Best & Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions (2026)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterJan 5, 2026

Best & Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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It’s easy to make New Year’s resolutions — the real challenge is sticking to them. Before you place all the blame on yourself for past slip-ups, consider this: Your surroundings might be working against you.

To find out where Americans have the best shot at keeping their goals in 2026, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 57 metrics that speak to their conduciveness to self-improvement. The metrics range from exercise opportunities to income growth to the employment outlook.

Top 5 Cities for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Seattle, WA
Scottsdale, AZ
Irvine, CA
Atlanta, GA
Salt Lake City, UT

“Everyone has probably failed to keep a New Year’s resolution at one point, whether it’s losing weight, spending less money, quitting a vice or keeping up with a new hobby. The pressures of inflation, the busyness of everyday life, and the stress of the current news cycle certainly don’t help. Living in the right city can do wonders for resolutions, though. For example, cities with good access to healthy food and exercise opportunities can make it much easier for people to improve their health. Cities with strong economies and good job markets can expedite finding a better career or improving your income. Finding out what your city excels in can help you set an achievable goal.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Health Resolutions Rank	Financial Resolutions Rank	School & Work Resolutions Rank	Bad-Habit Resolutions Rank	Relationship Resolutions Rank
1	Seattle, WA	67.59	15	3	83	39	5
2	Scottsdale, AZ	64.91	11	25	11	37	30
3	Irvine, CA	64.90	2	38	15	6	69
4	Atlanta, GA	64.81	62	18	20	73	4
5	Salt Lake City, UT	64.79	30	56	35	8	18
6	Orlando, FL	64.71	42	81	6	26	13
7	Austin, TX	64.64	58	29	13	62	7
8	Fremont, CA	64.38	1	1	129	3	101
9	San Diego, CA	64.11	7	62	86	52	9
10	Miami, FL	63.86	25	174	4	5	16
11	San Francisco, CA	63.55	5	16	173	131	2
12	Overland Park, KS	63.32	38	2	19	16	77
13	Portland, OR	63.12	21	26	130	118	3
14	Boise, ID	62.87	53	35	10	18	34
15	Minneapolis, MN	62.31	47	4	105	96	19
16	Raleigh, NC	62.27	16	52	75	15	37
17	Tampa, FL	62.07	40	80	26	88	14
18	Plano, TX	61.87	34	24	17	10	78
19	Huntington Beach, CA	61.77	4	64	27	31	89
20	Pittsburgh, PA	61.50	60	17	30	147	12
21	Columbia, MD	61.18	27	5	125	2	126
22	San Jose, CA	61.10	45	8	155	4	50
23	Madison, WI	61.07	66	15	82	17	36
24	Chicago, IL	60.99	74	14	145	99	6
25	Chandler, AZ	60.89	28	20	8	47	83
26	South Burlington, VT	60.79	31	6	1	25	156
27	Tempe, AZ	60.61	26	63	39	57	43
28	Fort Lauderdale, FL	60.46	12	143	40	38	35
29	Charleston, SC	60.33	55	65	9	130	26
30	Denver, CO	60.19	23	21	161	164	8
31	Sioux Falls, SD	59.98	92	33	33	1	79
32	Portland, ME	59.83	41	41	88	42	49
33	Honolulu, HI	59.72	18	150	133	65	10
34	Durham, NC	59.66	43	45	23	27	84
35	Gilbert, AZ	59.61	19	22	7	46	118
