2023’s Unhealthiest Cities In America

Location, location, location, as it turns out location is more important than you may think. Research is revealing that where you live can actually play a substantial role in how healthy you are. It is true that some cities invest very heavily to try and make sure that the residents donu2019t get sick, but that is not the case everywhere in America. According to the WalletHub Study, a surprising amount of cities within the United States are falling behind in areas relating to health and wellness, especially in the southern portions of the country.

This study of the nation’s 182 most heavily populated cities revealed that Brownsville, Texas is the unhealthiest city within America across 43 key metrics which included but was not limited to the cost of a medical visit, as well as the amount of fruits and vegetables residents consume. With a population of around 186,000 residents this U.S-Mexico border city ranks the lowest in Food and Fitness scores, ranks 172 in terms of Green Spaces, and also ranks 169 for Healthcare. 

After Brownsville, Texas ranking 182, Gulfport, Mississippi takes spot 181, Shreveport, Louisiana placed 180, Columbus, Georgia came in at 179, and Augusta, Georgia was 178 to round off the top 5 of the unhealthiest cities to live in America. Columbus, Georgia ranks as being the city with the worst Healthcare score in the country, this score accounts for several factors such as the rate of premature death, mental health, cost of medical care, and the number of residents with insurance. 

When it comes to Green spaces you may think that big cities such as Los Angeles and New York may not have a lot to offer and would be in the bottom rankings, but as it turns out Montgomery, AL ranks last in terms of park quality, access to recreation, hiking trails per capita, and the overall greenness of the city. After Montgomery’s ranking at 182, Augusta, GA placed 181, Charleston, WV ranked 180, followed by Fort Wayne, IN at 179, and Winston-Salem, NC rounds of the five cities with the worst Green spaces. San Francisco, California has the best Green Spaces according to this study.

Along with everything else, medical bills are continuing to increase in 2023, as such the average employer-provided healthcare plan costs around 5.6% more. The results revealed that residents of Alaska pay the most for a medical visit with Juneau and Anchorage sharing the spot for the highest cost for visiting a doctor’s office in the country. Visiting a physician will also take a big chunk out of your wallet in Wisconsin with the most expensive cities in that state found to be Madison ranking 180 and Milwaukee coming in at spot 178. On the flip side, the residents in Brownsville, Texas appear to be getting the second cheapest medical bills despite it being the unhealthiest city in the nation, and Laredo, Texas was found to have the cheapest. 

Those wanting to have a long and happy life may want to avoid Baltimore, Maryland, it appears that the city doesn’t have any charm for that desire as it has the worst rate of premature death in America. But Baltimore shares that undesirable spot with two other neighboring cities in West Virginia, Huntington and Charleston. Finishing off the bottom of this list are St. Louis, Missouri and Augusta, Georgia which are all tied sharing spot 178 in the rankings. San Jose, California has the lowest premature death rate in this study. 

“For those with specific medical conditions, it is important to consider whether you can easily access the medical care you need. For more general health concerns, one of the most important things to look for is whether the city allows getting outside and exercising. Are there green spaces, parks, and/or safe streets with sidewalks? Also, health is as much about mental and emotional well-being as it is about physical well-being, so it is also important to reflect on whether this is a city where you can feel at home. Is it close to friends and family who enhance your life? Is it the kind of place where you can readily incorporate your passions and preferences (or hobbies) into your daily life?” says Amy McGuire, JD, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine, in a statement.

If you are trying to improve your health with a new diet and are looking for some healthier places to eat, you are probably going to have to look hard if you live in Grand Prairie, Texas because this city ranked last (182) in terms of the number of healthy restaurants per capita. But this city is not the only place with very few fresh and nutritious places to eat, Aurora, Illinois ranked 176, North Las Vegas, Nevada took spot 175, Rapid City, South Dakota came in at 174, and Hialeah, Florida ranked 173. 

If you are looking to live in a city that has good fitness as a priority you should probably avoid Brownsville, Texas which ranked 182 in fitness, Laredo, Texas ranked 181, North Las Vegas, Nevada came in at 180, Shreveport, Louisiana took spot 179, and Huntington, West Virginia rounds of the list at 178 for the cities with the worst fitness. Alternatively, Scottsdale, Arizona ranks first, Raleigh, North Carolina is second, and Chandler, Arizona is third. 

Hialeah, Florida also ranks at the bottom of the rankings for the city that is the most physically inactive/sedentary in America. When it comes to looking for places to exercise, residents of Alaska may want to take advantage of the outdoors or do it at home if they are trying to keep costs down because the price of a fitness club membership was found to be the highest in the city of Juneau which surprisingly beats New York City. But Juneau wasn’t the only pricey city in Alaska as Anchorage also made the list of the most expensive gym memberships. 

Here’s how all of the182 most populated cities in America ranked in this study: