Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle (2026)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterJan 7, 2026

Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle

Embed on your website

Aspiring to become the best and fittest version of yourself is easy. Actually achieving that goal is much more difficult, and it requires a consistently active lifestyle. The road to an active lifestyle can be filled with obstacles, sometimes because where we live may be failing to promote a healthy way of life. Some cities, for instance, lack sidewalks or neighborhood parks.

Two of Americans’ top New Year’s resolutions for 2026 are “exercising more” and “losing weight,” and living in one of the best cities for an active lifestyle can make keeping those resolutions much easier. With New Year self-improvement in mind, WalletHub compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 35 key indicators of an active lifestyle. Our data set ranges from the average monthly fitness-club fee to the city’s bike score to the share of physically inactive adults.

Top 5 Cities for an Active Lifestyle

Honolulu, HI
New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA

“The top cities for staying active offer opportunities for all types of people, from those who prefer team sports to people who simply want to get their daily exercise by walking or biking to work. They also tend to be large cities that still have a close proximity to beautiful natural areas for hiking and swimming. Finally, the top cities for an active lifestyle have populations that are highly interested in exercise, which helps people find workout partners and stay motivated.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle

Overall Rank	City	WalletHub’s Active Lifestyle Score	Budget & Participation Rank	Sports & Outdoors Rank
1	Honolulu, HI	65.79	22	1
2	New York, NY	62.03	32	2
3	San Francisco, CA	59.31	8	3
4	Chicago, IL	59.03	3	6
5	Los Angeles, CA	58.91	9	5
6	Las Vegas, NV	58.09	18	4
7	Atlanta, GA	57.32	2	12
8	Cincinnati, OH	56.65	4	10
9	Denver, CO	56.36	14	8
10	Madison, WI	55.83	33	7
11	Irvine, CA	55.27	16	9
12	Minneapolis, MN	54.88	5	16
13	Philadelphia, PA	54.04	15	14
14	Portland, OR	53.30	6	22
15	St. Paul, MN	52.92	37	11
16	San Diego, CA	52.76	25	15
17	Washington, DC	52.54	23	18
18	Austin, TX	52.22	17	20
19	Boise, ID	52.13	31	17
20	Pittsburgh, PA	52.13	1	39
21	Seattle, WA	51.46	7	28
22	Scottsdale, AZ	51.42	12	26
23	Houston, TX	50.52	13	29
24	Sacramento, CA	50.38	38	21
25	Orlando, FL	50.28	11	34
26	Tampa, FL	50.15	21	27
27	St. Louis, MO	49.42	10	40
28	San Jose, CA	49.29	84	13
29	Tucson, AZ	49.12	43	25
30	Jacksonville, FL	48.76	52	24
31	Miami, FL	48.68	28	31
32	Phoenix, AZ	48.67	26	32
33	Omaha, NE	48.51	66	19
34	Milwaukee, WI	48.49	56	23
35	Boston, MA	48.33	29	33
36	Colorado Springs, CO	47.56	40	30
37	Reno, NV	46.93	42	36
38	St. Petersburg, FL	46.85	24	44
39	Henderson, NV	46.24	53	35
40	Dallas, TX	46.23	45	37
41	Buffalo, NY	45.10	50	43
42	San Antonio, TX	45.07	35	46
43	Raleigh, NC	44.86	20	55
44	Norfolk, VA	44.84	64	38
45	Long Beach, CA	44.42	62	42
46	Charlotte, NC	43.80	34	56
47	Lincoln, NE	43.46	44	49
48	Louisville, KY	43.13	27	60
49	Plano, TX	42.88	85	41
50	New Orleans, LA	42.80	19	63
51	Baltimore, MD	42.72	46	54
52	Oakland, CA	42.19	68	47
53	Virginia Beach, VA	42.18	55	53
54	Chesapeake, VA	42.03	67	50
55	Kansas City, MO	41.92	63	51
56	Baton Rouge, LA	41.76	71	48
57	Columbus, OH	41.68	57	57
58	Albuquerque, NM	41.46	51	59
59	Cleveland, OH	40.84	60	58
60	Anchorage, AK	40.61	94	45
61	Fremont, CA	39.84	30	78
62	Tulsa, OK	39.77	90	52
63	Chandler, AZ	39.65	41	72
64	Chula Vista, CA	39.58	54	66
65	Nashville, TN	39.07	59	67
66	Stockton, CA	38.87	79	62
67	Indianapolis, IN	38.49	77	64
68	Arlington, TX	38.05	93	61
69	El Paso, TX	38.00	73	68
70	Glendale, AZ	37.82	74	70
71	Anaheim, CA	37.62	89	65
72	Birmingham, AL	37.54	65	73
73	Riverside, CA	37.35	47	82
74	Greensboro, NC	37.04	48	85
75	Jersey City, NJ	36.81	86	71
76	Toledo, OH	36.67	76	75
77	Fort Worth, TX	36.38	83	74
78	Mesa, AZ	36.28	81	77
79	Lexington-Fayette, KY	36.01	58	90
80	Santa Ana, CA	35.82	61	86
81	Durham, NC	35.81	70	83
82	Lubbock, TX	35.74	39	95
83	Oklahoma City, OK	35.64	80	81
84	Detroit, MI	35.49	87	79
85	Aurora, CO	35.43	69	88
86	Bakersfield, CA	35.39	88	80
87	Gilbert, AZ	35.34	49	92
88	Memphis, TN	35.24	72	87
89	Wichita, KS	35.05	75	89
90	Laredo, TX	33.01	96	84
91	North Las Vegas, NV	32.77	100	69
92	Winston-Salem, NC	32.44	36	100
93	Newark, NJ	32.21	98	91
94	Corpus Christi, TX	32.20	82	96
95	Hialeah, FL	31.94	95	93
96	San Bernardino, CA	31.84	99	76
97	Fresno, CA	31.12	97	94
98	Fort Wayne, IN	30.50	78	99
99	Irving, TX	29.88	91	97
100	Garland, TX	29.53	92	98

