10 Healthiest U.S Cities

Want to live in the healthiest region in the nation and delay using your life insurance? Try San Francisco’s Bay Area. Three of its cities are in the Top 10 list of healthiest cities in the United States.

In the first extensive “health report card” of the nation’s 50 largest metro areas, Bert Sperling of Sperling’s BestPlaces checked data from public and private sources. He then scrutinized each area in 50 select measures in the major categories of physical activity, health status, nutrition, lifestyle pursuits, and mental wellness. The Top 10 cities are:

• 1.) San Jose, Calif.: It had some of the study’s top scores in mental wellness, low rate of cigarette smoking and ingesting fruits and vegetables. However, it did have one of the study’s highest asthma rates.

• 2.) Washington, D.C.: The city’s residents had the best score in mental wellness. They reported doing well physically, mentally and emotionally plus rated high in dental care and body mass index (BMI). They did have above average occurrences of hypertension and diabetes.

• 3.) San Francisco: Residents recorded the highest scores in BMI and dental care. They also rated fairly high in physical activity. They did share they had problems with sleeping and stress. While the city had the study’s most physicians per capita, it also had the highest diabetes rate.

• 4.) Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.: It’s probably not surprising the metro area had the top ratings in physical activity, level of vigorous exercise and lifestyle pursuits. However, the scores also were high when it came to diabetes, sleeplessness and hypertension.

• 5.) Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah: Salt Lake City claimed the highest rankings in mental wellness and physical activity. In fact it was above average in all major categories. Still, it had the study’s highest rate of cholesterol. It also had elevated rates of diabetes, hypertension and asthma.

• 6.) Oakland, Calif.: It had above-average scores in all five major categories, with low smoking and good dental care giving especially strong ratings. But the levels of cholesterol and diabetes were high.

• 7.) Sacramento, Calif.: The city’s residents were above average in all major categories but mental wellness. Big pluses were its getting one of the best scores for exercise and having the study’s lowest asthma rate.

• 8.) Orange County, Calif.: Scores for mental wellness, physical activity and lifestyle pursuits were especially strong. Residents also were among those getting the most restful sleep. But low status scores included high rates of hypertension and arthritis.

• 9.) Denver: Health status was the only major category in which the city didn’t get high marks. Its residents had one of the top scores for BMI as well as a high level of physical activity. But the ratings for diabetes and hypertension also were high.

• 10.) Austin-San Marcos, Texas: Area residents had one of the best scores for vigorous activity and the number of gyms per capita. They also claimed some of the highest rates of hypertension, arthritis and diabetes.