It’s a pretty common stereotype that San Franciscans are active, whether it’s running, rock climbing, pickleball, or any other variable of physical activity. And it looks like there’s some data to back up this SF stereotype. A new study by Wallet Hubranked U.S. cities on how healthiness and San Francisco scored the top spot.
The study evaluated several key areas to measure a city’s “health,” including healthcare, food, fitness, and green space. Within each of these areas, different metrics were identified. For example, family doctors per capita was a metric used in the healthcare framework. Throughout the 4 categories, there were 41 different metrics, although some were given more weight or importance than others. The study included 182 cities, including the 150 most populated cities.
San Francisco came in first for both green space and food. SF came in 78 for healthcare and 28 for fitness. The study states that SF earned the #1 ranking due to having the lowest adult obesity rate of the cities measured, at only 19%. Plus, 100% of the population lives close to a location where you can do physical activity, as evidenced by the city’s high spending on parks and recreation.
A couple of our West Coast neighbors also made the top of the list. Check out the top 10 healthiest cities according to the study:
- San Francisco
- Honolulu
- Seattle
- San Diego
- Washington DC
- Portland
- Denver
- Salt Lake City
- Scottsdale
- Irvine
Overland Park, Kansas, ranked #1 in healthcare, and Scottsdale, Arizona, ranked #1 in fitness. The highest cost of medical care was in Milwaukee, Anchorage, Madison, Seattle, and Juneau. For more insights and data about the study, check out Wallet Hub’s findings here.
If you’re looking for ways to be active in San Francisco, check out our list of great gyms and these fun ways to exercise outdoors.