Note: With the exception of “WalletHub’s Active Lifestyle Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Monthly Fitness-Club Fee

Lowest

Lowest
1. Aurora, CO
2. Winston-Salem, NC
T-3. Chula Vista, CA
T-3. Hialeah, FL
5. Louisville, KY

Highest

Highest
95. Seattle, WA
T-96. San Francisco, CA
T-96. Washington, DC
T-96. San Jose, CA
T-96. New York, NY

% of Physically Inactive Adults

Lowest

Lowest
1. Seattle, WA
2. Washington, DC
T-3. Scottsdale, AZ
T-3. Fremont, CA
T-5. Portland, OR
T-5. Irvine, CA

Highest

Highest
96. Buffalo, NY
97. Memphis, TN
98. Hialeah, FL
99. Newark, NJ
100. Laredo, TX

Swimming Pools per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Cleveland, OH
T-1. Philadelphia, PA
T-1. Chicago, IL
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. Washington, DC

Fewest

Fewest
92. Fremont, CA
93. Garland, TX
94. Lubbock, TX
95. Madison, WI
96. Detroit, MI

Basketball Hoops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. St. Paul, MN
4. Norfolk, VA
5. North Las Vegas, NV

Fewest

Fewest
94. Anaheim, CA
95. Fort Wayne, IN
96. Gilbert, AZ
97. St. Louis, MO
98. Lubbock, TX

Tennis Courts per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Honolulu, HI
T-1. Norfolk, VA
3. Omaha, NE
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Washington, DC

Fewest

Fewest
94. Fort Worth, TX
95. Gilbert, AZ
96. Riverside, CA
97. Irving, TX
98. Mesa, AZ

Public Golf Courses per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
T-1. Gilbert, AZ
T-1. Glendale, AZ
4. Chandler, AZ
5. St. Paul, MN

Fewest

Fewest
96. Corpus Christi, TX
97. Dallas, TX
98. New York, NY
99. Bakersfield, CA
100. Laredo, TX

