Every year, there are at least a handful of lists pointing out the "fattest" and "fittest" places in the country.
Problem is that drawing a line between fat and skinny isn't going to do anyone much good—especially if a healthier lifestyle is what they're after.
Instead, real estate tracker Trulia decided to dig deeper, crunching the numbers for 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas to find out exactly which places are best suited for people looking to lose weight.
Click here to see the cities >
"Before we looked at the data, people in the office did a guessing game of which places would end up on the list," Trulia Chief Economist Jed Kolko told BI. "A lot of people expected Miami, San Diego ... [but] it turned out these aren't necessarily the places that offer the best tools for losing weight."
Kolko and his team looked at five factors* to rank the cities: healthy food options; access to outdoor activities; weight loss centers; gyms; and the ability for consumers to bike or walk to work.
When all was said and calculated, one clear trend emerged: These places don't come cheap. In fact, six of the top 10 cities charge more than $200 per square foot for living space.
"These places tend to have spending power to support gyms, fitness centers, outdoor activities," Kolko explained. "And these are all types of businesses that have an easier time surviving in more affluent areas because people have more spending power."
*Methodology:
Food options: ratio of “slow food” establishments (supermarkets, specialty food markets, and full-service restaurants) divided by “fast food” establishments (convenience stores and fast-food restaurants)
Outdoors activities: sporting-goods stores per 1,000 households
Bike/Walk commuting: percentage of workers who commute by walking or biking.
Gyms: number of gyms, health clubs, and fitness centers per 1,000 households.
Weight loss programs: weight-loss and diet centers per 1,000 households
10. Seattle, Wash.
Seattle has more going for it than the Space Needle, the music scene, and great coffee.
According to Trulia's data, the city ranked the ninth best place for commuters looking to bike or walk to work, thanks to a tightly condensed urban center. There's still room to stretch your legs, though.
The city beat out 85 others to land in 15th place for the number of gyms per person, and 11th in outdoor activities.
Median price per square foot: $181
8. Peabody, Mass.
Peabody, Mass. isn't exactly the greatest place to find healthy food options (it ranked 84 out of 100 in that category), but at least it has plenty of options to work off the calories.
The city came in sixth in the number of gyms on hand, and 12th overall for weight loss centers.
Median price per square foot: $189
9. Philadelphia, Penn.
Despite its affinity for the Cheese Whiz and steak combo, Philadelphia is among the top 10 best places to bike or walk to work, according to Trulia.
And it's the No. 1 city for weight loss centers, if you're looking for a more regimented health plan.
The only drawback? It's not exactly the greatest for the outdoorsy types, ranking 76 out of 100 overall.
Median price per square foot: $135
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