These are NC’s healthiest cities, new study says. Where did Charlotte, Raleigh land on list?
A new study says a North Carolina city is among the healthiest in the nation, while another is one of the least-healthy.
Hers, a health and wellness company, ranked the Best and Worst Cities for Healthy Living in the United States based on nutrition, exercise and other factors.
“There are so many factors that can influence healthy living and weight loss,” Hers writer Lauren Ward wrote in June. “Genetics and psychology both play a major role, but so can a person’s environment.”
Here’s where North Carolina cities ranked on Hers’ list.
Which NC cities were top cities for healthy living?
Raleigh was ranked as the No. 10 healthiest city in the nation, according to Hers.
“Raleigh, North Carolina is the only Southern city to make it in the top 10 best cities for healthy living,” Ward wrote. “The tech-centric city ranked particularly well for sleep, walkability and access to psychologists and psychiatrists.”
That’s not the only time the capital city has earned attention for its focus on health.
Personal finance website WalletHub previously ranked Raleigh as the 31st healthiest city in America.
The ranking also comes a couple of months after the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Places to Retire ranking named Raleigh the sixth-best city to retire, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Conversely, Charlotte was ranked as the No. 10 least healthy city in the U.S., according to Hers.
Which U.S. cities are the healthiest?
According to Hers, San Francisco is the healthiest city to live in the United States, then Boston and New York were tied for second place.
Other cities, listed in order:
- San Diego, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Sacramento, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- Raleigh, North Carolina
West Coast spots accounted for half of the cities on the top 10 list, Hers noted.
Which U.S. cities are the unhealthiest?
These are the 10 unhealthiest cities in the country, according to Hers:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Birmingham, Alabama
Memphis, Teneessee
Columbus, Ohio
Phoenix, Arizona
Kansas City, Missouri
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Orlando, Florida
Detroit, Michigan
Charlotte, North Carolina
“Las Vegas ranks as the worst city for healthy living in America. The concentration of grocery stores and mental health professionals is low compared to the size of the population, and Las Vegas isn’t considered very walkable,” Hers said.
How did Hers come up with rankings?
Hers said it compared the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation based on nutrition, behavior, movement, medical treatment and other factors that contribute to overall health.
The site used the following data points to determine the best U.S. cities for healthy living:
Number of grocery stores per 100,000 people
Percentage of adults sleeping less than seven hours a night
Walkability
Access to psychologists and psychiatrists
Data came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hers said.
Inspired by a story from The Sacramento Bee in California.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "These are NC’s healthiest cities, new study says. Where did Charlotte, Raleigh land on list?."