Fitness Centers per Capita

Most

Most
1. Birmingham, AL
2. Boise, ID
3. Scottsdale, AZ
4. St. Petersburg, FL
5. Reno, NV

Fewest

Fewest
96. Chicago, IL
97. Garland, TX
98. Laredo, TX
99. Los Angeles, CA
100. New York, NY

Playgrounds per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Chicago, IL
T-1. Cincinnati, OH
T-1. Sacramento, CA

Fewest

Fewest
94. Jersey City, NJ
95. Santa Ana, CA
96. Newark, NJ
97. Hialeah, FL
98. Gilbert, AZ

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities

Honolulu, HI

Honolulu is 2026’s best city for an active lifestyle, in large part because it promotes community sports more than any other city. For example, it has an especially high number of baseball fields, skate parks, volleyball courts and tennis courts per capita.

The island paradise feel of Honolulu makes it easy for outdoor recreation to flourish. Even if you’re not interested in team sports, the city’s proximity to the ocean allows for easy access to swimming and surfing, and it’s the top city for hiking trails as well. Plus, it has the third-most acres of parkland per capita. Honolulu also has a bike-sharing program and the sixth-highest percentage of people who bike or walk to work.

Honolulu ranks third in the nation for air quality, too, so that will help your breathing while you engage in outdoor activities.

New York, NY

The second-best city for an active lifestyle is New York City, and you can get plenty of exercise simply by walking to your job, restaurants and other destinations. New York ranks as the second-most walkable city in the U.S., and it also provides plenty of opportunities for organized recreation. It’s one of the best cities when it comes to the availability of dance schools, swimming lessons, bike rental facilities, basketball courts, soccer fields and ice rinks.

New York provides plenty of opportunities for children to stay fit as well, with the second-most playgrounds per capita. It’s important to instill good physical fitness habits at a young age.

Finally, New York’s residents express a high level of interest in staying active. People in NYC search Google for terms relating to workouts and exercise equipment more than people in any other city. That means if you’re interested in staying active, you’ll probably be able to find a lot of like-minded people who you could potentially work out with.

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco ranks as the third-best city for staying active, in large part because 100% of residents live within a reasonable distance of opportunities for physical activity. In addition to being a big metropolis, the Golden Gate City also has a very high number of hiking trails per capita, and it’s right next to the bay.

You can easily use your commute in San Francisco as your daily exercise, too. It’s the most walkable city in the nation, and it has a bike-sharing program. There are plenty of opportunities to participate in sports, too. The city has a very high number of soccer fields, dance schools and sports clubs per capita.

To top things off, San Francisco has the 15th-best air quality in the country, which makes it easier to enjoy exercise outside.

Ask the Experts

Maintaining an active lifestyle not only improves quality of life, but it can also help prevent certain illnesses and cut down on medical costs. Promoting healthy choices, however, requires a group effort. We asked a panel of experts to share their advice on introducing positive changes both at home and at the policy level. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

How can local communities encourage and facilitate active lifestyles among residents?
Does the presence of professional sports teams in a city encourage residents to be more active? Should cities subsidize professional sports franchises through tax incentives and facilities?
How can we increase access to and use of gyms and recreational facilities? Would incentives (such as tax deductions for gym memberships), or penalties (such as higher health care premiums), be more effective?
What tips do you have for someone looking to maintain an active lifestyle on a budget?
How can parents encourage children to be active in order to combat obesity?

Ask the Experts

Thunder Jalili
Ph.D., Professor, Director of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology - The University of Utah
Read More

Dena Herman
Ph.D., MPH, RD, Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences; Co-Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) California State University, Northridge and Director, MCH Nutrition Leadership Training Program - UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Read More

Dara W. Ford
Ph.D., RDN, LDN, Program Director, Master of Science in Nutrition Education, Professorial Lecturer, Department of Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences - American University
Read More

Judith Rodriguez
Ph.D., RD/N, Chairperson and Professor Emeritus, University of North Florida, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Brooks College of Health
Read More