36	Virginia Beach, VA	59.45	56	71	34	33	54
37	St. Petersburg, FL	59.44	10	86	36	120	46
38	Sacramento, CA	59.25	46	77	79	92	27
39	Boston, MA	59.15	44	58	140	108	20
40	Las Vegas, NV	58.93	39	115	106	179	1
41	Omaha, NE	58.88	81	13	111	34	42
42	Charlotte, NC	58.72	65	59	76	60	31
43	Los Angeles, CA	58.43	33	148	132	72	21
44	Grand Rapids, MI	58.31	67	34	77	22	86
45	Washington, DC	58.25	35	49	170	162	11
46	St. Paul, MN	58.10	68	11	146	69	40
47	Phoenix, AZ	58.09	71	47	51	85	44
48	Houston, TX	57.43	86	85	125	91	22
49	Colorado Springs, CO	57.41	49	76	93	94	45
50	Fargo, ND	57.39	102	75	121	11	56
51	Lincoln, NE	57.35	103	28	109	30	52
52	Burlington, VT	57.31	54	39	102	40	100
53	Dallas, TX	57.25	80	113	54	90	28
54	Albuquerque, NM	56.94	48	55	85	121	55
55	Bismarck, ND	56.75	120	7	68	24	106
56	Pembroke Pines, FL	56.52	14	163	29	21	125
57	New York, NY	56.46	75	162	172	14	24
58	Peoria, AZ	55.90	72	37	24	67	131
59	Nashua, NH	55.84	89	12	73	56	110
60	Chesapeake, VA	55.81	110	83	37	51	67
61	Garden Grove, CA	55.76	29	125	63	44	121
62	Oakland, CA	55.69	8	100	178	41	90
63	Huntsville, AL	55.66	146	40	5	74	80
64	St. Louis, MO	55.59	50	79	155	176	23
65	Mesa, AZ	55.48	64	48	22	84	116
66	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	55.34	36	130	21	66	129
67	Jersey City, NJ	55.22	51	44	154	20	122
68	West Valley City, UT	55.21	140	23	25	28	124
69	Reno, NV	55.04	59	99	55	155	51
70	Worcester, MA	54.76	107	68	62	54	97
71	Providence, RI	54.70	115	106	99	76	41
72	Kansas City, MO	54.65	125	50	117	115	38
73	Vancouver, WA	54.65	32	78	176	50	103
74	Oceanside, CA	54.64	6	124	144	77	119
75	Rapid City, SD	54.63	143	74	42	29	92
76	Jacksonville, FL	54.57	87	110	47	163	33
77	Fort Worth, TX	54.55	117	92	38	89	70
78	Columbus, OH	54.50	127	53	135	126	29
79	Missoula, MT	54.24	69	107	66	114	82
80	Santa Clarita, CA	54.21	17	136	98	53	135
81	Henderson, NV	54.19	13	93	59	173	87
82	Cincinnati, OH	54.12	112	97	160	157	17
83	El Paso, TX	54.09	119	145	65	43	65
84	Nashville, TN	53.94	114	89	96	174	25
85	Anchorage, AK	53.77	99	42	120	124	74
86	Glendale, CA	53.73	3	157	166	55	152
87	Spokane, WA	53.69	63	66	70	154	85
88	San Antonio, TX	53.69	116	139	57	135	39
89	Santa Rosa, CA	53.53	24	102	159	68	146
90	Rochester, NY	53.49	94	105	137	93	57
91	Cedar Rapids, IA	53.47	164	10	147	12	108
92	Aurora, CO	53.45	22	90	142	102	128
93	Aurora, IL	53.43	109	19	128	49	139
94	Billings, MT	53.38	101	32	97	129	98
95	Philadelphia, PA	53.32	76	54	169	170	32
96	Cape Coral, FL	53.17	91	133	43	32	147
97	Chula Vista, CA	53.09	9	144	149	61	133
98	Glendale, AZ	52.99	78	122	48	97	99
99	Tulsa, OK	52.93	158	95	41	83	64
100	Louisville, KY	52.89	82	60	165	152	48
101	Long Beach, CA	52.89	20	165	134	71	105
102	Lexington-Fayette, KY	52.76	77	70	151	146	71
103	Tallahassee, FL	52.74	130	170	69	35	66
104	Des Moines, IA	52.67	152	46	118	63	75
105	Tacoma, WA	52.55	100	43	148	123	91
106	Warwick, RI	52.45	79	31	113	125	132
107	Oklahoma City, OK	52.39	141	36	89	138	72
108	Arlington, TX	52.27	118	119	53	98	93
109	Tucson, AZ	52.17	85	128	124	142	59
110	Irving, TX	52.13	95	84	44	87	143
