Vermont ranked #1.
Which of the United States are the fittest? Which are the least fit? Nursa ranked all 50 states across 10 lifestyle and fitness metrics (with scores of 1 to 10) to discover the answers. Let’s delve into the results.
FITTEST STATES IN AMERICA 2026: INTERESTING FINDINGS
Here’s how the lifestyle and fitness metrics were obtained. Obesity (1) and smoking (2) rates came from the CDC. Sleep (3), inactivity (4), and green diet (5) figures were taken from America’s Health Rankings. Aerobic exercise activity (6) was measured using data from the Apple Heart & Movement Study. Alcohol consumption (7) was based on per‑capita figures from World Population Review. Researchers also used OpenStreetMap to tally gyms (8), walking, running, and hiking routes (9), and fast‑food restaurant (10) location density in each state.
There was a huge gap between the top states and the bottom states. The top three (Vermont, Massachusetts, Washington) each scored over twice as high as each of the bottom two (Louisiana, Mississippi). It’s also notable that there are obvious wealth, education, political, and geographic differences between most states in the top 10 and most in the bottom 10.
The small, rural state of Vermont finished first by excelling in multiple categories: sleep, diet, aerobic activity, non-smoking, high gym density, high hiking/jogging trail density, and low fast food restaurant density.
Fourth place finisher Colorado is an interesting case study. It was worst for fast food restaurant density (37.1 locations per 100,000 residents), and yet it claimed the lowest obesity rate in the nation at 25%. Maybe one-quarter is hitting McDonald’s on the regular while the other three-quarters is working out, because Colorado also has the fewest inactive residents at only 15.6% and the highest gym density at 16.5 per 100,000 residents. Or maybe more Coloradans are opting for healthy fast food options. Whatever the case, it goes to show that the key to fitness is prioritizing good choices and resisting the worst.
Gym density highlights a huge contrast between the top and bottom states. Colorado’s first place 16.5 gyms per 100,000 is almost six times more than last place finisher Louisiana, which has only 2.8 per 100,000. It’s a lot easier to get fit and stay fit if there’s a gym within a few miles of your home.
FITTEST STATES IN AMERICA 2026: TOP 10
1. Vermont (#1 for adequate sleep)
2. Massachusetts (#1 aerobic activity)
3. Washington (#1 walking, running & hiking routes per 100k residents)
4. Colorado (#1 for low obesity, #1 for fewest inactive residents, #1 for gym density, but also #1 for fast food restaurant density)
5. Utah
6. Connecticut
7. New Hampshire
8. California
9. New Jersey
10. Maryland
UNFITTEST STATES IN AMERICA 2026: BOTTOM 10
41. Arkansas
42. Missouri
43. Oklahoma (#50 for fruit & vegetable eating)
44. Kentucky
45. Tennessee
46. Nevada
47. Alabama
48. West Virginia (#50 for high obesity)
49. Mississippi (#50 for aerobic activity)
50. Louisiana (#50 for gyms per 100k residents)
