Americans have become significantly more mobile in the past two years. One reason is that people want to leave large cities that are extremely expensive, particularly for people who have lower and middle-class incomes. However, some large metros are attractive to active people. Sprawling cities often have parks and other outdoor areas people can use for recreation.
However, some people cannot afford to make the financial trade-off to remain in metros with outdoor venues within the city limits. They go to smaller more affordable places. It is hit and miss whether these places are good locations for outdoor activities.
Urban and suburban areas, where populations are fairly dense, have a limited menu of outdoor activities. Extreme examples are rock climbing and skiing, but these are exercise hobbies few people enjoy. Much more popular activities are hiking, running and walking. About 50 million Americans run or jog, according to recent research.
The recent 2022’s Best Cities for Runners report from lawn care services provider Lawn Love compared data on 181 cities. Among the measures used were the number of parks, gyms and sporting goods stores and the affordability of running gear. Researchers also looked at climate and safety. Data was pulled from AllTrails, Esri, Healthgrades, Interiorbeat, Meetup, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NeighborhoodScout, Numbeo, Running in the USA, the Trust for Public Land, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Walk Score and Yelp.
Potential scores ranged from 0 to 100, although few places were near either extreme. The city with the highest ranking was San Francisco, with an overall score of 53.43. Interestingly, the next two cities, Portland and San Diego, were also on the west coast.
Several other west coast cities were in the top 10, including Oakland, Seattle and Los Angeles. Most of the top 10 have high costs of living.
These are the top 10 cities for runners:
| City | Overall Score Running | Quality Rank |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, Calif. | 54.43 | 4 |
| Portland, Ore. | 52.65 | 14 |
| San Diego, Calif. | 51.64 | 37 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | 49.14 | 10 |
| Oakland, Calif. | 48.62 | 1 |
| Colorado Springs, Colo. | 48.14 | 81 |
| Washington, D.C. | 45.76 | 25 |
| Seattle, Wash. | 45.71 | 30 |
| New York, N.Y. | 45.41 | 11 |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | 45.21 | 6 |
Click here to see the 50 U.S. cities where residents get the least exercise.
The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)
Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.
A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.
Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!
By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.
By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
