Calif. Ranks High -- And Low -- On Best Cities For Recreation List

Given the opportunity, would you stay home or get out and play? Where you live more than likely determines how likely you are to leave the comforts of home for the activities, parks and play areas in your town.

"Staying active is not only good for your health it’s also good for your wallet," Wallethub said of their Best and Worst Cities for Recreation 2017 survey. "And one of the best ways to maintain an active lifestyle is to choose a city that encourages and facilitates recreation."

In the recently released "Best and Worst Cities For Recreation" list by Wallethub, California cities ranked high in the Best side of that list. Cities nation wide were evaluated for:

• Entertainment and Recreational Facilities
• Cost
• Quality of Parks
• Weather

What does it take to be ranked on the "Best" part of the "Best and Worst Cities For Recreation" list on Wallethub? According to the site's methodology, towns must have a variety of leisure-time activities, both indoors and outdoors, at all levels of exertion.

Getting out and getting active can improve public health and reduce pollution, according to Wallethub.

Location, Location, Location.

Park proximity can also increase your real estate values, according to Wallethub.

"In Washington, for instance, close proximity to a park increases a home's value by 5-percent," Wallethub says.

Balance of Cost, Quality and Weather.

While two California cities topped the weather category (Riverside and Bakersfield, respectively,) both of those city's quality of parks ranked among the lowest of cities tabulated.

San Francisco and San Diego ranked at the top two cities for Entertainment and Recreational Facilities however the cost of those facilities were among the most expensive to use. Only New York City, New York was more expensive according to Wallethub.

"In each city, we examined basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities, as well as the weather," Wallethub said.

Best Recreation Cities in the Country.

Topping the list, Orlando, Florida with San Diego, California at a close second and Las Vegas, Nevada bringing in third place.

San Diego was leaps and bounds ahead in the Entertainment and Recreational Facilities, Quality of Parks categories, however fell behind in the cost of things to do in the area.

The top ranking Best Recreational Cities in California included:

1. San Diego (Number 2 nationally)
2. San Francisco (Number 9 nationally)
3. Sacramento (Number 15 nationally)
4. Los Angeles (Number 17 nationally)
5. Long Beach (Number 35 nationally)
6. Stockton (Number 39 nationally)
7. Bakersfield (Number 41 nationally)
8. Irvine (Number 60 nationally)
9. Anaheim (Number 63 nationally)
10. Fresno (Number 71 nationally)
11. San Bernardino (Number 75 nationally)
12. San Jose (Number 80 nationally)
13. Riverside (Number 88 nationally)
14. Fremont (Number 92 nationally)
15. Santa Ana (Number 94 nationally)
16. Oakland (Number 95 nationally)
17. Chula Vista (Number 97 nationally)

Using sources from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Council for Community and Economic Research, The Trust for Public Land, Golf.com and a variety of review sites, the experts at Wallethub ranked 100 cities across the country for everything from cost of movie tickets, designed play-lands, ideal weather to sports parks and fan friendliness to name a few.

According to the methodology used in creating the exhaustive 2017 Most Fun list, a wide range of varied-exertion level leisure-time activities, both indoor and outdoor.

What do YOU think of the rankings? Do you agree with the order? Tell us in the comments below!

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Photo, courtesy GoPlay Foundation of Orange County