The Fittest Cities in America

Hilary Walke  |  10:01 AM, Thursday, July 5, 2012

While only 15 percent of Americans belong to a gym, being physically active is important and something that will always be relevant in American society. Our country’s rising obesity epidemic is certainly not helping the cause, but many Americans still put their health on a pedestal. According to The Wall Street Journal, cities are healthier than rural areas.

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We at Bundle wanted to know which cities are the fittest -- that is, just how many people are spending their hard-earned money on their health. We looked at the top 100 largest cities in the US based on population and examined all households with credit card transactions at sports clubs and fitness centers. To see our findings, check out the infographic below.

As you’ll find in the infographic below, Dallas, TX tops our list for the fittest city in America. Dallas residents spend far above the national average on fitness centers, and frequently visit these facilities. This means they get the most out of their gym memberships. Do you find Dallas to be a fit city?

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Coming in at second place is Chicago, IL, which unsurprisingly makes sense. Major cities provide more healthy outlets than suburbs and rural areas. In cities, there are more fitness clubs, health food stores, and weight-loss centers per capita than in the suburbs. Cities are more active in that they are usually walkable, faster paced, and competitive.

Our third place city was in fact a bit surprising: Fort Wayne, IN. For a city with a relatively small population, it has a large number of gym-going residents, though they spend significantly less at these fitness centers than our first and second place cities. While they do spend more than the national average, it seems as though Fort Wayne residents are frugal when it comes to staying fit.

Arlington, VA is next on our list, as expected. As it is only a 10-minute drive from Washington D.C., one of the consistently top-ranked fittest cities in America, its healthy state of mind clearly influences its neighboring city of Arlington.

Find out which cities are the top 100 fittest cities in America below.

We want to hear from you! Tweet us @BundleHQ #fitcities. Do you go to the gym often? How much do you spend while you’re there?

Click here to see the infographic in high-res.

INFOGRAPHIC BY SELMA-RACHEL SWIRE