WASHINGTON — Where you live can play a big role in how healthy you are. While some cities invest heavily to make sure the public doesn't get sick, that's not the case everywhere in the United States. A new study finds many U.S. cities are falling behind when it comes to health and wellness — especially those in the southern part of the nation.
The WalletHub study of the country’s 182 most populated cities finds Brownsville, Texas ranks as the unhealthiest city in America. Across 43 key metrics, including the cost of a medical visit and the amount of fruits and vegetables people eat, the city of roughly 186,000 people along the U.S.-Mexico border sits at the bottom of the study's “Food” and “Fitness” scores. Brownsville also ranks 172nd in terms of “Green Space” and 169th for “Health Care.”
Rounding out the “top five” of the nation's unhealthiest places to live are Gulfport, Mississippi (181st), Shreveport, Louisiana (180th), and Columbus (179th) and Augusta, Georgia (178th). Overall, Columbus, Georgia ranks as the city with the worst Health Care score in the nation. This score accounts for several factors including each city's rate of premature death, mental health, the cost of medical care, and the number of residents with insurance.
While you might think of a big city like New York or Los Angeles as having little green space, it turns out that Montgomery, Alabama ranks last in this category. According to the WalletHub team, Montgomery (177th overall) ranks last in terms of their quality of parks, hiking trails per capita, access to recreation, and the city's overall “greenness.”
Your medical bills are going up in 2023
The WalletHub team also notes that the average employer-provided healthcare plan will cost approximately 5.6 percent more in 2023. With that in mind, the study finds that people living in Alaska will end up paying the most at the doctor's office. Juneau and Anchorage tied for the highest cost of a medical visit in the nation. Going to the doctor in Wisconsin will also hurt your wallet, costing the most in Madison (180th) and Milwaukee (178th).
Interestingly, going to the doctor in Brownsville, Texas is the second-cheapest bill you'll find.
Americans are dying young on the East Cost
If you're looking to enjoy a happy and long life, you may want to stay out of Baltimore, Maryland. The Charm City has the worst premature death rate in the United States. Baltimore tied with two cities from neighboring West Virginia, Huntington and Charleston. St. Louis, Missouri and Augusta, Georgia also finished at the bottom of this concerning list.
“For those with specific medical conditions, it is important to consider whether you can easily access the medical care you need. For more general health concerns, one of the most important things to look for is whether the city allows getting outside and exercising. Are there green spaces, parks, and/or safe streets with sidewalks? Also, health is as much about mental and emotional well-being as it is about physical well-being, so it is also important to reflect on whether this is a city where you can feel at home. Is it close to friends and family who enhance your life? Is it the kind of place where you can readily incorporate your passions and preferences (or hobbies) into your daily life?” says Amy McGuire, JD, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine, in a statement.
Where is fitness and nutrition hard to find?
If you're starting a new diet and looking for the “healthiest” places to eat in town, you may want to stay out of Grand Prairie, Texas. The city ranks last in terms of the number of “healthy” restaurants per capita. Also making the list with few fresh and nutritious eateries are Aurora, Illinois (176th), North Las Vegas, Nevada (175th), Rapid City, South Dakota (174th), and Hialeah, Florida (173rd). Additionally, Hialeah also ranks last on the list of the most physically inactive adults in the U.S.
For those looking to work out, Alaskans may want to just go outside for a wallet-friendly jog. The price of a fitness club membership is the highest in Juneau, even beating out New York City! Alaskans in Anchorage also made the list of the priciest gym memberships in 2023.
Unhealthiest Places to Live in the U.S.
Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Health Care | Food | Fitness | Green Space |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
182 | Brownsville, TX | 25.72 | 169 | 182 | 182 | 172 |
181 | Gulfport, MS | 28.19 | 166 | 179 | 174 | 177 |
180 | Shreveport, LA | 28.31 | 170 | 181 | 179 | 163 |
179 | Columbus, GA | 29.05 | 182 | 175 | 170 | 171 |
178 | Augusta, GA | 30.20 | 167 | 167 | 175 | 181 |
177 | Montgomery, AL | 30.51 | 161 | 180 | 142 | 182 |
176 | Memphis, TN | 31.39 | 179 | 173 | 146 | 168 |
175 | Fayetteville, NC | 31.57 | 125 | 176 | 168 | 176 |
174 | Laredo, TX | 31.62 | 152 | 178 | 181 | 130 |
173 | Corpus Christi, TX | 32.60 | 180 | 161 | 159 | 158 |
172 | Detroit, MI | 32.97 | 181 | 125 | 176 | 154 |
171 | Fort Smith, AR | 32.98 | 160 | 162 | 177 | 165 |
170 | North Las Vegas, NV | 33.12 | 178 | 164 | 180 | 106 |
169 | Charleston, WV | 33.20 | 141 | 158 | 160 | 180 |
168 | Huntington, WV | 33.29 | 173 | 138 | 178 | 153 |
167 | Amarillo, TX | 33.75 | 177 | 163 | 161 | 141 |
166 | Winston-Salem, NC | 34.54 | 100 | 172 | 116 | 178 |
165 | Toledo, OH | 34.56 | 176 | 152 | 165 | 120 |
164 | Jackson, MS | 35.18 | 117 | 154 | 153 | 175 |
163 | Baton Rouge, LA | 35.36 | 162 | 174 | 133 | 128 |
162 | Garland, TX | 35.95 | 155 | 146 | 167 | 118 |
161 | Las Cruces, NM | 36.05 | 77 | 177 | 169 | 129 |
160 | Fort Wayne, IN | 36.16 | 156 | 135 | 92 | 179 |
159 | Fontana, CA | 36.23 | 146 | 143 | 163 | 127 |
158 | Wichita, KS | 36.72 | 149 | 165 | 77 | 164 |
157 | Lubbock, TX | 37.12 | 171 | 170 | 83 | 148 |
156 | Mobile, AL | 37.36 | 163 | 142 | 99 | 174 |
155 | Grand Prairie, TX | 37.49 | 128 | 153 | 173 | 53 |
154 | Greensboro, NC | 37.51 | 93 | 150 | 90 | 173 |
153 | Newark, NJ | 37.63 | 175 | 75 | 162 | 134 |
152 | Moreno Valley, CA | 37.69 | 142 | 127 | 171 | 105 |
151 | Arlington, TX | 37.96 | 110 | 151 | 127 | 147 |
150 | Irving, TX | 38.11 | 153 | 137 | 107 | 145 |
149 | Chattanooga, TN | 38.22 | 128 | 168 | 130 | 77 |
148 | Hialeah, FL | 38.40 | 107 | 69 | 172 | 159 |
147 | San Bernardino, CA | 38.54 | 174 | 111 | 166 | 70 |
146 | Bakersfield, CA | 38.56 | 168 | 126 | 144 | 100 |
145 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 38.64 | 135 | 124 | 122 | 170 |
144 | Norfolk, VA | 38.85 | 44 | 128 | 154 | 155 |
143 | Little Rock, AR | 38.87 | 148 | 144 | 93 | 162 |
142 | Oklahoma City, OK | 38.91 | 75 | 139 | 132 | 151 |
141 | Tallahassee, FL | 38.98 | 120 | 171 | 91 | 117 |
140 | Ontario, CA | 39.02 | 154 | 136 | 151 | 57 |
139 | El Paso, TX | 39.02 | 145 | 116 | 158 | 91 |
138 | Lewiston, ME | 39.07 | 90 | 134 | 164 | 135 |
137 | Huntsville, AL | 39.27 | 102 | 160 | 103 | 167 |
136 | Tulsa, OK | 39.38 | 140 | 157 | 72 | 132 |
135 | Akron, OH | 39.46 | 127 | 130 | 150 | 81 |
134 | Casper, WY | 39.64 | 151 | 155 | 148 | 71 |
133 | Dover, DE | 39.71 | 97 | 166 | 121 | 166 |
132 | Newport News, VA | 40.02 | 80 | 147 | 149 | 85 |
131 | Cape Coral, FL | 40.16 | 119 | 140 | 108 | 150 |
130 | Columbia, SC | 40.33 | 84 | 141 | 98 | 169 |
129 | Nashville, TN | 40.41 | 121 | 83 | 136 | 146 |
128 | Fresno, CA | 40.43 | 144 | 85 | 139 | 125 |
127 | Stockton, CA | 40.53 | 172 | 94 | 138 | 83 |
126 | Birmingham, AL | 40.66 | 124 | 159 | 69 | 112 |
125 | Knoxville, TN | 40.81 | 165 | 117 | 81 | 142 |
