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By Michael Hochman
Whether you want to hit the court, field, rink, trail, links or the gym, these are the most fit cities in the U.S., ideal for athletes.
For a large percentage of people, having great access to gyms, trails and athletic facilities close by is as important in determining where they want to live as supermarket availability or commute time to work. Nearly a quarter of all Americans participate in a sports or exercise-related activity each day. A similar percentage play a team sport of some sort, from pickup games in the park to adult leagues to company softball teams. So, where can you find some of the fittest cities in the U.S. for exercise and sports-minded people? Some of these may surprise you!
Cities across the nation offer a wide variety of workout spots, play places and facilities for athletes. But some are better equipped than others. So which are the best cities for athletes?
To determine the answer, we compiled a list of every gym (and exercise studio), trail, field, court (basketball and racquet sport), skating rink and golf facility (clubs, courses and driving ranges) in every city in America with a population of over 115,000. For these 200 cities, each athletic category was counted and scaled compared to all other cities based on facilities per 100,000 residents and per square mile. The result was a score for each of these 12 categories, equally weighted, which were combined into a final total score for every city and ranked one to 200.
You may imagine the best cities for athletes are all sunny destinations with year-round warm weather. But this study shows that that's not necessarily the case, as many cities in a variety of climates and sizes are athlete havens. The 10 cities below are the best of the best cities for athletes in America.
10. Clearwater, FL
The least populated city among the top ten (and seventh-smallest among all 200 cities in the study), the Tampa suburb of Clearwater, FL seems like a great place for athletes to get outdoors. Sun, surf and pristine beaches are just the thing for working out out-of-doors in this city of 117,000 on the Pinellas Peninsula.
Clearwater's top 10 ranking is directly tied to outdoor sports. It holds the fourth-best golf score of any city in the US. Its 36 golf facilities are the second-most per square mile in the nation, and sixth-most per person. As well, it also has a top-10 ranked athletic fields score, with the ninth-most fields per capita. And surprisingly, the Gulf Coast city's four skating rinks give it a top 10 per capita rank as well.
9. Alexandria, VA
Washington D.C. is a place for hustle and bustle, suits and committees and diplomats. It's when you get out to Northern Virginia suburbs where things get calmer, more peaceful and open. And that's the case in Alexandria, D.C.'s second-largest suburb. But Alexandria is more than a suburb. It's a city on its own, self-contained, with its own identity.
Alexandria is less congested, less tense than neighboring Washington. And it's where Virginians can get out and work on their bodies and health. For a city of just 15 square miles and 155,000 residents, it loves its athletic facilities. It holds a stunning rank of second in the nation for fields availability, and third for fields per geographic density. That grass impressiveness is nearly equaled on hard surfaces. The exurb also holds the seventh-best score for courts, with the fifth-most per square mile.
But Alexandria may not be the best place for hockey players and skaters, with just one rink in the city.
8. Atlanta, GA
Atlanta fancies itself a city with a winning edge. From Hawks and Falcons to pick-up leagues and youth sports, there's nothing Atlantans love more than getting competitive.
However, there's a distinct dividing line in Atlanta. Maybe it's the oppressive summer heat or just a love of the hardwood, but indoor sports are king in the ATL. Atlanta ranks a high fourth in athletic courts score, with the second most courts per person of any city. Compare that to its rank of 29 for athletic fields. And to train for all hooping and racqueting, Atlanta offers the tenth-most number of gyms, giving it an impressive fifth-ranked gym score.
But when it is time to get outside, it's individual gain over teamwork that drives Atlantans. The Peachtree City offers scores of trails and hikes stretching from downtown urban parks to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its trail availability is ranked an impressive fourth, also with the fourth-most trails and fourth-most trails per capita.
7. Cincinnati, OH
Residents of Cincinnati love to get out and go. And when they do, they hit the ground running. An unassuming top 10 best cities for athletes, The Queen City ranks at number seven mostly on the back of residents' love of striking out on one of 70 trails. With a surprising trail score ranking of third, Cincinnati offers the third-most trails per person and sixth per square mile.
But Cincinnatians love to get outside and play as well. Home to the Reds and Bengals, team sports are both a popular spectator and participatory activity. The city ranks an impressive sixth in athletic field availability score, and eighth in the nation for golf facilities. Honestly, you have to work off all that skyline chili somehow.
6. Minneapolis, MN
With an average low temperature of 14 degrees, residents of Minneapolis know cold. And what they know is the best way of surviving the cold is to stay active, even for work. Minneapolis has one of the highest percentages of residents who walk or bike to work. In fact, over 7% walk.