111	Milwaukee, WI	52.10	133	91	152	107	53
112	Amarillo, TX	51.92	126	104	14	117	127
113	Yonkers, NY	51.85	83	117	162	7	166
114	Buffalo, NY	51.71	106	94	168	113	68
115	Indianapolis, IN	51.71	148	27	143	134	62
116	Modesto, CA	51.67	57	69	110	139	154
117	Cheyenne, WY	51.55	169	67	64	19	149
118	Richmond, VA	51.50	93	129	123	144	73
119	Chattanooga, TN	51.39	139	96	16	167	81
120	New Orleans, LA	51.35	132	175	150	158	15
121	Nampa, ID	51.34	156	120	60	23	136
122	Riverside, CA	51.23	70	126	71	104	141
123	New Haven, CT	51.20	123	132	84	58	123
124	Hialeah, FL	51.18	61	178	18	9	180
125	Greensboro, NC	51.15	88	147	101	79	109
126	Port St. Lucie, FL	51.01	111	112	28	36	176
127	Anaheim, CA	50.89	52	166	141	45	140
128	Las Cruces, NM	50.82	145	114	81	70	111
129	Manchester, NH	50.65	134	61	115	80	150
130	Salem, OR	50.63	113	88	78	111	153
131	Pearl City, HI	50.45	73	127	112	59	174
132	Santa Ana, CA	50.33	37	167	116	64	163
133	Juneau, AK	50.32	108	72	108	119	161
134	Wilmington, DE	50.27	105	123	171	82	104
135	Casper, WY	50.09	170	51	90	86	134
136	Columbia, SC	49.87	138	159	131	101	58
137	Charleston, WV	49.81	173	9	3	172	145
138	Laredo, TX	49.80	175	116	2	48	170
139	Baltimore, MD	49.79	90	121	167	161	76
140	Fontana, CA	49.72	136	146	56	95	120
141	Norfolk, VA	49.61	135	158	119	136	63
142	Newport News, VA	49.59	131	137	67	75	151
143	Knoxville, TN	49.56	124	156	32	180	47
144	Cleveland, OH	49.53	128	103	158	165	60
145	Fort Wayne, IN	49.42	155	57	107	78	142
146	Garland, TX	49.18	121	110	49	106	162
147	Wichita, KS	48.93	147	30	138	151	115
148	Lubbock, TX	48.87	142	152	31	141	107
149	Fresno, CA	48.86	122	138	72	109	148
150	Springfield, MO	48.82	154	135	61	153	88
151	Stockton, CA	48.79	97	87	139	103	170
152	Winston-Salem, NC	48.49	137	108	114	122	138
153	Corpus Christi, TX	48.39	152	140	50	149	95
154	Bakersfield, CA	48.34	98	109	136	159	129
155	Lewiston, ME	47.84	157	73	58	145	172
156	Bridgeport, CT	47.01	96	161	179	13	182
157	Akron, OH	47.01	163	98	164	137	112
158	Grand Prairie, TX	46.73	161	141	87	110	154
159	Columbus, GA	46.18	144	151	104	105	173
160	Birmingham, AL	46.09	160	181	127	160	61
161	Fayetteville, NC	45.82	151	173	92	128	144
162	Detroit, MI	45.63	165	131	181	132	94
163	Oxnard, CA	45.36	84	168	175	112	181
163	Moreno Valley, CA	45.36	150	154	100	116	169
165	Mobile, AL	45.17	166	164	74	168	114
166	North Las Vegas, NV	44.92	129	153	94	181	117
167	Ontario, CA	44.80	168	172	80	100	164
168	San Bernardino, CA	44.51	159	176	95	133	159
169	Little Rock, AR	44.40	167	134	91	169	165
170	Fort Smith, AR	44.37	172	101	45	178	160
171	Brownsville, TX	43.77	182	142	12	81	179
172	Baton Rouge, LA	43.72	149	177	177	148	102
173	Toledo, OH	43.70	162	118	180	171	113
174	Huntington, WV	43.43	178	82	46	182	137
175	Montgomery, AL	43.26	176	149	122	143	157
176	Augusta, GA	41.90	171	155	163	156	168
177	Newark, NJ	41.87	104	180	182	140	177
178	Memphis, TN	41.81	174	171	174	175	96
179	Dover, DE	41.41	181	160	103	127	175
180	Shreveport, LA	40.83	177	169	153	150	167
181	Gulfport, MS	38.81	179	179	52	177	178
182	Jackson, MS	37.98	180	182	157	166	158