124 | Henderson, NV | 41.21 | 138 | 149 | 137 | 62 |
123 | Des Moines, IA | 41.30 | 65 | 131 | 118 | 140 |
122 | Nampa, ID | 41.40 | 158 | 133 | 64 | 138 |
121 | Springfield, MO | 41.65 | 164 | 156 | 55 | 86 |
120 | Indianapolis, IN | 41.76 | 101 | 101 | 86 | 152 |
119 | Kansas City, MO | 41.98 | 95 | 114 | 128 | 96 |
118 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 42.02 | 109 | 145 | 80 | 111 |
117 | Fort Worth, TX | 42.04 | 104 | 119 | 60 | 143 |
116 | Cheyenne, WY | 42.33 | 64 | 169 | 117 | 144 |
115 | Columbus, OH | 42.36 | 103 | 82 | 125 | 123 |
114 | Glendale, AZ | 42.75 | 133 | 115 | 57 | 107 |
113 | Modesto, CA | 43.23 | 150 | 105 | 106 | 66 |
112 | Anchorage, AK | 43.27 | 143 | 97 | 152 | 40 |
111 | Mesa, AZ | 43.34 | 113 | 92 | 45 | 139 |
110 | Santa Ana, CA | 43.43 | 136 | 55 | 124 | 95 |
109 | New Orleans, LA | 43.44 | 157 | 123 | 102 | 49 |
108 | New Haven, CT | 43.44 | 79 | 113 | 157 | 33 |
107 | Chesapeake, VA | 43.52 | 15 | 132 | 115 | 110 |
106 | Peoria, AZ | 43.53 | 88 | 129 | 78 | 101 |
105 | Cleveland, OH | 43.76 | 134 | 46 | 131 | 94 |
104 | Rapid City, SD | 44.02 | 18 | 100 | 156 | 90 |
103 | Dallas, TX | 44.09 | 137 | 64 | 76 | 113 |
102 | Warwick, RI | 44.18 | 27 | 104 | 114 | 160 |
101 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 44.30 | 63 | 86 | 110 | 122 |
100 | Chula Vista, CA | 44.59 | 46 | 90 | 95 | 133 |
99 | San Antonio, TX | 44.76 | 139 | 102 | 56 | 76 |
98 | Durham, NC | 44.87 | 29 | 61 | 85 | 157 |
97 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 44.93 | 20 | 148 | 59 | 136 |
96 | Aurora, IL | 44.97 | 66 | 109 | 141 | 20 |
95 | Salem, OR | 45.01 | 85 | 78 | 113 | 89 |
94 | Houston, TX | 45.24 | 122 | 53 | 65 | 116 |
93 | Jacksonville, FL | 45.25 | 147 | 80 | 61 | 79 |
92 | Gilbert, AZ | 45.27 | 62 | 103 | 5 | 161 |
91 | Spokane, WA | 45.45 | 112 | 84 | 58 | 102 |
90 | Worcester, MA | 45.49 | 24 | 106 | 112 | 99 |
89 | Fargo, ND | 45.52 | 41 | 108 | 101 | 115 |
88 | Milwaukee, WI | 45.59 | 98 | 77 | 123 | 63 |
87 | Manchester, NH | 45.62 | 73 | 122 | 43 | 114 |
86 | Nashua, NH | 45.73 | 58 | 107 | 38 | 156 |
85 | Tucson, AZ | 45.77 | 130 | 47 | 111 | 68 |
84 | Oxnard, CA | 45.81 | 81 | 63 | 140 | 46 |
83 | Riverside, CA | 46.23 | 131 | 51 | 48 | 98 |
82 | Omaha, NE | 46.34 | 26 | 112 | 46 | 109 |
81 | Chandler, AZ | 46.41 | 70 | 99 | 3 | 137 |
80 | Louisville, KY | 46.44 | 91 | 58 | 70 | 93 |
79 | Charleston, SC | 46.57 | 31 | 110 | 62 | 131 |
78 | Jersey City, NJ | 46.82 | 87 | 35 | 134 | 78 |
77 | Reno, NV | 47.21 | 126 | 91 | 54 | 48 |
76 | Baltimore, MD | 47.30 | 132 | 27 | 105 | 82 |
75 | Tacoma, WA | 47.40 | 116 | 44 | 52 | 119 |
74 | Bridgeport, CT | 47.82 | 35 | 121 | 129 | 7 |
73 | Colorado Springs, CO | 47.92 | 89 | 72 | 37 | 75 |
72 | Bismarck, ND | 47.94 | 57 | 89 | 42 | 149 |
71 | Aurora, CO | 48.04 | 50 | 68 | 23 | 108 |
70 | Charlotte, NC | 48.18 | 55 | 43 | 34 | 126 |
69 | Wilmington, DE | 48.19 | 94 | 79 | 73 | 37 |
68 | West Valley City, UT | 48.30 | 108 | 42 | 109 | 47 |
67 | Pearl City, HI | 48.49 | 13 | 88 | 119 | 73 |
66 | Richmond, VA | 48.75 | 72 | 66 | 17 | 104 |
65 | Juneau, AK | 49.13 | 105 | 52 | 155 | 12 |
64 | Providence, RI | 49.30 | 47 | 76 | 94 | 34 |
63 | Anaheim, CA | 49.36 | 76 | 41 | 75 | 65 |
62 | Garden Grove, CA | 49.44 | 83 | 45 | 143 | 4 |