But when it comes to time away from work, it's not a surprise that Minneapolitans play hockey. And curling. And ice skating. And anything else on the ice. The city's 19 rinks are tied for fifth-most in the nation (sister city St. Paul is number one with 23). That gives the western Twin City a total rink score ranked fourth in the nation, with the fourth-most rinks per square mile and fifth-most per person.
But come summer, Minneapolis residents are itching to get outside to their 65 athletic fields. That's good enough for a top-three field ranking in the U.S. and fourth-most per capita of all cities. The biggest city in the Land of 10,000 Lakes also offers the eighth-most trails per hiker as well.
5. Orlando, FL
When your city has the most restaurants per person (and the most fast food chains), it's probably a good idea to get out and get active. That's the case in Orlando, with its 99 restaurants and 18.4 fast food joints per 10,000 residents.
And what do Orlandoans most love to do to get out and exercise? Well, that's golf. Locals and tourists alike (Orlando is the most visited city in the nation) are crazy for golf in the Theme Park Capital of the World. With 142, Orlando, just the 61st most populated city, has the third most golfing facilities of any city. That gives the city the top golf score overall, with the most golf stops per square mile and third-most per capita.
But golf isn't the only game in town. Orlando also has the third-most gyms and third-most athletic courts per person in the nation. It also offers a top-10 ranking for most athletic fields per resident.
4. Berkeley, CA
Just across the Bay from top-ranked San Francisco (see below), the Oakland suburb of Berkeley is the number-one rated college town for athletes. Home to the University of California, Berkeley is the smallest city in the top 200 by area, and eighth-least populated. But that doesn't mean it's small where it counts.
Despite unpredictable Northern California weather, Berkeleyans love being outdoors. The city's 30 trails for just 117,000 residents give it the top per capita spot in the nation. And with those 30 squeezed into an area of just 10 square miles, it also ranks at the top by geographic density as well. It comes in an impressive third for best gym city as well, as Cal students work out more than their brains.
Just don't expect to hit the ice anytime soon. Berkeley has just one lone skating rink.
3. Pittsburgh, PA
For all the sunny, hardbody destinations for athletes, the most unexpected spot on the top 10 may be Pittsburgh. The Steel City is not a likely number three in the most fit cities in the U.S. roundup. Perhaps living in one of the hilliest cities in the U.S. either makes one an athlete, or requires one to be.
For its number three ranking, Pittsburghers – famous for their black-and-gold pro sports teams – can thank its love of team sports. The city is a clear number one for athletic field availability, top ranked for fields per person and second per square mile. It's on these fields that young Yinzers imagine themselves the next Le'Veon Bell or Andrew McCutchen.
And with 13 skating rinks around the city, giving Pittsburgh the seventh-best rink score, there are plenty of future hopeful Sidney Crosbys as well. And you gotta be strong to join that Steel Curtain, and thankfully The 'Burgh ranks in the top 10 for gym score.
2. Miami, FL
Judging by any scene from Miami Vice, Ballers or Nip/Tuck (or even Golden Girls), there are a lot of in-shape people in Miami. It's not just beachgoers and wealthy socialites, but zoomers, seniors, generational Cuban families and even tourists driving the need for athletic facilities in diverse South Florida.
So what makes Miami one of the best cities for athletes? Well, it's the beach and the entire tourism industry (it offers the highest tourist to resident ratio of any city in the world), and the need to look, feel and be healthy and active.
Miami is America's number one gym and athletic court city, hands down. With its 1,060 gyms, The Magic City has the most gyms per capita and by geographic density. And it also rates at the top of both metrics for athletic courts as well, with nearly 50. Year-round warm weather is also key to its fifth-ranked spot in most athletic fields and fourth most golf facilities per square mile.
1. San Francisco, CA
It will probably not surprise nearly anybody to see San Francisco atop the list of best cities for athletes. It's a city that ranks at the top for the healthiest city in the nation and features the lowest rates of obesity, asthma and diabetes. It is a city of active and young residents enjoying gorgeous parks, trails and outdoor activities across its Northern California peninsula.
The athletic bona fides of the city of 815,000, the largest among the top 10 by almost twice second place, stretch throughout most all measurements. Among all cities, San Francisco ranks first for athletic fields per square mile, and second for combined gym score, combined trail score and combine athletic courts score. And despite its tight population density, it still manages to fit in 43 golf facilities and eight skating rinks. It even offers 106 trails, the fifth-most in the nation.