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that category.

% of Obese Adults

Lowest

Lowest
1. Fremont, CA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Irvine, CA
4. South Burlington, VT
T-5. San Jose, CA
T-5. Denver, CO

Highest

Highest
178. Memphis, TN
179. Akron, OH
180. Shreveport, LA
181. Brownsville, TX
182. Jackson, MS

% of Adults Not Exercising

Lowest

Lowest
1. Seattle, WA
2. South Burlington, VT
3. Washington, DC
T-4. Scottsdale, AZ
T-4. Fremont, CA

Highest

Highest
178. Hialeah, FL
179. Fort Smith, AR
180. Newark, NJ
181. Laredo, TX
182. Brownsville, TX

Median Annual Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)

Highest

Highest
T-1. Columbia, MD
T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Gilbert, AZ
T-1. Overland Park, KS
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ

Lowest

Lowest
178. New York, NY
179. Hialeah, FL
180. Cleveland, OH
181. Newark, NJ
182. Detroit, MI

Median Credit Score

Highest

Highest
1. Jersey City, NJ
2. Fremont, CA
3. Scottsdale, AZ
T-4. Seattle, WA
T-4. San Francisco, CA

Lowest

Lowest
177. Laredo, TX
178. Memphis, TN
179. Newark, NJ
180. Jackson, MS
181. Detroit, MI

% of Public Schools Rated by GreatSchools.org with above Average Score

Highest

Highest
1. Irvine, CA
2. South Burlington, VT
3. Pearl City, HI
4. Huntington Beach, CA
5. Pembroke Pines, FL

Lowest

Lowest
178. New Haven, CT
179. Des Moines, IA
T-180. St. Louis, MO
T-180. Jackson, MS
T-180. Burlington, VT

Unemployment Rate

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Rapid City, SD
T-1. Sioux Fall, SD
T-1. Burlington, VT
T-1. South Burlington, VT
T-1. Miami, FL

Highest

Highest
176. Modesto, CA
177. Toledo, OH
178. Newark, NJ
179. Stockton, CA
180. Detroit, MI

Prevalence of Adult Binge Drinking

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Birmingham, AL
T-1. Montgomery, AL
3. Jackson, MS
4. Tulsa, OK
5. Newark, NJ

Highest

Highest
T-177. Charleston, SC
T-177. Billings, MT
T-179. Washington, DC
T-179. Bismarck, ND
181. Denver, CO
182. Missoula, MT

% of Adult Smokers

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Seattle, WA
3. Irvine, CA
4. Salt Lake City, UT
5. Columbia, MD

Highest

Highest
178. Toledo, OH
179. Akron, OH
180. Huntington, WV
181. Detroit, MI
182. Cleveland, OH

Restaurants per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-1. Houston, TX

Fewest

Fewest
178. North Las Vegas, NV
179. West Valley City, UT
180. Lewiston, ME
181. South Burlington, VT
182. Pearl City, HI

Parkland Acres per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Anchorage, AK
T-1. Chesapeake, VA
T-1. Honolulu, HI
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
5. Jacksonville, FL