61 | Santa Clarita, CA | 49.63 | 42 | 71 | 84 | 36 |
60 | Buffalo, NY | 49.67 | 59 | 38 | 88 | 67 |
59 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 49.81 | 49 | 96 | 40 | 32 |
58 | Vancouver, WA | 49.84 | 68 | 87 | 12 | 80 |
57 | St. Petersburg, FL | 49.90 | 71 | 62 | 32 | 59 |
56 | Billings, MT | 49.95 | 37 | 73 | 30 | 124 |
55 | Boise, ID | 50.12 | 28 | 95 | 29 | 58 |
54 | Virginia Beach, VA | 50.12 | 6 | 81 | 33 | 97 |
53 | Santa Rosa, CA | 50.19 | 67 | 54 | 47 | 61 |
52 | Yonkers, NY | 50.21 | 19 | 32 | 147 | 39 |
51 | Sioux Falls, SD | 50.24 | 12 | 74 | 50 | 103 |
50 | Albuquerque, NM | 50.24 | 114 | 67 | 97 | 13 |
49 | Lincoln, NE | 50.40 | 10 | 118 | 13 | 74 |
48 | Long Beach, CA | 50.44 | 86 | 33 | 79 | 56 |
47 | Rochester, NY | 50.49 | 69 | 31 | 120 | 26 |
46 | Philadelphia, PA | 50.51 | 111 | 20 | 87 | 54 |
45 | Phoenix, AZ | 50.71 | 96 | 30 | 67 | 51 |
44 | St. Paul, MN | 50.87 | 56 | 57 | 63 | 42 |
43 | Plano, TX | 50.90 | 23 | 93 | 9 | 69 |
42 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 51.70 | 52 | 49 | 44 | 44 |
41 | Oceanside, CA | 51.88 | 48 | 65 | 11 | 87 |
40 | St. Louis, MO | 51.95 | 123 | 39 | 14 | 45 |
39 | Tempe, AZ | 52.26 | 78 | 70 | 10 | 31 |
38 | Tampa, FL | 52.30 | 99 | 26 | 19 | 64 |
37 | Cincinnati, OH | 52.35 | 118 | 56 | 15 | 24 |
36 | Missoula, MT | 52.42 | 17 | 120 | 36 | 25 |
35 | Grand Rapids, MI | 52.52 | 38 | 48 | 28 | 60 |
34 | Miami, FL | 52.55 | 60 | 10 | 100 | 72 |
33 | Sacramento, CA | 52.61 | 106 | 17 | 96 | 30 |
32 | Overland Park, KS | 52.82 | 2 | 98 | 21 | 92 |
31 | Raleigh, NC | 53.34 | 9 | 36 | 2 | 121 |
30 | Las Vegas, NV | 53.46 | 159 | 24 | 20 | 23 |
29 | Columbia, MD | 53.57 | 1 | 60 | 51 | 88 |
28 | Glendale, CA | 53.81 | 61 | 50 | 24 | 11 |
27 | Pittsburgh, PA | 53.95 | 33 | 25 | 41 | 50 |
26 | Chicago, IL | 54.33 | 92 | 12 | 66 | 35 |
25 | Orlando, FL | 54.59 | 82 | 15 | 27 | 43 |
24 | Los Angeles, CA | 55.54 | 115 | 4 | 89 | 21 |
23 | South Burlington, VT | 55.57 | 3 | 15 | 135 | 84 |
22 | San Jose, CA | 55.62 | 25 | 19 | 104 | 16 |
21 | Oakland, CA | 55.84 | 53 | 7 | 82 | 38 |
20 | Burlington, VT | 55.85 | 5 | 34 | 39 | 55 |
19 | Fremont, CA | 56.14 | 8 | 28 | 16 | 52 |
18 | Madison, WI | 56.20 | 22 | 29 | 22 | 29 |
17 | Huntington Beach, CA | 56.29 | 39 | 40 | 4 | 28 |
16 | New York, NY | 56.33 | 54 | 3 | 145 | 18 |
15 | Portland, ME | 56.38 | 4 | 23 | 126 | 10 |
14 | Austin, TX | 56.49 | 40 | 21 | 31 | 22 |
13 | Atlanta, GA | 57.11 | 74 | 18 | 7 | 27 |
12 | Scottsdale, AZ | 57.22 | 36 | 59 | 1 | 19 |
11 | Boston, MA | 57.39 | 7 | 11 | 68 | 41 |
10 | Irvine, CA | 57.63 | 14 | 37 | 18 | 14 |
9 | Denver, CO | 58.42 | 34 | 13 | 25 | 17 |
8 | Minneapolis, MN | 58.51 | 21 | 22 | 49 | 8 |
7 | Washington, DC | 59.78 | 32 | 9 | 35 | 15 |
6 | Portland, OR | 61.09 | 16 | 6 | 71 | 6 |
5 | Salt Lake City, UT | 61.86 | 45 | 14 | 6 | 3 |
4 | San Diego, CA | 61.94 | 43 | 5 | 26 | 5 |
3 | Honolulu, HI | 62.23 | 51 | 8 | 74 | 2 |
2 | Seattle, WA | 65.22 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
1 | San Francisco, CA | 67.07 | 30 | 1 | 53 | 1 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
Wallethub is liberal junk with biased and flawed studies. I can use the same cities and come up with a completely different rankings. This is no more than propaganda.