Whether you want to hit the court, field, rink, trail, links or the gym, these are the most fit cities in the U.S., ideal for athletes.
For a large percentage of people, having great access to gyms, trails and athletic facilities close by is as important in determining where they want to live as supermarket availability or commute time to work. Nearly a quarter of all Americans participate in a sports or exercise-related activity each day. A similar percentage play a team sport of some sort, from pickup games in the park to adult leagues to company softball teams. So, where can you find some of the fittest cities in the U.S. for exercise and sports-minded people? Some of these may surprise you!
Cities across the nation offer a wide variety of workout spots, play places and facilities for athletes. But some are better equipped than others. So which are the best cities for athletes?
To determine the answer, we compiled a list of every gym (and exercise studio), trail, field, court (basketball and racquet sport), skating rink and golf facility (clubs, courses and driving ranges) in every city in America with a population of over 115,000. For these 200 cities, each athletic category was counted and scaled compared to all other cities based on facilities per 100,000 residents and per square mile. The result was a score for each of these 12 categories, equally weighted, which were combined into a final total score for every city and ranked one to 200.
You may imagine the best cities for athletes are all sunny destinations with year-round warm weather. But this study shows that that's not necessarily the case, as many cities in a variety of climates and sizes are athlete havens. The 10 cities below are the best of the best cities for athletes in America.
10. Clearwater, FL
The least populated city among the top ten (and seventh-smallest among all 200 cities in the study), the Tampa suburb of Clearwater, FL seems like a great place for athletes to get outdoors. Sun, surf and pristine beaches are just the thing for working out out-of-doors in this city of 117,000 on the Pinellas Peninsula.
Clearwater's top 10 ranking is directly tied to outdoor sports. It holds the fourth-best golf score of any city in the US. Its 36 golf facilities are the second-most per square mile in the nation, and sixth-most per person. As well, it also has a top-10 ranked athletic fields score, with the ninth-most fields per capita. And surprisingly, the Gulf Coast city's four skating rinks give it a top 10 per capita rank as well.
9. Alexandria, VA
Washington D.C. is a place for hustle and bustle, suits and committees and diplomats. It's when you get out to Northern Virginia suburbs where things get calmer, more peaceful and open. And that's the case in Alexandria, D.C.'s second-largest suburb. But Alexandria is more than a suburb. It's a city on its own, self-contained, with its own identity.
Alexandria is less congested, less tense than neighboring Washington. And it's where Virginians can get out and work on their bodies and health. For a city of just 15 square miles and 155,000 residents, it loves its athletic facilities. It holds a stunning rank of second in the nation for fields availability, and third for fields per geographic density. That grass impressiveness is nearly equaled on hard surfaces. The exurb also holds the seventh-best score for courts, with the fifth-most per square mile.
But Alexandria may not be the best place for hockey players and skaters, with just one rink in the city.
8. Atlanta, GA
Atlanta fancies itself a city with a winning edge. From Hawks and Falcons to pick-up leagues and youth sports, there's nothing Atlantans love more than getting competitive.
However, there's a distinct dividing line in Atlanta. Maybe it's the oppressive summer heat or just a love of the hardwood, but indoor sports are king in the ATL. Atlanta ranks a high fourth in athletic courts score, with the second most courts per person of any city. Compare that to its rank of 29 for athletic fields. And to train for all hooping and racqueting, Atlanta offers the tenth-most number of gyms, giving it an impressive fifth-ranked gym score.
But when it is time to get outside, it's individual gain over teamwork that drives Atlantans. The Peachtree City offers scores of trails and hikes stretching from downtown urban parks to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its trail availability is ranked an impressive fourth, also with the fourth-most trails and fourth-most trails per capita.
7. Cincinnati, OH
Residents of Cincinnati love to get out and go. And when they do, they hit the ground running. An unassuming top 10 best cities for athletes, The Queen City ranks at number seven mostly on the back of residents' love of striking out on one of 70 trails. With a surprising trail score ranking of third, Cincinnati offers the third-most trails per person and sixth per square mile.
But Cincinnatians love to get outside and play as well. Home to the Reds and Bengals, team sports are both a popular spectator and participatory activity. The city ranks an impressive sixth in athletic field availability score, and eighth in the nation for golf facilities. Honestly, you have to work off all that skyline chili somehow.
6. Minneapolis, MN
With an average low temperature of 14 degrees, residents of Minneapolis know cold. And what they know is the best way of surviving the cold is to stay active, even for work. Minneapolis has one of the highest percentages of residents who walk or bike to work. In fact, over 7% walk.
