Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are the fittest cities in America, according to the 2024 rankings compiled by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. Seattle, San Francisco and Seattle round out the top five, while Oklahoma City ranks last among the 100 cities.
The ACSM America Fitness Index ranks America’s 100 largest cities using 33 fitness indicators.
The survey found improvements across the nation on some measures, such as increased investment in outdoor spaces and improved food security, but it also found that more urban Americans this year than in previous surveys are getting fewer than seven hours of sleep and reporting poor mental and physical health.
“The Fitness Index allows city officials to measure their progress and make data-driven decisions to improve the health of their residents,” said ACSM President Dr. Stella Volpe. “The data also serves as a benchmark for future evaluation, allowing cities to track progress and celebrate accomplishments that create healthier, more vibrant communities.”
The top 10 and bottom 10 on this year’s index are:
1. Arlington, Virginia
2. Washington DC
3. Seattle, Washington
4. San Francisco, California
5. Madison, Wisconsin
6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
7. Denver, Colorado
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Irvine, California
10. St. Paul, Minnesota
90. Las Vegas, Nevada
91. Louisville, Kentucky
92. Bakersfield, California
93. Lubbock, Texas
94. Indianapolis, Indiana
95. Tulsa, Oklahoma
96. North Las Vegas, Nevada
97. Wichita, Kansas
98. Memphis, Tennessee
99. Port St. Lucie, Florida
100. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Arlington, a city in the Washington, D.C., tri-state area, took the top spot in community and environment indicators, which include infrastructure and programs that promote healthy lifestyles for residents.
The capital’s transport network also contributed to its top spot, ranking it among the cities where residents use public transport, cycle or walk to work.
This is the second year in a row that Arlington and Washington, D.C., have placed in the top two spots on the rankings. For some cities, financial investments have led to changes in the rankings.
Lexington, Kentucky, moves up 31 places between 2023 and 2024 due to an increase in parks funding from $65 per capita in 2023 to $88 in 2024. Miami, Florida, moves up 26 places to 13th on the list due to its own investments in parks infrastructure. In both cities, investments in parks infrastructure have coincided with increases in the number of people exercising, with Miami seeing an 11 percent increase.
Although 78% of adults in cities included in the index reported exercising, only 51% met the ACSM’s aerobic exercise guidelines, and only 24% met both aerobic and strength training guidelines.
“Post-pandemic, Americans are not as active as we would like,” Volpe said.
Beyond physical fitness, a decline in sleep also hurt the rankings. Tampa, Florida, and Greensboro, North Carolina, saw a decline in residents getting seven or more hours of sleep, as well as those who felt they got very good or very good sleep.
Volpe noted that it is up to cities and municipalities to enact measures to help improve the health of their residents.
“To facilitate this, local community leaders must commit to bold spending choices, policy decisions and infrastructure changes to increase opportunities for their residents to be physically active and healthy,” he said.
