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

Here are Wallethub’s 20 best cities for sticking to your resolutions in 2024:

  1. Seattle, Washington
  2. San Francisco, California
  3. Scottsdale, Arizona
  4. Irvine, California
  5. San Diego, California
  6. Orlando, Florida
  7. Fremont, California
  8. Salt Lake City, Utah
  9. Austin, Texas
  10. San Jose, California
  11. Atlanta, Georgia
  12. Overland Park, Kansas
  13. Tampa, Florida
  14. Huntington Beach, California
  15. Portland, Oregon
  16. Madison, Wisconsin
  17. Columbia, Maryland
  18. Plano, Texas
  19. Virginia Beach, Virginia
  20. 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:

  1. Newark, New Jersey
  2. Shreveport, Louisiana
  3. Gulfport, Mississippi
  4. Jackson, Mississippi
  5. Augusta, Georgia
  6. Huntington, West Virginia
  7. Dover, Delaware
  8. Memphis, Tennessee
  9. Fayetteville, North Carolina
  10. San Bernardino, California
  11. Detroit, Michigan
  12. Montgomery, Alabama
  13. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  14. Birmingham, Alabama
  15. Brownsville, Texas
  16. Toledo, Ohio
  17. Bridgeport, Connecticut
  18. Wilmington, Delaware
  19. North Las Vegas, Nevada
  20. 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.