One of the advantages of living in California is the availability of many outdoor activities, countless places to explore, and a culture which encourages exercise and healthy eating.
Whether you enjoy hiking, rollerblading, or running on the beach, many communities offer easy access to public parks, hiking trails, the ocean, and bicycle paths.
The fact that the Pacific Ocean borders the entire western edge of the state means that millions of residents live minutes away from places to surf, walk on the beach, or go kayaking, The hilly and sometimes mountainous terrain also offers opportunities for mountain biking, hiking, and other physically demanding activities.
Among the surveys and reports that document California’s healthy lifestyle is the Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being series. In its community rankings for healthy eating, ten California cities were listed among the top-25 in the country. The most notable ones include Santa Cruz–Watsonville (#3), Salinas (#4), Santa Rosa (#6), and San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles (#8). The other California communities ranking high in the healthy eating survey are Santa Maria–Santa Barbara (#17), San Diego–Carlsbad (#18), San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward (#19), San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara (#20), Vallejo–Fairfield (#23), and Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura (#24).
Last year, the organization also issued a report on a related topic: communities that have the most “active living environments.” San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward ranked #2 on the list (of 48). Other California communities in the top 20 were Sacramento—Roseville—Arden–Arcade (#15), Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim (#16), San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara(#19), and San Diego–Carlsbad (#20).
As far as specifics, the report noted that there’s been a measurable improvement in the health of Beach Cities residents. In the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach, the number of residents who are overweight or obese has declined by 15% since 2010. Smoking dropped by 17%, bringing the percentage of smokers in the Beach Cities down to 8.9%. Part of that improvement may have been due to the implementation of local policies aimed at creating more smoke-free outdoor environments, multi-unit housing smoking bans, and other programs. During that same timeframe, the Beach Cities secured over $8 million in transportation funding for improving walkability, bicycling safety, and livability projects.
California communities also fared well in rankings on Niche.com. In its 2017 list of The Healthiest Cities in America, the following communities earned an A+ for health and fitness: San Francisco (#2), Berkeley (#4), Sunnyvale (#5), Oakland (#6), San Jose (#8), Santa Clara (#9), Hayward (#11), Costa Mesa (#14), Santa Rosa (#15), and Irvine (#16). The rankings were based on government data on smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity, as well as access to healthcare, mental health services, and local fitness centers. Other California cities ranking among the top 25 in the country were Santa Ana (#17), Orange (#18), Pasadena (#19), Torrance (#20), Glendale (#22), San Diego (#23), Anaheim (#24), and Los Angeles (#25).