Healthiest U.S. Cities

Fresh (flying) salmon for sale at Seattle's Pike Place Fish.

I've got to gloat for a minute. Cooking Light magazine recently rated the top 20 healthiest U.S. cities. Seattle (my hometown) took first place (we may drink a lot of coffee, but caffeine doesn't inhibit Seattlites from making healthy choices), and my adoptive home of D.C. ranked third.

Cities were judged by 15 criteria, including how walkable the city is, how many chefs work there, residents' health, number of farmers markets, and how residents make use of fresh produce.

What makes Seattle stand out from the rest? According to Cooking Light, Seattle ranked highest in spending money on parkland, 85 percent of its residents exercise regularly, and it is one of the most walkable cities. It's also known for its great markets, like Pike Place Market (above). For a list of some of the city's best places to eat (inlcuding eco-friendly Tilth and fresh local fish at Matt's in the Market), check out Seattle's "Places of a Lifetime" foodie picks.

Organic markets, green space, and walkability gave D.C. the bronze medal (Portland, Oregon, got the silver). We recommend classic eats like Old Ebbitt Grill, the organic offerings at Adams Morgan's Cashion's Eat Place, and IT favorite (and eco-friendly) Java Green.

Other cities that made the cut? Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to name just a few.

What are some healthy picks in your favorite city?

Photo: Brad Swain

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Comments

[lolly]

i am so pleasantly surprised to see DC (and B'more) on the list! thanks for sharing :)

[Julia Rosien]

I love that some of the cities on this list crossover on the top 25 cities for women. Sweet - healthy city + cultural city = places we want to play and live!

http://www.gogirlfriend.com/travel-news/top-25-us-cities-women-8010

[Noah]

In DC, we sweat off all the calories from the rest of the year during a three-week period in August.

[Lola]

Yay for DC and Baltimore. Who would have guessed it!