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Data: American College of Sports Medicine; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Seattle ranks among America's fittest cities, according to the latest report from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Elevance Health Foundation.

The big picture: The rankings assess parks and recreation infrastructure, environmental conditions, residents' health indicators and other factors across the nation's 100 biggest cities. 

🌃 Zoom in: There are "two types of cities," the report finds.

"One where healthy choices are built into everyday life, and another where structural barriers continue to limit long-term health."

 The top-ranked cities tend to have lower obesity and chronic disease rates, more walking and biking activity, and better parks and rec access.

📈 2026's biggest climbers: Richmond, Virginia (+20 spots, to No. 20); Charlotte, North Carolina (+19 spots, to No. 42); Virginia Beach, Virginia (+18 spots, to No. 61); and Durham, North Carolina (+17 spots, to No. 49).

The biggest drops: Orlando, Florida (-19 spots, to No. 65); Laredo, Texas (-18 spots, to No. 88); and Jacksonville, Florida. (-16 spots, to No. 84).

Former ACSM president Stella Volpe said in a statement accompanying the report: "The cities that consistently rank at the top aren't succeeding because of one program or one investment."

"They've built systems that support healthier living over time. They are the ones creating environments where physical activity can easily become a part of everyday routines."

Seattle ranks No. 4 among America's fittest cities

Seattle's parks, recreation access and residents' health helped put the city near the top.

Illustration of a sneaker with a logo in the shape of a EKG line

Seattle ranks among America&#x27;s fittest cities, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest report" data-vars-click-url="https://acsm.org/american-fitness-index-rankings-2026/" data-vars-content-id="0a684bc5-4556-48d9-b4f6-45920ce7bdb8" data-vars-headline="Seattle ranks No. 4 among America&#x27;s fittest cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://acsm.org/american-fitness-index-rankings-2026/" target="_blank">latest report</a> from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Elevance Health Foundation.The big picture: The rankings assess parks and recreation infrastructure, environmental conditions, residents&#x27; health indicators and other factors across the nation&#x27;s 100 biggest cities. <ul><li>Seattle came in at No. 4, </li></ul>

News

Culture

Seattle is set to become the first U.S. city to ban grocery stores from using personal data to charge customers different prices for the same items, according to Consumer Reports.

Why it matters: Supporters of the ban say companies are using algorithms to charge shoppers different prices, driving up costs for some without their knowledge.

Opponents argue the new rules will keep retailers from offering individually tailored discounts.

Zoom in: Seattle's ordinance, which the City Council approved last week, bans "algorithmic-based price discrimination" by grocery store chains and grocery delivery services.

The goal is to "prevent AI-assisted price gouging" and "ensure fair discounts for everyone," City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said at a council meeting last week.

The measure applies to online prices and personalized discounts used in stores. It also covers personalized pricing through electronic shelf labels or other in-store technology. 

Seattle's policy follows similar state laws passed in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and New York.

The big picture: According to the Federal Trade Commission, data like a person's browser history "can be frequently used to target individual consumers with different prices for the same goods and services."

The FTC raised concerns about the practice in a proposed policy statement last month, saying it can constitute an unfair or deceptive act.

Separately, Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative investigated what they called "AI-enabled experiments" with grocery prices on Instacart last year.

They found prices varied as much as 23% between customers at the same store.

At a Seattle Safeway, the same cart of groceries ranged from $114.34 to $123.93.

Instacart said it has since stopped letting retailers run those kinds of pricing tests on its platform.

Consumer Reports also found Kroger builds detailed customer profiles and uses customer data to personalize discounts.

What's inside: Seattle's ordinance bans price variations like the tests that occurred on Instacart, which the company said were done at random.

It also bans setting different prices based on data such as customers' behavior, location and demographic characteristics. That could include data acquired from third parties or collected using surveillance technology, such as software or cameras.

The rules apply to grocery chains with at least 20 stores globally, as well as to grocery delivery and online ordering services.

Yes, but: The ordinance still allows some price differences, such as those based on delivery costs, as well as discounts for broad groups of customers (such as seniors or students).

Loyalty programs can also offer discounts based on purchase history, but only to groups of customers — not individualized prices — and can't use that history to infer a customer's willingness to pay.

What they're saying: People "don't want their data fed into algorithms that decide how much they pay at the grocery store," Mayor Katie Wilson said in a news release.

"Everyone deserves transparent pricing and equal treatment, not hidden systems that charge some shoppers more than others."

The other side: The Washington Retail Association says it agrees that personal shopping data shouldn't be used to raise prices but argues Seattle's policy will make it harder for stores to offer tailored discounts.

Customers may be surprised "when their personalized discounts and loyalty programs disappear due to the new regulations," Jan Himebaugh, the organization's president and CEO, said in a written statement.

What's next: Wilson plans to sign the ordinance into law in early October, according to her office.

The new rules would then take effect Sept. 1, 2027.

Seattle targets "AI-assisted price gouging" at grocery stores

The rules bar grocers from using personal data to charge different prices — a 1st for a U.S. city.

Animated illustration of a supermarket shopping cart with binary code falling over it.

Teal background with a blue-and-yellow wireframe shopping cart, overlaid by scattered purple 0s and 1s, creating a digital, data-driven vibe.

Seattle is set to become the first U.S. city to ban <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="grocery stores" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/01/27/inside-seattles-grocery-price-spike" data-vars-content-id="53453252-f4d8-4d67-ae2d-cf744a68e5f1" data-vars-headline="Seattle targets &quot;AI-assisted price gouging&quot; at grocery stores" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/01/27/inside-seattles-grocery-price-spike" target="_self">grocery stores</a> from using personal data to charge customers different prices for the same items, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Consumer Reports" data-vars-click-url="https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/seattle-city-council-votes-to-ban-surveillance-pricing-in-sale-of-groceries/" data-vars-content-id="53453252-f4d8-4d67-ae2d-cf744a68e5f1" data-vars-headline="Seattle targets &quot;AI-assisted price gouging&quot; at grocery stores" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/seattle-city-council-votes-to-ban-surveillance-pricing-in-sale-of-groceries/" target="_blank">Consumer Reports</a>.Why it matters: Supporters of the ban say companies are using algorithms to charge shoppers different prices, driving up costs for some without their knowledge.<ul><li>Opponents argue the new rules will keep retailers from offering individually tailored discounts.</li></ul>

Politics

Data: Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Libraries Survey; Note: Reporting periods and adherence to survey definitions can vary by state; "No data" states did not report electronic material circulation; Map: Sami Sparber/Axios

In case you needed more evidence that we're a state full of bookworms: Washington ranks third in the nation for public library checkouts per person, federal data shows.

Why it matters: Libraries remain a heavily used public resource in Washington, whether readers are borrowing from shelves or screens.

By the numbers: Washington residents averaged more than 11 public library checkouts per person in fiscal year 2024, according to a survey by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

That's far above the nationwide average of 6.5.

The figures include physical items and electronic materials like e-books.

Zoom in: Seattle's checkout rate is even higher, at about 16 items per city resident last year, according to data the Seattle Public Library shared with Axios.

The estimate isn't exact because some checkouts are by people who live outside Seattle.

Between the lines: U.S. library circulation per person is rebounding from its pandemic-era drop, helped by a boom in digital borrowing.

Electronic material checkouts reached a decade-high 2.1 per person in FY 2024, per IMLS.

The rise of digital checkouts is also on display in Seattle. 

Checkouts of physical items fell from 7.8 million in 2019 to 5.5 million last year.

Digital circulation rose from 4.8 million to 7.2 million over the same period. 

The shift helped push total circulation slightly above pre-pandemic levels.

The bottom line: Our library habits have changed since 2019, but demand hasn't faded.

Washington ranks third in U.S. for library checkouts

Library checkouts in Washington remain far above the national average.


A line chart shows the share of Americans ages 15 and older who read for pleasure on an average day from 2005 to 2025. The rate fell from 27% in 2005 to 16.1% in 2024 and 2025.

In case you needed more evidence that we&#x27;re a state full of bookworms: Washington ranks third in the nation for public library checkouts per person, federal data shows.Why it matters: Libraries remain a heavily used public resource in Washington, whether readers are borrowing from shelves or screens.

Data: StreetLight; Graphic: Jim Sergent/Axios

Seattle may be an especially fit city — but the average resident isn't logging huge numbers of miles on foot or by bike, a new analysis finds. 

By the numbers: Seattle ranked 42nd among 100 large cities for miles biked per resident, according to StreetLight, a transportation data firm.

Seattle residents bike an average of 23 miles a year, exactly the same as the national average. 

Most U.S. cities also outpace Seattle when it comes to how much their residents walk.

The average Seattleite walks 157 miles per year, StreetLight found when analyzing residents' habits. That's just a hair above the national average of 151 miles yearly.

Compare that to Orlando, where people logged an average of 653 miles yearly, or Boston, where the average was 530 miles. 

Yes, but: Seattle's biking and walking activity is heavily concentrated in a relatively small geographic area.

We ranked much higher in Streetlight's report when it came to bicycle and pedestrian activity per square mile.

That may be why we see so many people walking and biking, even though Seattleites don't log that many miles per person.

Another possible explanation for Seattle's relatively low biking and walking mileage: Our transit system.

StreetLight notes that cities with dense transit and nearby services may rack up fewer walking and biking miles because people don't have to travel as far on foot or by bike.

New York City, for example, ranked just eighth for walking miles per resident, despite its reputation as one of the country's most walkable cities.

StreetLight said New York's dense transit and services may reduce the length of walking trips compared with places where destinations are more spread out.

The intrigue: That could help explain Seattle's numbers, too.

A recent Consumer Affairs report ranked the Seattle area's transit system as the fourth-best in the country. 

Our thought bubble: We're also going to blame the rain. And the hills. 

Seattleites walk and bike less than you might think

Seattleites bike the national average of 23 miles a year and walk only slightly more than average.

Infographic titled "How much biking we do in Seattle" showing a blue horizontal bar chart of average annual biking miles. Seattle 23 miles; Top 5: New York 58, Boise City 53, New Orleans 49, Jersey City 48, Irvine 47.

Seattle may be an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="especially fit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/09/29/seattle-fitness-index-parks-health-ranking-2026" data-vars-content-id="efd1cae1-ace8-4faa-8e8a-411d2bc5d7ba" data-vars-headline="Seattleites walk and bike less than you might think" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/09/29/seattle-fitness-index-parks-health-ranking-2026" target="_self">especially fit</a> city — but the average resident isn&#x27;t logging huge numbers of miles on foot or by bike, a new analysis finds. By the numbers: Seattle ranked 42nd among 100 large cities for miles biked per resident, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="StreetLight" data-vars-click-url=" https://learn.streetlightdata.com/measuring-walking-and-biking-miles-traveled-ebook" data-vars-content-id="efd1cae1-ace8-4faa-8e8a-411d2bc5d7ba" data-vars-headline="Seattleites walk and bike less than you might think" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href=" https://learn.streetlightdata.com/measuring-walking-and-biking-miles-traveled-ebook" target="_blank">StreetLight</a>, a transportation data firm.<ul><li>Seattle residents bike an average of 23 miles a year, exactly the same as the national average. </li></ul>

Pro Rata

Axios Pro Rata

New Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla told Axios this week that he has no plans to move the team out of Seattle — but he "will never say never." 

Why it matters: Seattleites, who are still stinging over the loss of the Sonics nearly 20 years ago, have a strong interest in keeping the reigning Super Bowl champs in town. 

The Seahawks' lease at Lumen Field runs through 2032, with options to renew through 2062.

What they're saying: When asked if he would formally commit to keeping the Seahawks in Seattle for the long term, Khosla was somewhat noncommittal.

"I will never say never," Khosla told Axios' Dan Primack during a phone interview this week.

"Will this team be in Seattle 500 years from now? But I have no current plans to change anything about the team, including the coach, president, operation or Lumen Field. It all functions well."

Khosla was similarly vague about whether he would seek upgrades to Lumen Field when the Hawks' current lease is up.

"Three months ago I wasn't even thinking about buying an NFL team," Khosla said.

"Now I ended up with a Super Bowl-winning team with one of the most amazing fan bases. But I know very little about running a team. I don't think I'll do anything but learn for a while."

One thing he is sure about, though: He won't accidentally cheer for the 49ers when they play the Hawks, despite previously owning a stake in the San Francisco team and attending many 49ers home games. 

New Seahawks owner on moving the team: "Never say never"

The Seahawks' Lumen Field lease runs through 2032, with renewal options extending through 2062.

An older man with gray hair smiles at a stadium, wearing a black jacket. Bright stadium lights and a white truss roof loom behind, with a blurred crowd.

Seattle Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla at this month's season opener. Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images

New Seahawks owner <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vinod Khosla" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/08/27/seahawks-sale-khosla-family-9-billion-allen-ownership" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/08/27/seahawks-sale-khosla-family-9-billion-allen-ownership" target="_self">Vinod Khosla</a> told Axios this week that he has no plans to move the team out of Seattle — but he &quot;will never say never.&quot; Why it matters: Seattleites, who are still stinging over the loss of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sonics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/03/26/seattle-officials-cheer-potential-return-of-sonics" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/03/26/seattle-officials-cheer-potential-return-of-sonics" target="_self">Sonics</a> nearly 20 years ago, have a strong interest in keeping the reigning <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Super Bowl champs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" data-vars-content-id="fa0271b9-06eb-4d59-a1ec-17e911e74094" data-vars-headline="New Seahawks owner on moving the team: &quot;Never say never&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" target="_self">Super Bowl champs</a> in town.

Sports

A choropleth map of the U.S. shows library checkouts per person in a given service area for FY 2024. The national rate is 6.5 physical and digital items. Oregon leads with 13.3 items per person, while Mississippi lags with 1.9. Data is not available for Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts and Oregon.

Library materials checked out per person

Bar chart shows the five cities where residents bike the most – New York, Boise City, New Orleans, Jersey City and Irvine, Calif. – and the least: North Las Vegas, Arlington, Texas, Irving Texas, Garland, Texas, and El Paso, Texas

How much biking we do in Seattle

A U.S. map shows a ranking of America's fittest cities. Arlington, Virginia, is at the top of the list, followed by neighboring Washington, D.C. Minneapolis, Seattle and Denver round out the top five.

Melissa Santos

Featured stories

New Seahawks owner on moving the team: "Never say never"

Washington ranks third in U.S. for library checkouts

Seattleites walk and bike less than you might think

Seattle ranks No. 4 among America's fittest cities

Seattle targets "AI-assisted price gouging" at grocery stores