The 10 Best Cities To Live In If You Want To Have An Active Lifestyle

If 2017 is your year to get active, a change of scenery could help you hit that goal.

When it comes to cities that promote active lifestyles, not all are created equal across the US.

WalletHub pulled together a report on the worst and best cities for an active lifestyle.

To measure which cities were active, the personal finance website looked at everything from monthly membership fees to how many facilities a city had, how many residents were inactive, and how many people played in team sports.

Here's what they found, assigning each of the 100 cities with scores up to 100.

But first, those that scored the worst.
Among the worst places for an active lifestyle were Memphis, Tennessee; Laredo, Texas; North Las Vegas, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and New York.

New York in particular ranked the lowest when it came to how much things cost, as well as how tricky it might be to participate in group activities. Laredo, on the other hand, had the lowest access to facilities or outdoor areas for recreation.

10. Sacramento, California
Sacramento ranked highly in its amount of sports facilities and outdoor activities, placing it in the top ten of the best cities to have active lifestyles.

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.13

9. Irvine, California
Down in southern California, Irvine had the best score of the 100 cities when it came to how much things cost and how many opportunities there were to participate in activities.

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.28

8. Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is tied for the most fitness centers per capita, edging it into 8th place. Atlanta also has a high number of swimming pools, giving its residents more chances to have an active lifestyle.

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.78

7. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is tied for most swimming pools per capita. That, combined with other fitness amenities, placed Pittsburgh among some of the most active cities in the US.

Active Lifestyle Score: 54.49

6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, which has among the most basketball hoops per capita, was also the best city for finding sports facilities and outdoor activities.

Active Lifestyle Score: 54.99

5. Orlando, Florida
Orlando is tied for most fitness centers per capita along with Atlanta and Scottsdale, Arizona, along with the a tie for the most golf courses per capita to keep its residents active.

Active Lifestyle Score: 55.15

4. Portland, Oregon
Portland owes its spot on the top 10 active cities in part because it has the second lowest percentage of inactive residents, meaning that compared to other cities, Portland's got a greater proportion of folks that exercise regularly.

Active Lifestyle Score: 55.30

3. Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale tied for most fitness centers per capita with Atlanta and Orlando and along with Orlando was tied for the most golf courses per capita. The city's also near hiking trails along the nearby mountains.

Active Lifestyle Score: 55.40

2. Boise, Idaho
Idaho's capital ranked among the top active cities when it came to the facilities and outdoor activities it offered to its residents. It's close to hiking and biking trails, and other ways to get active outside.

Active Lifestyle Score: 57.21

1. Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin's capital ranked as the best city for an active lifestyle, according to the WalletHub report. Among the metrics that set it over the top, Madison had the most park playgrounds per capita and was tied for the most basketball hoops per capita with Minneapolis.

Active Lifestyle Score: 57.25



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