San Francisco crowned America's healthiest city in 2024

[Auggie]

San Francisco Chronicle / April 2, 2024

In a study published by WalletHub, which evaluated more than 180 major U.S. cities using 41 key indicators, San Francisco was crowned as America’s healthiest city.

This comes at a time when over 70% of U.S. adults are overweight and health care expenses are escalating. The personal-finance website released its 2024 report on America’s healthiest cities on Monday, highlighting the financial implications of health for individuals.

The study considered a range of metrics, including the cost of medical visits, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the percentage of physically active adults.

Among the key findings that propelled San Francisco to the top include the nation’s lowest obesity rate, at just 19% of the population, easy access to nutritious food and ample exercise opportunities.

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/sf-healthiest-american-city-19379896.php

Highlights:

• San Francisco surpasses other major U.S. cities in per capita spending on
-- parks and recreation
-- promoting accessible natural spaces and encouraging physical activity.

• Its status as one of the most pedestrian-friendly and bike-friendly cities enables many residents to incorporate exercise into their daily commutes.

• S.F. boasts a high number of health-conscious restaurants per capita, along with many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

• San Francisco’s lower rankings were in the availability of mental health counselors (ranked 73rd out of 182) and dietitians and nutritionists (71st) per capita.

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WalletHub’s Healthiest Cities

01 San Francisco
02 Honolulu
03 Seattle
04 San Diego
05 Washington, D.C.
06 Portland, Ore.
07 Denver
08 Salt Lake City
09 Scottsdale, Ariz.
10 Irvine

Unhealthiest Cities

182 Brownsville, Texas
181 Gulfport, Miss.
180 Laredo, Texas
179 Columbus, Ga.
178 Shreveport, La.
177 Augusta, Ga.
176 Fayetteville, N.C.
175 Corpus Christi, Texas
174 Detroit
173 Huntington, W.Va.

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Link doesn't mention per capita income per region. That helps support options that make a healthier lifestyle more obtainable.