Just because you don't like what the data says doesn't mean it's “junk”
It might not be “junk,” but the website is still run by politically left-leaning writers who provide biased info and cite similarly biased sources. I live right near Irving, and there's no way it ranks near the bottom of the list. Similarly, have the writers even visited San Francisco? So much drug addiction and hospital staffing shortages exist there.
Sometime it does.
Yes, only Dem strongholds are in the top spots, as if high crime rates are healthy. I live in Atlanta and no way is it # 13. Fried Chicken, Chik-Fil-A and soul food.
Poor reporting. In order for the list of cities to be correct, the title should be “Healthiest Places to Live in the U.S,” wherein San Francisco would rank #1 per the list. In order for the current title to be correct, Brownsville, Texas would rank number 1, with San Francisco coming in at number 182 (dead last rather than number 1).
Very dumb. San Francisco is ranked #1?? You can’t walk down the street without stepping is feces and vomit
How is it possible that San Francisco is # 1 when the city is full of crap?
Because this is a lie.
There is an almost infinite amount of ways to lie.
We're surrounded by lies and liars.
Seeing a pattern in my comment yet?
“Fresh” doesn't magically equal healthy. I've heard it said that Chipotle has had many health scares in the last decade or so, even though they pride themselves on “clean food.” They pride themselves on NOT having freezers- that's in their advertisements. If everything is made fresh, every day, that's great... as long as health protocols are followed every day, 365 times a year. And let's face it: few workers last out the whole year working at the same position at a fast food joint, ahh, restaurant. So yeah, fresh and clean might make you sick, but it passes for virtue, too the likes of wallethub.
San Fran is the least unhealthy city on the list? If you believe that, you'll believe anything
What a joke, crappy list made me laugh! My best place list would be where the number of liberals reside!
San Diego can not be the 4th best city to live in as it gets sewage air from Tijuana!
this is it complete load of crap I've never seen anything so ridiculous. Placing san francisco at #1 people are vacating and leaving San Francisco as fast as they can if you're not getting stabbed or threaten to be stabbed they're defecating on the street businesses are leaving I think Starbucks is pretty much pulled out of San Francisco altogether and crime is off the charts. This study is no more than a wishful cartoon by the leftists telling you this place is pretty go here and don't look at the places that are flourishing in our country because they want you beaten down and to obey them as the communist rulers they think they are. If anything read their list upside down
Poorer cities.. it's expensive to eat healthy.
The rate of sickness and death should be the measure NOT access to hospitals. As for healthy food, talk to someone on the carnivore diet and you'll find less sickness/death and no desire for vegies/fruits. Eat meat and meat based diets to reduce sickness/death. Remember, docs and hospitals live for $$$ not the patient's health. The pandemic has shown us the truth.