The Unhealthiest Cities in America
When planning a trip, several factors come into play, including the weather, time of year, and activities to do. However, one thing you may not consider is the health of the cities. According to a recent study by WalletHub, not all U.S. cities are created equal when it comes to community health, and the gap between the healthiest and unhealthiest cities is wider than you might expect.
Whether you are a wellness-focused traveler or just curious about the healthiness of the city you are visiting, we’ve delved into the most and least healthy cities in the U.S.
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Methodology
- Healthcare: Hospital ratings, emergency room wait times, availability of doctors, cost of medical visits, and percentage of residents insured.<
- Food: Availability and accessibility of healthy foods, presence of farmers' markets and healthy restaurants, food insecurity levels, nutrition education programs, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption among residents.
- Fitness: Access to fitness centers and recreational facilities, average weekly physical activity levels, share of adults engaging in regular exercise, and community investment in physical wellness programs.
- Green space: Park land as a percentage of city area, access to public green spaces and hiking trails, bike and walk scores, air quality, urban planning factors related to wellness.
Each category was worth 25 points, totaling 100. -
The Unhealthiest Cities in the U.S.
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The Healthiest Cities in the U.S.
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How Does Your City Rank?
- San Francisco, CA
- Honolulu, HI
- Seattle, WA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Diego, CA
- Portland, OR
- Denver, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
- Washington, DC
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Glendale, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Scottsdale, AZ
- South Burlington, VT
- Pittsburgh, PA
- New York, NY
- Atlanta, GA
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- Fontana, CA
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Winston-Salem, NC
- San Bernardino, CA
- Amarillo, TX
- Detroit, MI
- Montgomery, AL
- Augusta, GA
- North Las Vegas, NV
- Fayetteville, NC
- Jackson, MS
- Memphis, TN
- Fort Smith, AR
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Huntington, WV
- Laredo, TX
- Columbus, GA
- Shreveport, LA
- Gulfport, MS
- Brownsville, TX
To determine which U.S. cities are the healthiest—and which fall short—WalletHub analyzed data across 182 of the largest U.S. cities, including the 150 most populated cities plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The study, updated for 2025, used a composite scoring system based on 41 key health indicators across four major categories: healthcare, food, fitness, and green space. Within those categories, they focused on several factors, including:
The five cities at the bottom were Laredo, TX (31.21 points), Columbus, GA (30.61 points), Shreveport, LA (30.34 points), Gulfport, MS (28.30 points), and Brownsville, TX (24.07 points). These cities ranked low in all four categories, but especially struggled in fitness and food. Brownsville, the most unhealthy city in the U.S., suffers from high obesity rates, low physical activity levels, limited access to fitness facilities, and widespread food insecurity. All of the lowest-ranking cities struggle with high obesity and inactivity rates, limited healthcare access, access to fresh produce and nutritious food, alack of public parks, walking trails, and clean air.
At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve got the healthiest cities, starting with the healthiest, San Francisco, CA (68.05 points), Honolulu, HI (63.34 points), Seattle, WA (63 points), Salt Lake City, UT (62.82 points), and San Diego, CA (62.62 points). San Francisco had the highest scores in food and green space. These cities excel in terms of low obesity rates and high activity levels, boasting excellent healthcare access, a strong network of farmers' markets, organic grocers, and health-conscious restaurants, as well as an abundance of green spaces - from hiking trails to large, accessible parks.