The definition of a great city has evolved throughout history. Once, it was defined by the capacity of its walls to withstand an onslaught of barbarian hordes. Later, a magnificent metropolis was viewed as one that not only protected its citizens from rape and pillage but also offered them indoor plumbing! Today, Men's Health believes that a great city for men must excel in 35 criteria, covering everything from air quality to employment, life expectancy to commute times. In other words, ancient Rome wouldn't have stood a chance.

For our ninth annual Best & Worst Cities for Men, we staged our biggest statistical showdown yet. In addition to the criteria we've already mentioned, we also compiled and calculated data on death rates from more than a half dozen causes, along with the propensity of male citizens to eat themselves into a weight problem (and not exercise their way out of it).

Of course, quality of life is as important as quantity, so we finished by factoring in the ratio of single women to single men. The winner? You. Because we didn't stop at pinpointing which cities are best for men—we also stole some of their secrets.

Birmingham, AL

Overall ranking: 100

Health: 86
Life: 79
Fitness: 99


Philadelphia, PA

Overall ranking: 99

Health: 100
Life: 69
Fitness: 76

Jacksonville, FL

Overall ranking: 98

Health: 99
Life: 82
Fitness: 72

Detroit, MI

Overall ranking: 97

Health: 86
Life: 98
Fitness: 58

St. Louis, MO

Overall ranking: 96

Health: 91
Life: 76
Fitness: 93

Memphis, TN

Overall ranking: 95

Health: 93
Life: 77
Fitness: 90

Charleston, WV

Overall ranking: 94

Health: 92
Life: 33
Fitness: 100

Louisville, KY

Overall ranking: 93

Health: 88
Life: 50
Fitness: 95

St. Petersburg, FL

Overall ranking: 92

Health: 71
Life: 87
Fitness: 96

Toledo, OH

Overall ranking: 91

Health: 80
Life: 88
Fitness: 79


Baltimore, MD

Overall ranking: 90

Health: 95
Life: 51
Fitness: 83

Las Vegas, NV

Overall ranking: 89

Health: 76
Life: 99
Fitness: 63

New Orleans, LA

Overall ranking: 88

Health: 94
Life: 23
Fitness: 88
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Oklahoma City, OK

Overall ranking: 87

Health: 98
Life: 29
Fitness: 70

Jackson, MS

Overall ranking: 86

Health: 78
Life: 35
Fitness: 72

Kansas City, MO

Overall ranking: 85

Health: 97
Life: 34
Fitness: 69

Cleveland, OH

Overall ranking: 84

Health: 70
Life: 72
Fitness: 91

Montgomery, AL

Overall ranking: 83

Health: 90
Life: 36
Fitness: 84

Wichita, KS

Overall ranking: 82

Health: 89
Life: 40
Fitness: 78

Bakersfield, CA

Overall ranking: 81

Health: 84
Life: 89
Fitness: 38

Indianapolis, IN

Overall ranking: 80

Health: 85
Life: 61
Fitness: 57

Tulsa, OK

Overall ranking: 79

Health: 87
Life: 22
Fitness: 80

Newark, NJ

Overall ranking: 78

Health: 79
Life: 60
Fitness: 66


Miami, FL

Overall ranking: 77

Health: 38
Life: 96
Fitness: 92

Tampa, FL

Overall ranking: 76

Health: 63
Life: 70
Fitness: 85


Pittsburgh, PA

Overall ranking: 75

Health: 58
Life: 41
Fitness: 98


Richmond, VA

Overall ranking: 74

Health: 83
Life: 27
Fitness: 68


Nashville, TN

Overall ranking: 73

Health: 72
Life: 63
Fitness: 71

Chicago, IL

Overall ranking: 72

Health: 81
Life: 85
Fitness: 24

Modesto, CA

Overall ranking: 71

Health: 59
Life: 100
Fitness: 39

Columbus, OH

Overall ranking: 70

Health: 82
Life: 68
Fitness: 31


Riverside, CA

Overall ranking: 69

Health: 68
Life: 97
Fitness: 25

Columbia, SC

Overall ranking: 68

Health: 77
Life: 24
Fitness: 61

Greensboro, NC

Overall ranking: 67

Health: 57
Life: 56
Fitness: 75



Health: 18
Life: 78
Fitness: 81


Overall ranking: 46

Health: 39
Life: 93
Fitness: 32