New Study Names 'Fittest' City in United States
A new study from the American College of Sports Medicine revealed the 100 fittest big cities in the United States.
According to the new data, 94 of the 100 largest U.S. cities and their residents reported improved aerobic activity levels from 2024 to 2025. The overall data showed an average increase of nine percent in residents meeting the aerobic activity guidelines.
Cities also reported a significant increase in residents meeting aerobic and strength activity guidelines, with 89 of 100 cities averaging a 7.6 percent increase. Elevance Health Foundation partnered with the ACSM to determine the 100 fittest cities in the United States based on more than 30 fitness indicators.
New Fittest City in America Crowned
The 2025 index included new indicators like trail miles and splashpads as well as an update to measuring tennis courts, including pickleball and dual-use courts. The "winner" of the fittest city in America was Arlington, VA.
"We congratulate the city of Arlington, Virginia, and its residents for being the 2025 Fittest City in America. Their ongoing commitment to ensuring the health, fitness and vitality of their community is exemplary," a statement from the study said. "We also recognize the efforts and successes of Washington, D.C., Seattle, Washington, San Francisco, California and Denver, Colorado for rounding out this year’s top five fittest cities."
Here's a list of the top 10 fittest cities in the United States:
- Arlington, VA
- Washington, D.C.
- Seattle, WA
- San Francisco, CA
- Denver, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
- Madison, WI
- Atlanta, GA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Diego, CA
The study also pointed to several cities whose residents reported the largest increases in aerobic activity levels – Plano, TX, and Fort Wayne, IN while also recognizing the city of Richmond, VA, for reporting the largest increase in residents meeting aerobic and strength activity guidelines (18.8 percent).
While there was plenty of good news in the report, 2025 also saw three fitness indicators take a significant step in the opposite direction as air quality, food insecurity, and reports of excellent or very good health all leaned in a more unhealthy direction.
Wildfires and droughts across North America added to the decline in air quality while all but one city in the Fitness Index had an increase in their food insecurity percentage.
"While food insecurity has many causal factors, this may be a result of the expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit and the end of other COVID-era programs supporting access to food. This led to an increase in food insufficiency among families with children," the study said.