The cities that provide the necessary infrastructure, as well as integrate nature into the built environment can better support our adoption of healthy and active lifestyles.

This is why STORAGECafé set out to identify the best places in the US for leading an active lifestyle.

To find the best U.S. cities for leading an active lifestyle, STORAGECafé compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on a weighted index of 18 key indicators, such as venues for exercising, walkability, bike-friendliness, and natural conditions.

The experts at STORAGECafé then provided an overall ranking of all 100 cities, as well as a ranking for walkability, bikeability, health, outdoor livability, and gym (considering the average cost and access).

Some key findings

• Western and Southern cities offer the best chance overall for an active lifestyle, with Irvine and Long Beach, CA, taking the first two spots.
• Walking and biking to work are two choices that favor regular physical activity, and residents in Boston and Portland know it. 16.8% of Bostonians prefer to walk to work, while 5.2% of Portland residents bike to work.
• Another important factor in sustaining a daily active life is accessibility to nature and green space. In that respect, no other city holds a candle to Anchorage’s more than 72K sq. ft. of parks per capita. The city is well-known for its trails, wildlife, and glaciers.
• For beach activity enthusiasts, California is unmatched. Santa Ana takes the first spot with over 57 miles of beach length, followed by San Diego, Long Beach, Anaheim, and Irvine.

Read the full report here.