JUST IN: Arlington Named ‘Fittest City’ in U.S., Again

Arlington is once again “America’s Fittest City,” according to the annual American Fitness Index rankings.

The new 2021 rankings were released this morning by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Anthem Foundation. It’s at least the third year in a row that Arlington ranked No. 1 on the list.

“Arlington, Virginia, earned its #1 designation by ranking first in eight indicators and scoring among the top 10 cities in 18 of the 34 categories,” the organizations said in a press release. “Residents reported the most physical activity with 85.7% exercising in the previous month. In the lowest-ranked city, Lubbock, Texas, only 64.2% of residents exercised in the previous month.”

Being a healthier place has benefits beyond just wellness, experts say.

“Beyond the health and wellness benefits of being a fit city, we know there are many economic advantages as well,” Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., the chief health officer for Anthem, said in a statement. “Cities designed to encourage physical activity have enjoyed higher home values, business and job growth, and more robust retail activity — leading to overall improved social drivers of health for our communities.

Separately, Virginia was again named America’s Top State for Business this morning by CNBC.

Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti is scheduled to be presented with an award by ACSM members at county government headquarters in Courthouse later this morning.

Rounding out the top 25 on the latest “fit” list were:

1. Arlington, VA
2. Minneapolis, MN
3. Seattle, WA
4. Denver, CO
5. Madison, WI
6. Washington, D.C.
7. St. Paul, MN
8. Irvine, CA
9. Portland, OR
10. Atlanta, GA
11. Oakland, CA
12. Boston, MA
13. San Francisco, CA
14. Chicago, IL
15. San Diego, CA
16. Buffalo, NY
17. Boise, ID
18. Sacramento, CA
19. Austin, TX
20. San Jose, CA
21. New York, NY
22. Lincoln, NE
23. Honolulu, HI
24. Pittsburgh, PA
25. Miami, FL