We already know we live in one of the best places on Earth, but now we have the data to prove we’re also one of the fittest. According to a massive new study by WalletHub, San Diego just clinched the title of the 2nd-healthiest city in the United States for 2026. Let’s be honest – if you ever hung out by the Pacific Beach at sunset, you know there’s a person running by practically every 30 seconds.
The study
To figure out the rankings, analysts evaluated 182 of the most populated U.S. cities. They graded them on 41 different metrics, looking at everything from the cost of a doctor’s visit and healthcare access to fruit and veggie consumption, fitness habits, and available green space.
San Diego is the 2nd healthiest city in the U.S.
So, what put us right near the top of the podium? As usual, our unbeatable coastal lifestyle is paying huge dividends. The report highlighted our incredible wellness infrastructure, noting that we rank 6th nationwide for the most hiking trails per capita and 10th for our abundance of healthy restaurants. Between our year-round great weather, low obesity rates, and a booming farmers market scene, staying active and eating well is practically the norm here in SD. It’s also important to note that we’ve improved since last year’s ranking, when we scored 4th!
So…who does it even better than us?! We were only edged out by our neighbors to the north: San Francisco took the nr. 1 spot, making California the undisputed champion of wellness.
How’s the rest of the list looking?
The rest of the top 5 healthiest cities were completely dominated by the West Coast and mountain regions: Seattle, WA (#3), Salt Lake City, UT (#4), and Portland, OR (#5).
On the flip side, the study also highlighted the cities struggling the most with health. The bottom 5 least healthy cities in the country were Brownsville, TX (coming in last as the), followed by Gulfport, MS, Laredo, TX, Shreveport, LA, and Fort Smith, AR. These areas scored the lowest in available fitness opportunities, healthy food access, and healthcare.
So, the next time you’re hiking Torrey Pines, paddleboarding in Mission Bay, or grabbing a healthy green juice, give yourself a pat on the back. Keep living your best, healthiest life! Oh, and we should probably stop complaining about that sunshine tax…
