Story

    10 Best Cities to Live in for Outdoor Lovers

    By: ActionHub Reporters
    - Posted: November 22, 2016

    For whatever reason, you need to move to the city to live, whether that’s for work, for love or to raise a family. For lovers of the great outdoors, moving to the city can be crippling and it might even give you a feeling of anxiety.

    Fortunately for you, though, moving to the city doesn’t mean you need to give up your outdoor lifestyle. A study done earlier this year revealed some of the best cities in the US to live if you’re a fan of the outdoors. Niche, the company that produced the report, looked at over 200 cities and what they have going for them when it comes to supporting an outdoors lifestyle. These factors include access to parks and beaches, weather, air quality and more. Below, we’re taking a look at the top 10 results and why they made the list.

    1. Everett, Washington

    Nearby National Forests: 7

    Nearby State Parks: 41

    Nearby Beaches: 24

    Physical Inactivity: 18%

    1. Denver, Colorado

    Nearby National Forests: 8

    Nearby State Parks: 4

    Nearby Beaches: 0

    Physical Inactivity: 13.8%

    1. Tacoma, Washington

    Nearby National Forests: 8

    Nearby State Parks: 38

    Nearby Beaches: 16

    Physical Inactivity: 20.2%

    1. Costa Mesa, California

    Nearby National Forests: 4

    Nearby State Parks: 5

    Nearby Beaches: 47

    Physical Inactivity: 15.8%

    1. Boulder, Colorado

    Nearby National Forests: 8

    Nearby State Parks: 6

    Nearby Beaches: 1

    Physical Inactivity: 9.7%

    1. Bellevue, Washington

    Nearby National Forests: 7

    Nearby State Parks: 42

    Nearby Beaches: 14

    Physical Inactivity: 14.7%

    1. Kent, Washington

    Nearby National Forests: 8

    Nearby State Parks: 39

    Nearby Beaches: 17

    Physical Inactivity: 14.7%

    1. Portland, Oregon

    Nearby National Forests: 7

    Nearby State Parks: 40

    Nearby Beaches: 8

    Physical Inactivity: 13.6%

    1. Provo, Utah

    Nearby National Forests: 12

    Nearby State Parks: 8

    Nearby Beaches: 4

    Physical Inactivity: 14.4%

    1. Seattle, Washington

    Nearby National Forests: 7

    Nearby State Parks: 44

    Nearby Beaches: 19

    Physical Inactivity: 14.7%

    How These Were Reported

    There’s no sure fire way to 100% determine which is the best city to live in for an outdoor experience as it often boils down to personal preference. However, Niche looked at data points which can reflect the area’s ease of access to the outdoors.

    • ‘Nearby National Forests’ is measure by the number of National Forests within 200 miles
    • ‘Nearby Sate Parks’ is the number within 100 miles
    • ‘Nearby beaches’ is the number within 100 miles
    • ‘Physical inactivity’ is the rate of adults who report no leisure-time physical activity