DC region is the 'fittest' in the country, says new ranking

Arlington, Va. and Washington D.C. are America’s fittest cities, according to a 2024 ranking compiled by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. Seattle, San Francisco, and Seattle rounded out the top 5 cities, and Oklahoma City ranked last out of 100.

The ACSM American Fitness index ranks America’s 100 largest cities using 33 fitness indicators. 

The survey found improvements across the country on a few measures including increased investments toward outdoors spaces and improved food security. However, it also found that more Americans residing in urban environments are getting less than seven hours of sleep and reporting low mental and physical health this year than in previous surveys.

“City officials can use the Fitness Index as a baseline to measure progress and make data-driven decisions that improve residents’ health, " said Dr. Stella Volpe, ACSM’s President. “This data can also serve as a yardstick for future evaluation, enabling cities to track their progress and celebrate their achievements in creating healthier and more vibrant communities.”

Here are the top 10 and bottom 10 on this year’s index.

1. Arlington, Va.
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Seattle, Wash.
4. San Francisco, Calif.
5. Madison, Wis.
6. Minneapolis, Minn.
7. Denver, Colo.
8. Atlanta, Ga.
9. Irvine, Calif.
10. St. Paul, Minn.

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90. Las Vegas, Nev.
91. Louisville, Ky.
92. Bakersfield, Calif.
93. Lubbock, Texas
94. Indianapolis, Ind.
95. Tulsa, Okla.
96. North Las Vegas, Nev.
97. Wichita, Kan.
98. Memphis, Tenn.
99. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
100. Oklahoma City, Okla.

Arlington, a city in the D.C. tri-state area, claimed the top slot by leading in community and environmental indicators, which include infrastructure and programs that facilitate healthy lifestyles for residents. 

The nation's capital's transportation network contributed to its top spot as well, ranking highly among cities where residents utilize public transportation and biked/walked to work.

This is the second year in a row both Arlington and D.C. appeared in the two top slots of the ranking. For some cities, fiscal investments have caused shifts in their rankings.

Lexington, Ky, improved the 31 places between 2023 and 2024, after an increase in park funding from $65 in 2023 to $88 in 2024 per capita. Miami, Fla., jumped up 26 places to 13th on the list following their own investments in park infrastructure. For both cities, park infrastructure investments coincided with increases in the number of people who exercise — Miami saw an 11 percent increase.

While 78 percent of adults in the cities included in the index reported exercising, only 51 percent met the ACSM’s aerobic activity guidelines and only 24 percent met both aerobic and strength guidelines.

“Post pandemic, Americans are not as active as we would like,” Volpe said.

Beyond physical fitness, losses in sleep also reflected poorly on their rankings. Tampa, Fla., and Greensboro, N.C., both experienced decreases in residents who get at least seven hours of sleep and those feeling excellent/very good.

Volpe noted that it’s up to cities and municipalities to enact measures to help resident’s improve their fitness.

“To help facilitate this, local community leaders must step up and make bold spending choices, policy decisions and infrastructure changes to increase opportunities for residents to be physically active and healthy,” he said.