Best States for an Active Lifestyle
RyanJLane / Getty Images 41. Texas > Total score: 57 > Gyms: 5.6 per 100,000 people > Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 61% > Affordability rank: 23 out of 51 DisobeyArt / iStock via Getty…
Many people aspire to be healthy, and good habits, including being physically active, can help. But there are certain obstacles that may prevent a person from maintaining a consistently active daily routine, and one of those complications may be place of residence.
Some cities don’t have many parks and other outdoor places to exercise but have gyms with expensive membership fees, while others seemingly have a gym and/or a park on every block.
To compile a list of the best and worst states for an active lifestyle, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a ranking by Myprotein, a sports nutrition online retailer, which analyzed price of a gym membership in every state and D.C. (as compared to cost of living), the availability of gyms and green space, tennis court rental, and healthy grocery stores.
New York is among the best states for living an active lifestyle even though it is the most expensive state for gym-goers, with the average cost of a monthly membership coming in at just over $105.
At the other end of the scale, Alabama offers the cheapest gym memberships, costing just $22 on average, but the state ranks in the middle in terms of overall active lifestyle-friendliness. That distinction goes to Rhode Island, which scored highest for affordability, second for green space, and seventh for gym access. These are the 50 most physically active cities in America.
Click here to see the best states for an active lifestyle
51. West Virginia
> Total score: 24
> Gyms: 4.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 26%
> Affordability rank: 40 out of 51
50. North Carolina
> Total score: 27
> Gyms: 4.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 41%
> Affordability rank: 35 out of 51
49. Tennessee
> Total score: 33
> Gyms: 4.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 45%
> Affordability rank: 46 out of 51
48. Mississippi
> Total score: 38
> Gyms: 4.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 33%
> Affordability rank: 26 out of 51
47. Kentucky
> Total score: 47
> Gyms: 4.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 38%
> Affordability rank: 27 out of 51
46. Oklahoma
> Total score: 50
> Gyms: 4.5 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 38%
> Affordability rank: 16 out of 51
45. New York
> Total score: 52
> Gyms: 3.0 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 99%
> Affordability rank: 51 out of 51
44. Arizona
> Total score: 54
> Gyms: 4.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 49%
> Affordability rank: 19 out of 51
43. Hawaii
> Total score: 57
> Gyms: 4.8 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 70%
> Affordability rank: 48 out of 51
42. South Carolina
> Total score: 57
> Gyms: 5.2 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 52%
> Affordability rank: 30 out of 51
41. Texas
> Total score: 57
> Gyms: 5.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 61%
> Affordability rank: 23 out of 51
40. Florida
> Total score: 59
> Gyms: 4.7 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 35%
> Affordability rank: 9 out of 51
39. Arkansas
> Total score: 60
> Gyms: 4.4 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 43%
> Affordability rank: 6 out of 51
38. Montana
> Total score: 63
> Gyms: 4.4 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 72%
> Affordability rank: 42 out of 51
37. Maryland
> Total score: 63
> Gyms: 5.4 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 87%
> Affordability rank: 28 out of 51
36. South Dakota
> Total score: 67
> Gyms: 4.5 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 64%
> Affordability rank: 44 out of 51
35. Missouri
> Total score: 67
> Gyms: 5.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 70%
> Affordability rank: 34 out of 51
34. California
> Total score: 67
> Gyms: 6.8 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 64%
> Affordability rank: 8 out of 51
33. Indiana
> Total score: 68
> Gyms: 5.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 36%
> Affordability rank: 24 out of 51
32. Nevada
> Total score: 69
> Gyms: 4.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 75%
> Affordability rank: 18 out of 51
31. Michigan
> Total score: 70
> Gyms: 5.1 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 80%
> Affordability rank: 32 out of 51
30. Ohio
> Total score: 71
> Gyms: 5.1 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 68%
> Affordability rank: 20 out of 51
29. Vermont
> Total score: 72
> Gyms: 5.1 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 93%
> Affordability rank: 41 out of 51
28. Alaska
> Total score: 74
> Gyms: 5.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 76%
> Affordability rank: 45 out of 51
27. Alabama
> Total score: 74
> Gyms: 6.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 33%
> Affordability rank: 7 out of 51
26. Maine
> Total score: 77
> Gyms: 5.7 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 94%
> Affordability rank: 50 out of 51
25. Pennsylvania
> Total score: 78
> Gyms: 5.2 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 95%
> Affordability rank: 39 out of 51
24. Louisiana
> Total score: 81
> Gyms: 5.5 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 80%
> Affordability rank: 49 out of 51
23. Georgia
> Total score: 81
> Gyms: 7.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 72%
> Affordability rank: 25 out of 51
22. Kansas
> Total score: 82
> Gyms: 5.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 54%
> Affordability rank: 15 out of 51
21. Nebraska
> Total score: 84
> Gyms: 6.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 82%
> Affordability rank: 43 out of 51
20. Iowa
> Total score: 84
> Gyms: 7.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 71%
> Affordability rank: 38 out of 51
19. Oregon
> Total score: 86
> Gyms: 5.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 90%
> Affordability rank: 29 out of 51
18. Idaho
> Total score: 90
> Gyms: 5.5 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 65%
> Affordability rank: 10 out of 51
17. Illinois
> Total score: 92
> Gyms: 5.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 98%
> Affordability rank: 31 out of 51
16. New Jersey
> Total score: 94
> Gyms: 4.4 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 94%
> Affordability rank: 3 out of 51
15. Washington
> Total score: 95
> Gyms: 6.1 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 97%
> Affordability rank: 37 out of 51
14. New Hampshire
> Total score: 97
> Gyms: 7.0 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 68%
> Affordability rank: 21 out of 51
13. New Mexico
> Total score: 98
> Gyms: 4.7 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 90%
> Affordability rank: 5 out of 51
12. Utah
> Total score: 99
> Gyms: 5.0 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 83%
> Affordability rank: 4 out of 51
11. Colorado
> Total score: 100
> Gyms: 6.8 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 90%
> Affordability rank: 33 out of 51
10. Massachusetts
> Total score: 101
> Gyms: 5.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 100%
> Affordability rank: 36 out of 51
9. Minnesota
> Total score: 103
> Gyms: 10.0 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 98%
> Affordability rank: 47 out of 51
8. D.C.
> Total score: 104
> Gyms: 4.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 98%
> Affordability rank: 11 out of 51
7. Virginia
> Total score: 105
> Gyms: 6.6 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 63%
> Affordability rank: 2 out of 51
6. Wyoming
> Total score: 107
> Gyms: 6.2 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 86%
> Affordability rank: 17 out of 51
5. Connecticut
> Total score: 114
> Gyms: 6.7 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 73%
> Affordability rank: 14 out of 51
4. North Dakota
> Total score: 114
> Gyms: 7.5 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 83%
> Affordability rank: 12 out of 51
3. Wisconsin
> Total score: 118
> Gyms: 7.3 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 92%
> Affordability rank: 22 out of 51
2. Delaware
> Total score: 126
> Gyms: 6.1 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 99%
> Affordability rank: 13 out of 51
1. Rhode Island
> Total score: 146
> Gyms: 6.9 per 100,000 people
> Share of residents living within 10 mins of a park: 99%
> Affordability rank: 1 out of 51
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Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.
When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.