Jacob E. Barkley
Ph.D., Professor Exercise Science/Physiology - Kent State University
Read More

Dr. Casey Colin
DCN, RDN, LDN, FAND - Director, Nutrition and Dietetics Undergraduate Programs; Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics - Brooks College of Health | University of North Florida
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for an active lifestyle, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across two key dimensions, “Budget & Participation” and “Sports & Outdoors.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 35 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a physically active population. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its Active Lifestyle Score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Budget & Participation – Total Points: 30

Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Double Weight (~4.62 Points)
Average Cost of Sports Apparel: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)
Note: This metric considers the average price of a pair of running shoes as a proxy for the cost of sports apparel.
Average Bowling Cost: Half Weight (~1.15 Points)
Average Cost of Tennis-Court Rent: Half Weight (~1.15 Points)
Note: “Average Cost” is for one hour of rent during the weekend.
Sporting-Goods Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)
Sports Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)
Share of Physically Inactive Adults: Double Weight (~4.62 Points)
Share of Workers Aged 16 and Over Who Bike or Walk to Work: Double Weight (~4.62 Points)
Google Search Interest for “At Home Workouts”: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)
Note: This metric measures the real intent of the population to find information about the following search terms: “Hiit workout,” “Workout at home,” “Ab workouts at home,” “Chest workout at home,” “Leg workouts at home,” “Bodyweight workout,” “Cardio workout at home”. “Real intent” is measured using the average monthly search volumes for those specific terms.
Google Search Interest for “At Home Sports Equipment”: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)
Note: This metric measures the real intent of the population to find information about the following search terms: “Dumbbells”, “Resistance bands”, “NordicTrack treadmill”, “Peloton”, “Kettlebell”, “Barbell”, “Home gym,” “Home gym equipment,” “Home workout equipment”. “Real intent” is measured using the average monthly search volumes for those specific terms.
Intramural Leagues per Capita: Full Weight (~2.31 Points)

Sports & Outdoors – Total Points: 70

Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Soccer Fields per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Tennis Courts per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Volleyball Nets per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Public and Municipal Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Ice-Skating Rinks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Skateboard Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Dance Schools per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Swimming Lessons Opportunities per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Bike Score: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: Half Weight (~1.19 Points)
Presence of Bike-Sharing Programs: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Fitness Centers per Capita*: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Fitness Trainers & Aerobics Instructors per Capita: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Playgrounds per Capita*: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Parkland Acres per Capita: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Walk Score: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Hiking Trails per Capita*: Double Weight (~4.75 Points)
Proximity to Major Lake/Ocean: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Access to Exercise Opportunities: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Note: Access to Exercise Opportunities measures the percentage of individuals in a county who live reasonably close to a location for physical activity. Locations for physical activity are defined as parks or recreational facilities. Individuals are considered to have access to exercise opportunities if they:
- reside in a census block that is within a half mile of a park, or
- reside in an urban census block that is within one mile of a recreational facility, or
- reside in a rural census block that is within three miles of a recreational facility.
Weather: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
Air Quality: Full Weight (~2.37 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of December 10, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Environmental Protection Agency, AreaVibes, County Health Rankings, Numbeo, IMLeagues, The Meddin Bike-Sharing World Map, Trust for Public Land, Yelp, Walk Score, GolfLink, Google Ads and WalletHub research.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Was this article helpful?

Expert Commentary

WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.

Important Disclosures

Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers. For full transparency, here is a list of our current advertisers.

Advertisers compensate WalletHub when you click on a link, or your application is approved, or your account is opened. Advertising impacts how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear and their prevalence). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Advertising enables WalletHub to provide you proprietary tools, services, and content at no charge. Advertising does not impact WalletHub's editorial content including our best picks, reviews, ratings and opinions. Those are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any company, as our editors follow a strict editorial policy.

WalletHub is not a financial advisor. Our goal is to provide you with top-notch content, data, and tools. You are responsible for deciding what financial products and providers are best for your needs.

Irrespective of whether an institution or professional is a paid advertiser, the presence of information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution or professional by us or vice versa.

We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.