America's healthiest cities: who would think that a party town like Miami would have anything healthy to brag about? But our survey found that, despite its reputation, it does - Natural Health's Third Annual

Natural Health, April, 2002 by Clare Horn

Surprise! Our top-ranking cities this year are better known for tans and politics than for homeopaths and a ready supply of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. In our annual search for the country's naturally healthiest cites, we discovered that natural living thrives in unexpected places.

So what makes a city naturally healthy? We think its air and water quality and the physical health of its citizens are crucial, but also important is whether the city fosters a rich spiritual and emotional life for its residents. Are there plenty of places to worship, for example? Are depression rates low? We also consider a city naturally healthy if it offers a range of natural amenities, like acupuncturists, natural food stores, yoga studios, and holistic veterinarians. In all, we used 29 criteria to examine each city. (For a rundown of our sources and how we crunched the numbers, see "How We Did It," page 96.)

To find out how your city ranks on our list, turn to page 96. But before you do, read on to find out which metropolises are our five hottest natural locales, and which ones left us cold.

Southern Florida's Hidden Health Perk

Miami has more than 1,100 houses of worship.

NATURALLY HEALTHY CITY

1 MIAMI FLORIDA

[GRADE A]

VITAL STATS

Population: 369,253

Size: 34 square miles

Average Temperatures: 59 [degrees] (Jan.), 89 [degrees] (July)

REPORT CARD

Natural Offerings: A

* Consider this example: Miami boasts more holistic veterinarians per capita than any other city we surveyed.

Physical Health: A-

* The city has 85 fitness centers, twice as many per capita as just about every other city we measured.

Emotional Health: D

* Unfortunately, Miamians are stressed out: Residents have one of the highest blood pressure rates of any city we looked at.

Spiritual Health: A

* You'll find 1,131 places of worship here, or 300 per 100,000 people.

Environmental Health: A

* Miami consumes less than half the energy of other cities with similar climes like Houston and New Orleans.

CONVENTIONAL DOCTORS HAVE some competition in Miami. This beach town claims more homeopathic physicians per capita than any other city we surveyed. This is due in part to the fact that Miami is home to the acupuncture school called the Southeast Institute of Oriental Medicine, and Florida state law recognizes homeopathy as part of the acupuncturists' scope of practice. (This is not the case nationwide.) The added protection that this state recognition offers may be an incentive for recent graduates from the Southeast Institute to settle in Miami, says Jean Hoagland, treasurer of the Florida Homeopathic Medical Society.

The number of homeopaths was just one statistic that impressed us. Miami also has good environmental qualities, like lots of green space and laudable recycling rates. Some of this respect for the earth may be the result of the Miami Sierra Club's Inner City Outings. These outdoor adventures are designed to promote self-esteem and environmental awareness in hundreds of inner-city children. (For more information on these outings, contact the Miami Sierra Club's Inner City Outings coordinator at 954-609-3337, or visit www.florida.sierraclub.org/miami.)

Miami also proved to have a strong spiritual pulse. Houses of worship are easy to find, but even on the streets you'll see examples of traditional spiritual celebrations like folk music concerts and festivals.

Natural Living Inside the Beltway

Washington has more than 30 vegetarian restaurants.

NATURALLY HEALTHY CITY

2 WASHINGTON D.C.

[GRADE B ]

VITAL STATS

Population: 519,000

Size: 68 square miles

Average Temperatures: 27 [degrees] (Jan.), 88 [degrees] (July)

REPORT CARD

Natural Offerings: A-

* A statistic worth noting: D.C. has 14 farmers markets, more than twice the number of other cities its size.

Physical Health: D

* Sadly, this city's average life expectancy of only 68.1 years is at least two years lower than any other city we looked at.

Emotional Health: A

* Only 16.3 percent of Washingtonians have high blood pressure, one of the lowest rates of the cities we surveyed.

Spiritual Health: A

* Charitable donations equaled an average total of $6.5 billion for one year at last count.

Environmental Health: A

* Washington had the best air quality of all the cities we rated.

AN ABUNDANCE OF FRESH produce and vegetarian food are two things that propelled Washington to the top of our charts. D.C. has more farmers markets per capita than any of the other cities we looked at. The nation's capital is home to the 21-year-old D.C. Open Air Farmers Market at RFK Stadium, which serves as many as 7,000 people a week, making it one of the largest year-round farmers markets in the nation. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which operates several farmers markets nationwide, has its headquarters in the heart of the district on Independence Avenue. The agency runs a market right in its parking lot every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May to November.

Washington teems with ethnic vegetarian restaurants to satisfy the taste buds of the thousands of international tourists and politicians who visit each year. D.C. is also home to the Vegetarian Society of the District of Columbia--the oldest vegetarian society in the nation. (For information about local vegetarian restaurants, catering, and events, including a raw vegan potluck, visit the society's website at www.vsdc.org.)