These are the best and worst cities for keeping your New Year's resolution, analysis shows
No matter where you live, setting New Year’s resolutions is much easier than sticking to them, but a new analysis finds it’s easier in some cities than others.
WalletHub, a personal finance company, compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — to determine the best and worst cities in America for keeping your New Year’s resolutions.
Cities that scored highest have ample exercise options, fresh vegetables, low debts, a strong job market and high credit scores, among many other factors.
Cities at the bottom of the list scored worst in things like share of above-average public schools, share of obese people, income-to-debt ratio and homeownership rates, among numerous other factors.
Methodology
Access to playgrounds and fitness plays a role in keeping resolutions, a new study says (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — using 57 metrics across five elements:
- Health resolutions (access to healthy food, access to exercise, share of obese adults, among others)
- Financial resolutions (median credit score, debt-to-income ratio, credit card debt, among others)
- School and work resolutions (share of above average public schools, high school dropout rates, unemployment rates, among others)
- Bad-habit resolutions (binge drinking, share of adult smokers, marijuana users, gambling disorders, among others)
- Relationships resolutions (singles friendliness, restaurants per capita, playgrounds per capita, among others)
20 best cities for keeping your New Year’s resolutions
Steps to prioritizing mental health in 2024
Starting off the new year fresh may include new goals or resolutions. If you want to achieve your goals, you may want to put a focus on prioritizing your mental health, says licensed mental health counselor Cherlette McCullough. She shares ways you can put your mental health first as you look forward to a healthier and happier new year.
Here are Wallethub’s 20 best cities for sticking to your resolutions in 2024:
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Irvine, California
- San Diego, California
- Orlando, Florida
- Fremont, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Austin, Texas
- San Jose, California
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Tampa, Florida
- Huntington Beach, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Columbia, Maryland
- Plano, Texas
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Honolulu, Hawaii
20 worst cities for keeping your New Year’s resolutions
Detail view of the urban skyline of Newark, New Jersey , the worst place for sticking to your resolution, according to Wallethub (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Here are Wallethub’s 20 worst cities for sticking to your resolutions:
- Newark, New Jersey
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Gulfport, Mississippi
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Augusta, Georgia
- Huntington, West Virginia
- Dover, Delaware
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Fayetteville, North Carolina
- San Bernardino, California
- Detroit, Michigan
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Brownsville, Texas
- Toledo, Ohio
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Wilmington, Delaware
- North Las Vegas, Nevada
- Moreno Valley, California
Specific ways to change your life in 2024
If you have lofty New Year’s goals but aren’t sure how to achieve them, you’re not alone. Calm’s Chief Clinical Officer, Chris Mosunic, sat down with FOX Television Stations to offer specific ways to change your life this year.
- Set small goals: morning walks, a short 1-minute breathing exercise between meetings, journaling once a week, calling a friend or family member 15 minutes once a week, or a consistent bedtime.
- Cut down on alcohol
- Rethink failure:
- Focus on your finances
Read more tips from Mosunic here.