WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation, analyzing the 100 largest U.S. cities across 47 key indicators of recreation-friendliness. The study, timed with National Parks and Recreation Month, underscores the financial and health benefits of recreational activities, noting that maintaining a healthy weight through exercise saves individuals nearly $1,900 in health care costs annually.
Las Vegas, Nevada, topped the list as the best city for recreation, followed by Cincinnati, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Tampa, Florida. At the bottom, Jersey City, New Jersey, ranked as the worst, with Newark, New Jersey; Durham, North Carolina; Irving, Texas; and Chula Vista, California rounding out the bottom five. The study examined factors such as accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities, quality of parks, and weather conditions.
Key disparities emerged among cities. San Francisco and Boston have the highest share of the population with walkable park access, 3.1 times higher than in Indianapolis, which has the lowest. Las Vegas boasts the most playgrounds per square root of population, 24.4 times more than Gilbert, Arizona, which has the fewest. Buffalo, New York, leads in spending on parks per capita, 11.5 times higher than Chula Vista, California. San Francisco also has the most bike rental facilities per square root of population, 39.5 times more than Fresno, California.
For the full list of rankings and expert commentary, read the full article here.