Fewest

Fewest
99. Miami, FL
100. Fresno, CA
101. Newark, NJ
102. Santa Ana, CA
103. Hialeah, FL

In-Depth Look at the Top Cities

Seattle, WA

Seattle is the best city for keeping your New Year's resolutions, particularly those related to your physical well-being. Common resolutions include working out and eating healthier foods, and Seattle has the lowest percentage of physically inactive adults, at less than 13%, along with the sixth-lowest obesity rate in the country. The city has the seventh-lowest percentage of adults who eat fruit less than once a day, too. These statistics indicate that Seattle residents have good access to healthy food and places to work out, which can help even more people meet their health-related resolutions.

Seattle also stands out when it comes to financial resolutions. The city has the second-lowest percentage of people who are delinquent on their debt payments and residents have very low levels of debt relative to their income. Due to these factors, it comes as no surprise that Seattle residents have the fourth-best median credit scores in the country.

Quitting smoking or other vices is another common New Year’s resolution, and Seattle has the lowest percentage of adults who smoke daily or on most days.

Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ, is the second-best city for keeping New Year’s resolutions because of its opportunities for physical activity and career growth. Scottsdale boasts an extremely high number of fitness centers and weight loss centers per capita. As a result, it has the fourth-lowest percentage of adults who are physically inactive. It only has the 24th-lowest obesity rate among the more than 180 cities in our study, though, so there’s a bit of room for future improvement.

If your resolutions involve career growth or job changes, Scottsdale offers one of the highest median household incomes in the country, along with one of the lowest unemployment rates. It has the 36th-best job security, too, so there’s a lower risk of layoffs. Together, these factors give residents better odds of meeting their financial goals.

Finally, when it comes to fixing bad habits, Scottsdale has the seventh-lowest percentage of adults who smoke every day or most days and the 17th-lowest percentage who sleep fewer than seven hours per night.

Irvine, CA

Irvine ranks third among the best cities for keeping your New Year’s resolutions because residents have had a lot of success with their financial and health resolutions. Irvinites have the fifth-lowest median debt per person (as a percentage of the median income) and the sixth-highest median credit score, suggesting that people have built solid financial habits. In addition, the city has one of the highest median incomes in the country. Not only is raising one’s income a common resolution, but high earnings also give people the resources they need to pursue other resolutions.

Irvine also has the third-lowest percentage of obese adults due to the active lifestyle and wellness focus of its residents. This is helped by the fact that over 99% of residents live reasonably close to a location for physical activity, such as a gym or a park. That can translate into increased odds of success for people whose resolution is to stay fit or lose weight.

To top things off, in terms of breaking bad habits, Irvine has the second-lowest share of adults who smoke every day or most days and the 17th-lowest prevalence of binge drinking among adults.

Ask The Experts

To gain some more insight into the challenges of keeping resolutions and tips for overcoming them, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What tips do you have for people looking to improve their financial habits in the new year?
Why do so many people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions? What can they do to increase their odds of success?
What age-appropriate resolutions can help kids build skills and habits that will serve them well into adulthood?
Given that paying off debt and saving money has become more difficult in the past few years due to inflation, what should people keep in mind in order to make – and keep – realistic financial resolutions?
Does using the phrasing of “New Year’s Resolutions” deter people from making them? How else can we refer to them?

Ask the Experts

Rachel Wu
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Department of Psychology - University of California, Riverside
Read More

Reeshad S. Dalal
Ph.D. – Professor, Industrial and Organizational Psychology - George Mason University
Read More

Jose F. Rodriguez
Ph.D. – Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, Associate Teaching Professor and Director, Organizational Science M.S. Program - Florida International University - College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Read More

Jonas C. Sheckler
Assistant Director of Financial Wellbeing, Career Center - Towson University
Read More

Kristie Campana
Ph.D. – Program Director | Associate Professor - Minnesota State University
Read More

Michelle Terry
MD – Assistant Dean, URMS Career Development, UW School of Medicine; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Medicine - Seattle Children's Hospital | University of Washington
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for keeping your New Year’s resolutions, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across five key dimensions: 1) Health Resolutions, 2) Financial Resolutions, 3) School & Work Resolutions, 4) Bad-Habit Resolutions and 5) Relationship Resolutions.

