Virginia Beach Again One Of The Best Places For Outdoor Enthusiasts To Live And Work
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Glen Pearson
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Last year financial technology company SmartAsset conducted a study of the country’s largest cities and declared Virginia Beach the 10th best city for lovers of the great outdoors. This year’s version of the study has just been released, and The Beach is in the top ten again, but now has Chesapeake alongside it.
SmartAsset created this year’s list by comparing 96 of the country’s largest cities using nine relevant metrics that included air pollution levels, parks & campgrounds per capita, percentage of commuters who walk or bike to work, percentage of city that is parkland, and five-year change in median household income.
Virginia Beach moves up two places from 10th to 8th this year, and is now joined on the list by Chesapeake at 9th. Arlington, VA rounds out the top ten, meaning The Old Dominion shares honors with Florida as the best-represented states in the top ten.
Roughly 16% of Virginia Beach, Virginia is designated parkland, which is the 16th-highest rate out of all 96 cities we considered. There are also four nature parks and campgrounds available in this city, or a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents. Additionally, air quality in Virginia Beach is high, as its average daily particulate matter is 6.7 (ranking eighth-best).
And they didn’t mention the longest pleasure beach in the world for all the surfers and bodyboarders and skimboarders out there.
Virginia Beach boasts a whopping 293 parks and park facilities (including two state parks) totaling more than 7000 acres. And if you prefer to be on the water, there are five boat launches for all your boating, kayaking, and stand up paddleboarding needs. But if you like pedal power, we’ve got over 300 miles of bikeways and trails to keep you exploring year round.
Wherever you are in the city there’s a wealth of outdoor options, so try out the free ParkFinder mobile app to find out what’s available near you.
The city that is best for lovers of the outdoors this year is St. Petersbug, FL. Richmond, VA makes it into the top 50 as the 33rd best place for outdoors lovers this year.
10 Best Places For Outdoor Enthusiasts To Live And Work 2022
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Madison, WI
- Anchorage, AK
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Tampa, FL
- Orlando, FL
- Minneapolis, MN
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Chesapeake, VA
- Arlington, VA
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Glen Pearson
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