What makes a metropolis the healthiest in America? Well being is decided by many environmental components—not simply your private habits. Average climate encourages you to get outdoors, whereas loads of parks and leisure alternatives make it simpler to be bodily energetic. Entry to wholesome meals choices lowers the barrier to nutritious consuming, and a bustling social scene helps you construct neighborhood—whether or not you’re a single younger grownup or elevating a household.
Every of those components is what boosted Berkeley, Calif. to the highest of Area of interest’s listing of 2025 healthiest locations in America. Learn extra about what this Northern California metropolis has to supply.
Fascinating local weather
It’s by no means too scorching or chilly in Berkeley. The summer season solely reaches highs within the 70s and lows within the 50s, whereas the winter highs are within the 60s and lows solely get all the way down to the 40s.
You’re additionally prone to see extra sunshine than rain in Berkeley. It averages 256 sunny days per yr and solely 67 wet days, whereas the remainder of the U.S. averages 205 sunny days and 106 wet days. With extra sunny, temperate days, residents of Berkeley are prone to get out and transfer greater than in different cities.
Plentiful parks and inexperienced areas
Getting outdoors in Berkeley is made straightforward by town’s greater than 50 parks and dozens of inexperienced areas—together with nature reserves, wildlife environments and concrete parks—which play a pivotal position in general psychological well-being. One research discovered that residing in an space with plentiful inexperienced house is related to much less psychological misery, nervousness, and melancholy, decrease cortisol ranges, and decrease prevalence of illness.
Berkeley additionally hosts a number of grownup sports activities leagues to benefit from these parks, together with softball and volleyball—or you possibly can reserve a pickleball courtroom if that’s extra your velocity. For runners—newbie or skilled—the native Berkeley Run Membership already has practically 5,000 members and is welcoming individuals of all health ranges and skills.
Entry to wholesome meals
Residing in a meals desert, or an space missing entry to reasonably priced and nutritious meals, can place individuals at higher danger of a number of persistent well being circumstances, together with diabetes, weight problems, coronary heart illness, and psychological well being circumstances based on the Nationwide Institute on Minority Well being and Well being Disparities.
Residents of Berkeley, nevertheless, have a number of well being meals shops and farmer’s markets obtainable to them. The town can also be house to the Berkeley Meals Community, a neighborhood nonprofit that works to convey wholesome meals to probably the most disenfranchised communities throughout Berkeley.
Perks for younger professionals and households
Group is a core half of wholesome residing, and so is feeling such as you and your loved ones have a spot you possibly can flourish. Not solely was Berkeley on the prime of Area of interest’s healthiest cities listing, nevertheless it additionally claimed the no. 7 spot on its listing of Greatest Cities for Younger Professionals, which was based mostly on the variety of millennial residents and entry to jobs, reasonably priced housing, and leisure.
Moreover, Berkeley obtained prime marks for its excessive median revenue of $108,558—over 25% greater than the nationwide median family revenue of $80,610. And households will discover highly-rated public faculties and quite a few family-friendly actions, together with camps and leisure sports activities leagues.
For extra on wholesome residing:
- These are the ten happiest cities in America, based on new analysis
- America’s happiest metropolis: Over 1,000 acres of parks, common temperatures within the 60s, and a bustling financial system
- Finland is the world’s happiest nation but once more. Listed here are the highest 10 on the listing
- The Fortune 50 Greatest Locations to Reside will serve multigenerational households for the lengthy haul
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
