Jul 23, 2026 - Health
Charlotte rises fast among America’s fittest cities
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Charlotte is moving up the list of America's fittest cities, jumping 19 spots from No. 61 to No. 42 in the last year, according to an annual report from the American College of Sports Medicine and Elevance Health Foundation.
How it works: The ranking's based on parks and recreation infrastructure, environmental conditions, residents' health indicators, and more across the 100 biggest cities.
- The top-ranked cities tend to have lower obesity and chronic disease rates, more walking and biking activity, and better parks and rec access.
By the numbers: According to the report, 83.8% of Charlotteans had exercised in the past month,
- 2.3% bike or walk to work,
- 30.8% consume at least two fruits per day,
- 60% sleep more than seven hours a night,
- 8.3% smoke,
- 13.2% live with food insecurity,
- and 39% live within a 10-minute walk to a park.