The Bay Area is home to three of America's fittest big cities, according to the 2026 ACSM American Fitness Index released this month. San Francisco ranked sixth in the nation, Oakland 13th and San Jose 15th, putting all three in the top sixth of the 100 largest U.S. cities.
Pleasanton itself is not evaluated, since the index covers only the nation's 100 largest cities, but the Tri-Valley sits between two of the top performers, and the region's showing was among the best of any metro area in the country. Statewide, Irvine ranked seventh, San Diego 11th and Chula Vista 21st, giving California six cities in the national top 25, more than any other state.
The index, published for the 19th year by the American College of Sports Medicine with the Elevance Health Foundation, scores the 100 largest U.S. cities on personal health measures, such as physical activity, chronic disease and health outcomes, and on community and environment measures like parks, walkability and air quality.
The report credits high-ranking California cities with strong marks for parks, walkable neighborhoods and year-round activity, though Los Angeles, at No. 55, shows the pattern is not universal across the state.
Across the 100 cities, the 2026 report found air quality improved in many places while food insecurity worsened for a second straight year, rising from an average of 12.9 percent to 14.4 percent, with 99 of the 100 cities reporting higher rates than the year before. Arlington, Virginia was named the nation's fittest city again, followed by Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Seattle and Denver.
