Close your eyes and envision the healthiest city in America. Maybe you’re thinking of a folksy Midwestern city. Or maybe a yoga-crazed West Coast enclave.

Or maybe…the Capital?

That’s right. Washington D.C. has just been named America’s healthiest city according to an in-depth report from the American College of Sports Medicine. Using the official ranking mechanism, the American Fitness Index (AFI), a huge variety of factors have been weighted and crunched to determined which cities across America best serve and support the health and recreation needs of its citizens.

The AFI is constantly being tuned, so don’t make the mistake of thinking Washington came from behind to win the title from the previous three-years-running incumbent Minneapolis-St. Paul. The top healthiest cities have a lot in common.

What’s Involved in the AFI Ranking?

The AFI tracks a variety of metrics. Some are government based: how walkable the city is, how much money they spend on city parks. Others track the activities of the residents: how much and what kind of physical activity they’ve done in the past thirty days. Their rates of cardiac disease, asthma, diabetes and other health metrics.

It also tracks the emphasis and focus each city displays towards the health and wellness of its residents. Does it encourage residents to improve their lifestyle, to spend more time and energy staying active and healthy? It’s this last set of metrics that allows a city to rank. Even a health crazed city of gym rats isn’t going to rank if the policy of that city isn’t designed to encourage and support these activities.

Here’s the list of the top ten cities in the U.S.

Washington, D.C.
Minneapolis-St. Paul MN
Portland OR
Denver CO
San Francisco CA
San Jose CA
Seattle WA
San Diego CA
Boston MA
10. Sacramento CA

Notice what’s missing? Only two of the cities are on the East Coast. Only one is in the Midwest. And none are in the South.

These cities all share a few key traits. Rates of obesity are at less than 23 percent. Smoking rates are under 18 percent. Most people have engaged in physical activity in the last thirty days. The culture and politics of the city support citizens in making healthy choices.

There’s a metric for everything these days, but make no mistake, that’s going to affect where people settle. How does your city rank? Maybe one day it will affect your property values.

The Healthiest Cities In The USA