We evaluated those dimensions using 57 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 achieving one’s New Year’s goals. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), 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 overall 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.

Health Resolutions – Total Points: 20

Share of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)
Share of Adults Not Exercising: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Access to Exercise Opportunities: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Access to Healthy-Food Stores: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Inadequate Fruit & Vegetable Consumption*: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults who eat fewer than one serving of fruit or vegetables per day.
Share of Residents Who Say They Eat Healthy: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Gallup and Sharecare's 2016 Community Rankings for Healthy Eating report, which examines healthy eating across the nation.
Fitness Centers per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Weight-Loss Centers per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Financial Resolutions – Total Points: 20

Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Income Growth (2019–2023): Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Median Credit-Card Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: “Debt” was calculated per person as share of median earnings.
Share of Delinquent Debtors: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: “Debt” was calculated per person as share of median earnings.
Non-Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: “Debt” was calculated per person as share of median earnings.
Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Share of Households with Emergency Savings: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of households that saved for unexpected expenses or emergencies in the past 12 months.
Homeownership Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Rental Affordability: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Annual Price for Two-Bedroom Apartment Rental / Median Annual Household Income.
Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median House Price / Median Annual Household Income.
Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Financial-Products Comparison: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the real intent of the population to compare “credit cards”, “mortgage rates”, “car insurance” and “car loans”. “Real intent” is measured using the average monthly search volumes for those specific terms.

School & Work Resolutions – Total Points: 20

Share of Public Schools Rated by GreatSchools.org with Above Average Score: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
Average Quality of Universities: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average WalletHub “College & University Score”.
High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Job Opportunities: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Number of Job Openings per Number of Population in Labor Force – Unemployment Rate.
Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Income Growth (2019–2023): Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
Job Security: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Number of Employees in 2024 – Number of Employees in 2023) / Number of Employees in 2023.
Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Sharecare’s Community Well-Being “Purpose” Index Score: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: The “Purpose” Rank is defined as “Liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals.”
Employment Outlook: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Business Startup-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best Large Cities to Start a Business” ranking.

Bad-Habit Resolutions – Total Points: 20

Binge Drinking: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the age-adjusted prevalence of binge drinking among adults aged 18 and older.
Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Share of Marijuana Users: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of the population aged 12 and older who used marijuana in the past month.
Access to Opioids: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of opioid pain-reliever prescriptions per 100 residents.
Drug Overdose-Related Deaths: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Share of Adults with Gambling Disorders*: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Share of Adults with Inadequate Sleep: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults sleeping fewer than seven hours per night.
Share of Adults in Fair or Poor Health: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Share of Adults Who Visited a Doctor and/or Dentist in the Past Year: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)

Relationships Resolutions – Total Points: 20

Nightlife Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Restaurants per Capita**: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Attractions: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: “Attractions” include, for instance, zoos, museums and theaters.
Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Parkland Acres per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Average Wedding Cost: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: “Cost” was calculated as share of median earnings.
Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family” ranking.
Fun Opportunities: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Most Fun Cities in America” ranking.
Singles-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Singles” ranking.
Sports Fan-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best Sports Cities” ranking.
Sharecare’s Community Well-Being “Social” Index Score: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: The “Social” Rank is defined as “Having supportive relationships and love in your life.”
Share of Residents Who Regularly Talk or Spend Time with Friends and Family: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of December 8, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Wedding Report, County Health Rankings, Yelp, Numbeo, TransUnion, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, GreatSchools, Corporation for National and Community Service, National Council on Problem Gambling, Indeed, Chmura Economics & Analytics, ManpowerGroup, Google Ads, Sharecare, TripAdvisor, The Trust for Public Land, Gallup – Sharecare and WalletHub research.

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