These Two Minnesota Cities Among Fittest in America

Health and fitness can mean different things to different people, but according to the American College of Sports Medicine, these two Minnesota cities are among the most fit in the U.S.

The ACSM American Fitness Index highlights the health and health habits of communities across the United States. It provides us with a snapshot of how we are doing and identifies what more we can do to make our cities healthier.

As a Minnesota native, I think of it being a healthy state. I think of the Twin Cites being an active metropolitan area, but I also think of all of our college-type towns like Duluth, Mankato, Rochester, Saint Cloud, and more. This study however, only looked at the 100 largest cities in America.

The Ten Fittest Cities in America for 2024

1. Arlington, Virginia
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Seattle, Washington.
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota
5. Irvine, California
6. Madison, Wisconsin
7. San Francisco, Minnesota
8. Saint Paul, Minnesota
9. Denver, Colorado
10. Oakland, California

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While still rocking the top-ten, Minneapolis dropped from the second overall spot last year, to the fourth spot in this year's study. Saint Paul was unchanged, retaining the 8th best spot in the national list.

The American Fitness Index takes deep look at not just strong individual fitness levels, but also considers the levels of community fitness that support healthy living.

Minneapolis finished 9th among cities when looking at personal fitness, and 5th for community fitness -- which constituted the 4th place overall spot on the list.

Saint Paul finished 20th among cities when looking at personal fitness, and 4th for community fitness -- which constituted the 8th place overall spot on the list.