The Brief
The healthiest place in America is in the Bay Area, according to a recent ranking.
Niche looked at health indicators of an area using U.S. Census Bureau and CDC data.
Berkeley was not only named the healthiest but was named one of the America's best places to live.
BERKELEY, Calif. - An East Bay city has been named the healthiest place to live in the U.S.
What we know
A recent ranking by neighborhood and school resource site Niche placed the city of Berkeley at the top of its 2025 healthy places list, as it beat out 229 other U.S. locations.
The analysis based its rankings on key indicators of personal health, including smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity rates.
Researchers also considered residents’ access to doctors, mental health resources, and the proximity to fitness facilities. Niche said the health statistics came from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Bay Area was well represented on Niche's list, with several of the region's cities among the top.
Bay Area cities among the healthiest:
1. Berkeley
7. San Francisco
12. Santa Clara
19. Sunnyvale
20. Oakland
Dig deeper
Berkeley, widely known for its famous University of California campus and liberal political environment, received high scores in other Niche rankings.
The city came in 7th in the site's 2025 Best Cities for Young Professionals in America list.
It also received high marks in areas, receiving an A+ for its public schools, an A for being a good place for families, an A for diversity, and A+ for nightlife.
The Alameda County city did not perform as well in the categories of crime/safety and housing, getting marked a C- for both.
Best cities to live in
Overall, Niche said that the city is one of the country's top places to live, ranking Berkeley 10th out of 229 in its "Best Cities to Live in America" list.
Sunnyvale was 13th, Santa Clara came in 15th, and San Francisco 20th.
Berkeley also came in 10th in the ranking of "Best Cities to Retire in America."
SEE ALSO:Vacaville, Richmond, other Bay Area cities make new list of best California cities for retirement
In addition to topping Niche's list of healthiest places, which covers municipalities with smaller populations that don't meet the site's minimum threshold to be considered a city, Berkeley's population was large enough to also come in at #1 in the site's "2025 Healthiest Cities in America" list.
"Berkeley received an A+ for their Health & Fitness grade as well as their Outdoor Activities, showing that they have incredible access to both medical care facilities and activities that require exercise, such as gyms, hiking or trails," Niche spokesperson Zachary Chatham explained to KTVU in an email, adding, "This year was actually Berkeley's 3rd consecutive year being named the Healthiest City in America!"
Chatham also noted that the fact that several Bay Area cities were considered among the healthiest places to live, speaks to the health of the region as a whole, "showcasing that not only the area provides great access to health resources, but the residents also prioritize their health, with high performing grades within the obesity, smoking and excessive drinking categories."
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