporated the percentage of residents who have health insurance, as well as the number of available physicians per 100,000 residents.
Healthiest Metro Areas
1. Boston, Massachusetts
Boston takes the prize for healthiest metro area. It’s no surprise that Boston has a very low rate of uninsured residents – just 4.6 percent – considering the success of “Romneycare,” Massachusetts’ 2006 health care reform law signed into law by former Gov. Mitt Romney. But Boston is far from complacent in improving the fitness of Bostonians. Mayor Thomas Menino, in his final year in office, introduced the Million Pound Challenge, summoning residents to collectively lose one million pounds and to move 10 million miles. With the help of several sponsors including the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Red Sox, the city offered free fitness classes throughout the summer. In addition, a coalition of local academics, architects, developers, planners, public officials, and residents helped launch Fit City Boston.
2. San Francisco, California
Often referred to as The City by the Bay, San Francisco is a year-round paradise for fitness gurus and outdoor adventurers, thanks to the habitually temperate weather and plenty of parks, walking paths, and steep hills. Nearly 45% of San Francisco residents are a healthy weight, perhaps because it is the ‘Best City for Weight Loss’ and home to the ‘Healthiest Eaters’. In its fifth annual survey, Women’s Health also ranked San Francisco as the best city for women’s health.
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis earned the Trust for Public Land’s 2013 Best Parks award, stealing the coveted spot from San Francisco with a landmark perfect score. It also earned the top spot in Bicycling Magazine’s annual America’s Best Bike Cities, beating out Portland. Minneapolis also boasts the Chain of Lakes, an idyllic series of parks where you can find paths or spaces for exercise and two miles of water for canoers.
4. Seattle, Washington
Seattle is serious about the health of all of its residents. At least half of the options in all vending machines on city-owned property (parks, recreation centers, government buildings, etc.) must be health department-approved healthy snacks. The Seattle Foundation’s Outdoors for All Foundation provides therapeutic outdoor activities to children and adults with disabilities, ranging from skiing to rock-climbing. Seattle also earned the distinction of the being the best city for men’s health.
5. Washington, D.C.
Washington passed its Healthy Schools Act in 2010 and is beginning to see the benefits of its Healthy Schools Initiative, such as 100% of schools now serving free breakfast. Not only is D.C. creating a generation of healthier residents, it boasts the second-densest parklands amongst US cities, 900 acres of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers all for current residents to enjoy.
6. San Jose, California
Like its neighbor, San Francisco, San Jose has ideal temperatures year-round for promoting outdoor exercise and activity. The 2011 Campaign for Healthy Food San Jose, overseen by HealthTrust, worked to increase the prevalence of farmers markets and community gardens in San Jose. Eighteen community gardens now exist, totaling 35 acres. San Jose’s residents also smoke less than residents of any other major U.S. city.
7. Denver, Colorado
Although Denver has relatively fewer doctors, a high percentage of city residents have healthy weight levels. Two communities in Denver were selected by The Colorado Health Foundation to participate in their new Healthy Places initiative, a five-year, $4.5 million initiative aimed at developing healthy communities. Healthy Places strives to reduce obesity by creating environments that are safer and more appealing for healthy habits and daily exercise.
8. Portland, Oregon
Portland is the third most environmentally friendly city in the world—and for residents, sustainability and health go hand in hand. The Mayor’s Initiative for Healthy Sustainable Food Systems increases access to healthier food for Portlanders by promoting composting programs, community gardens, and farmers markets. As an added incentive to exercise, Portland also boasts the unique Green Microgym, which converts the energy generated by the use of exercise equipment into electricity that powers fans and flat-screen TVs.
9. Sacramento, California
Nearly 85% of Sacramento residents partake in physical activity. The Healthy Sacramento Coalition, formed in 2011 by a federal grants, aims to reduce chronic disease and health disparities, while increasing knowledge and awareness of healthy lifestyles.
10. Hartford, Connecticut
The Hartford metro area is well-insured, coming in just over three percentage points below Boston. Through the Hartford Childhood Wellness Alliance, Hartford aims to reduce childhood obesity through a concerted community effort. This initiative recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct the Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Program: Building Healthier Families and Communities. This small, controlled trial will aim to increase breastfeeding, delay introduction of solid foods, and avoid sugary liquids in infants.
11. Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City boasts Be Active and Healthy, an obesity prevention program that aims to raise awareness about health issues and teach about the benefits of staying in good health. The Salt Lake region, known for its scenic skiing slopes, also has a booming outdoor recreation economy, promoting an active lifestyle for both its residents and tourists.
12. San Diego, California
Fun in the sun. Surfing. Beaches. Who wouldn’t be happy and healthy in San Diego? San Diego is three years into a 10-year health initiative dubbed Live Well, San Diego! The initiative seeks to address the root causes of illness and high health care costs in San Diego in a three-step plan—‘Building Better Health’, ‘Living Safely’, and ‘Thriving’—the third step is expected to unfold in 2014.
13. Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore residents are well-insured and have plenty of physicians to choose from. The initiative Healthy Baltimore 2015 seeks to help all residents achieve their best health outcomes by setting goals in areas such as heart health and eliminating smoking. The Baltimore Food Policy Initiative also aims to provide healthy and affordable food options by running programs in food policy, urban agriculture, and schools.
14. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is four years into a city-wide health initiative, Get Healthy Philly. This initiative brings together government, community-based organizations, academia, and the private sector in an effort to promote healthy eating and tobacco control. It also aims to increase the number of opportunities for physical activity among all age groups.
15. New York, New York
With 11 of the Healthiest Companies to Work For within its city limits and an abundance of doctors, New York rounds out this list. Walk Score also named New York the Most Walkable City in 2014, which means residents have the opportunity to choose healthier transportation options.
Healthiest Metro Areas
| Rank | Metro area | Fitness index | Percent of residents who are a healthy weight | Percent of residents who partake in physical activity | Health insurance coverage | Physicians per 100,000 residents | Overall health score |
| 1 | Boston, MA | 67.1 | 43.2% | 78.5% | 95.4% | 581 | 84.3 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 68.7 | 44.8% | 82.6% | 88.1% | 469 | 80.6 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | 78.2 | 38.4% | 82.9% | 91.5% | 319 | 73.0 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | 66.7 | 42.3% | 83.4% | 87.0% | 384 | 72.6 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | 77.7 | 37.8% | 80.7% | 88.2% | 445 | 71.8 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | 66.4 | 39.7% | 83.0% | 88.1% | 401 | 70.5 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | 68.1 | 43.0% | 83.8% | 84.8% | 341 | 70.5 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | 69.8 | 40.3% | 84.2% | 85.5% | 362 | 70.1 |
| 9 | Sacramento, CA | 66.8 | 40.9% | 84.7% | 86.6% | 309 | 68.7 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | 66.6 | 38.0% | 80.5% | 92.1% | 392 | 68.2 |
| 11 | Salt Lake City, UT | 62.5 | 41.8% | 81.7% | 83.9% | 359 | 63.6 |
| 12 | San Diego, CA | 61.3 | 41.2% | 81.0% | 82.7% | 365 | 60.5 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | 59.5 | 33.5% | 76.0% | 90.8% | 500 | 57.0 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | 51.2 | 39.9% | 75.8% | 90.0% | 415 | 56.4 |
| 15 | New York, NY | 52.1 | 40.5% | 75.4% | 86.8% | 461 | 56.1 |
Least Healthy Metro Areas
| Rank | Metro area | Fitness index | Percent of residents who are a healthy weight | Percent of residents who partake in physical activity | Health insurance coverage | Physicians per 100,000 residents | Overall health score |
| 1 | Dallas, TX | 37.4 | 36.4% | 73.6% | 77.7% | 228 | 22.2 |
| 2 | Memphis, TN | 36.0 | 28.9% | 73.9% | 84.3% | 302 | 22.5 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City, OK | 31.2 | 35.1% | 71.5% | 82.5% | 296 | 22.7 |
| 4 | Orlando, FL | 42.5 | 34.3% | 74.7% | 79.3% | 234 | 25.1 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | 42.5 | 35.1% | 76.4% | 79.2% | 168 | 25.3 |
Methodology:
The overall health score for each city was obtained from the following factors:
Fitness index from the American Fitness Index
Percent of residents who are a healthy weight from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Percentage of residents who engage in physical activity from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Health insurance coverage from the U.S. Census
Physicians per 100,000 residents from the U.S. Census
The fifty largest U.S. metro areas were included in this analysis.
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