But when it comes to time away from work, it's not a surprise that Minneapolitans play hockey. And curling. And ice skating. And anything else on the ice. The city's 19 rinks are tied for fifth-most in the nation (sister city St. Paul is number one with 23). That gives the western Twin City a total rink score ranked fourth in the nation, with the fourth-most rinks per square mile and fifth-most per person.
But come summer, Minneapolis residents are itching to get outside to their 65 athletic fields. That's good enough for a top-three field ranking in the U.S. and fourth-most per capita of all cities. The biggest city in the Land of 10,000 Lakes also offers the eighth-most trails per hiker as well.
5. Orlando, FL
When your city has the most restaurants per person (and the most fast food chains), it's probably a good idea to get out and get active. That's the case in Orlando, with its 99 restaurants and 18.4 fast food joints per 10,000 residents.
And what do Orlandoans most love to do to get out and exercise? Well, that's golf. Locals and tourists alike (Orlando is the most visited city in the nation) are crazy for golf in the Theme Park Capital of the World. With 142, Orlando, just the 61st most populated city, has the third most golfing facilities of any city. That gives the city the top golf score overall, with the most golf stops per square mile and third-most per capita.
But golf isn't the only game in town. Orlando also has the third-most gyms and third-most athletic courts per person in the nation. It also offers a top-10 ranking for most athletic fields per resident.
4. Berkeley, CA
Just across the Bay from top-ranked San Francisco (see below), the Oakland suburb of Berkeley is the number-one rated college town for athletes. Home to the University of California, Berkeley is the smallest city in the top 200 by area, and eighth-least populated. But that doesn't mean it's small where it counts.
Despite unpredictable Northern California weather, Berkeleyans love being outdoors. The city's 30 trails for just 117,000 residents give it the top per capita spot in the nation. And with those 30 squeezed into an area of just 10 square miles, it also ranks at the top by geographic density as well. It comes in an impressive third for best gym city as well, as Cal students work out more than their brains.
Just don't expect to hit the ice anytime soon. Berkeley has just one lone skating rink.
3. Pittsburgh, PA
For all the sunny, hardbody destinations for athletes, the most unexpected spot on the top 10 may be Pittsburgh. The Steel City is not a likely number three in the most fit cities in the U.S. roundup. Perhaps living in one of the hilliest cities in the U.S. either makes one an athlete, or requires one to be.
For its number three ranking, Pittsburghers – famous for their black-and-gold pro sports teams – can thank its love of team sports. The city is a clear number one for athletic field availability, top ranked for fields per person and second per square mile. It's on these fields that young Yinzers imagine themselves the next Le'Veon Bell or Andrew McCutchen.
And with 13 skating rinks around the city, giving Pittsburgh the seventh-best rink score, there are plenty of future hopeful Sidney Crosbys as well. And you gotta be strong to join that Steel Curtain, and thankfully The 'Burgh ranks in the top 10 for gym score.
2. Miami, FL
Judging by any scene from Miami Vice, Ballers or Nip/Tuck (or even Golden Girls), there are a lot of in-shape people in Miami. It's not just beachgoers and wealthy socialites, but zoomers, seniors, generational Cuban families and even tourists driving the need for athletic facilities in diverse South Florida.
So what makes Miami one of the best cities for athletes? Well, it's the beach and the entire tourism industry (it offers the highest tourist to resident ratio of any city in the world), and the need to look, feel and be healthy and active.
Miami is America's number one gym and athletic court city, hands down. With its 1,060 gyms, The Magic City has the most gyms per capita and by geographic density. And it also rates at the top of both metrics for athletic courts as well, with nearly 50. Year-round warm weather is also key to its fifth-ranked spot in most athletic fields and fourth most golf facilities per square mile.
1. San Francisco, CA
It will probably not surprise nearly anybody to see San Francisco atop the list of best cities for athletes. It's a city that ranks at the top for the healthiest city in the nation and features the lowest rates of obesity, asthma and diabetes. It is a city of active and young residents enjoying gorgeous parks, trails and outdoor activities across its Northern California peninsula.
The athletic bona fides of the city of 815,000, the largest among the top 10 by almost twice second place, stretch throughout most all measurements. Among all cities, San Francisco ranks first for athletic fields per square mile, and second for combined gym score, combined trail score and combine athletic courts score. And despite its tight population density, it still manages to fit in 43 golf facilities and eight skating rinks. It even offers 106 trails, the fifth-most in the nation.
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