With “exercise more” and “lose weight” among the top New Year’s resolutions for 2025, personal finance website WalletHub released its report on the best and worst cities for a lifestyle active in 2025, along with expert commentary, to identify where Americans have the best chance of staying fit in the new year.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest US cities on 35 key indicators. The data set ranges from the average monthly fitness club fee to the city’s cycling score to the share of physically inactive adults.
Best Cities for an Active Lifestyle
Topping the list, Honolulu, Hawaii, was ranked as the best city for maintaining an active lifestyle. Second place was New York, NY, followed by San Francisco, CA. The rest of the top 10 were Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colo.; San Diego, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, at number 10, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The worst cities for an active lifestyle
Coming in at number 91 is Fresno, California, considered one of the worst cities for maintaining an active lifestyle. It was followed by Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Newark, New Jersey; Garland, Texas; Hialeah, Florida; Wichita, Kansas; Corpus Christi, TX; Fort Wayne, IN; Irving, TX; and last on the list, at number 100, was North Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The best cities for staying active provide opportunities for all types of people, from those who prefer team sports to those who simply want to get their daily exercise by walking or biking to work. They also tend to be large cities that remain close to beautiful natural areas suitable for hiking and swimming. Finally, top cities for an active lifestyle have populations highly interested in exercise, which helps people find workout partners and stay motivated,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “Honolulu is the best city for an active lifestyle, largely because it promotes community sports more than any other city, with an extremely high number of baseball diamonds, skate parks, volleyball courts and tennis courts per inhabitant. Even if you’re not interested in team sports, the city’s proximity to the ocean provides easy access to swimming and surfing, and it’s also the best city for hiking trails. Additionally, it has the third most park acres per capita. Honolulu also ranks third in the nation for air quality, which will make it easier for you to breathe when doing outdoor activities.
The best against the worst
Orlando, Florida has the most sporting goods stores per capita, 10.5 times more than North Las Vegas, Nevada, which has the fewest.
Scottsdale, Arizona has the most public golf courses per capita, 49.3 times more than Bakersfield, California, which has the fewest.
Denver, Colorado has the most fitness trainers and aerobics instructors per capita, 5.8 times more than Corpus Christi, Texas, which has the fewest.
Las Vegas has the most playgrounds per capita, 22.2 times more than Hialeah, Florida, which has the fewest.
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-an-active-lifestyle/8817
Expert commentary
How can local communities encourage and facilitate an active lifestyle among residents?
“Some of the strongest research supports creating or improving safe spaces for physical activity in the community and aligning these spaces with programs that promote physical activity. Community-wide promotion of physical activity which includes partnerships between different sectors so that there can be consistent promotional messages and opportunities within organizations such as schools, workplaces, services health clinics, primary care clinics and groups like parks and recreation. Developing a coalition with representatives from each of these groups who are champions of physical activity can develop a plan to ensure that there are policies, environments and programs capable of supporting increased physical activity for all ages and all groups in the community. It is also very important to look at areas and groups in the community that do not have equal access to physical activity resources and ensure that any changes focus on these populations.
Paul Estabrooks – Professor and Associate Dean, University of Utah
“Fitness-related activities must be part of the social fabric and must be supported everywhere. For starters, if a municipality improves access to public transportation, people who usually have to drive everywhere will be able to walk to a bus or train. Tax-funded public facilities that provide free access to all, such as tennis courts, basketball courts, swimming pools, and indoor gymnasiums, are essential. Some cities and towns have opening hours that allow residents to use public school fitness facilities and swimming pools. If there is a parks and recreation department offering free access to facilities and even free transportation, this could encourage an active lifestyle among residents. Organizing regular city or town-wide walkathons or races to raise money for a local cause is another way to encourage people to participate. Social networks (schools, health centers, places of worship) can organize activities such as walking groups, hiking groups or explorers clubs for young people, and gymnastics classes for seniors. Planning and zoning administrators may need to create pedestrian master plans to make walking safe and convenient.
Susan Massad, HSD, RD – Professor and Director of Dietetics Education Program, Framingham State University
What advice would you give to someone looking to maintain an active lifestyle on a budget?
“Take walks outside if you feel comfortable in your environment. Otherwise, there are plenty of free online fitness apps and videos. Review your health insurance. Some insurers offer discounted gym memberships or discounts on fitness equipment and fitness trackers. Set simple goals that are integrated into your life. For example, I will use the stairs every day instead of the elevator.
Jennifer D. Roberts, Ph.D., MPH – Director, Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment Laboratory; Associate Professor, University of Maryland
“Go up the stairs. Park further away, so you have to walk more. Take brisk walks. Put on some of your favorite music, then dance – even if it’s at home (better if you’re embarrassed). Use what is in your home to increase arm muscle strength – carefully lift and move objects. Do arm circles, push-ups, planks, squats and lunges. There are videos on the Internet that show you how to do this. Use your local parks and recreation department to see what is offered for free or at low cost. Try free apps or exercise videos: there are plenty on YouTube. The good thing is that you only need loose, comfortable clothes – no fancy spandex or gym outfits. Try different ones – if you get bored with one, try another. Some involve total body toning, some offer Zumba (dancing), some are low impact and some are high impact. Explore different ones. A variety of exercises improve different muscle groups and increase overall fitness. Start a walking club or hire a fitness partner. Social interactions keep us more motivated and keep us accountable to each other.
Susan Massad, HSD, RD – Professor and Director of Dietetics Education Program, Framingham State University
How can parents encourage their children to be active to fight obesity?
“My first piece of advice is to let the children play! Research shows that when children have free rein in their outdoor environments, they are more active than when they benefit from structured activities or directed by caring adults. Often, parents limit children’s access to the outdoors because they feel a neighborhood is unsafe or because they prefer to be indoors. Simply providing children with free time outdoors is the simplest and most effective way to increase their movement. In neighborhoods where parents’ time and financial resources may be limited, community recreation leaders may choose to send a “mobile check-in” to those neighborhoods. Responsible play leaders and basic sports equipment are provided where children and adolescents live with the aim of facilitating informal outdoor play and sports. My second tip is to encourage parents to ask their children what they like. Many children begin youth sports and activities based on their parents’ interests. Asking your child what they prefer can lead to internalization of the activity and greater engagement on the child’s part. If the child chooses the activity, it is considered more desirable than if it is prescribed. Children have so little control over their lives that how they choose to be active can be an area of empowerment.
Kindal Shores, Ph.D. – Professor, East Carolina University
“Children should get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day to promote health and prevent obesity (and other chronic diseases). Overall, the best thing you can do to keep kids active is to find physical activities they enjoy and give them opportunities to do them often. For parents, be active with your children. Parents who are active with their children have more active children than parents who are not. Other things that help reduce screen time include setting limits on how long kids can play on their phone or tablet. Asking children to check their phones or tablets at bedtime and limiting screen time to less than an hour per day are also helpful strategies. Finally, involving children in Boys and Girls Club, Parks and Recreation, or YMCA programs can help promote physical activity at a low cost.
Paul Estabrooks – Professor and Associate Dean, University of Utah