Most Americans are familiar with the popular city rankings of the fattest cities, the fittest cities, the most livable cities and the most expensive cities. The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has identified the cities that take sun protection seriously and those that fail to make the grade despite repeated health warnings.
The “Suntelligence: How Sun Smart is Your City?” online survey polled more than 7,000 adults in 26 U.S. metropolitan cities to determine their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, toward tanning, sun protection and skin cancer detection. These cities were then ranked based on their answers to several question in each category.
The rankings of the 32 metropolitan areas are as follows:
No. 1 – Hartford, CT
No. 2 – Salt Lake City, UT
No. 3 – Denver and Aurora, CO
No. 4 – Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, FL
No. 5 – Boston, Cambridge and Quincy, MA
No. 6 – Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale, AZ
No. 7 – Atlanta, Sandy Springs and Marietta, GA
No. 8 – Philadelphia, Camden and Wilmington, PA
No. 9 - Portland, Vancouver and Beaverton, OR
No. 10 – Baltimore and Towson, MD
No. 11 – Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, TX
No. 12 – Houston, Sugar Land, and Baytown, TX
No. 13 – Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach, FL
No. 14 – San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont, CA
No. 15 – Washington, Arlington, and Alexandria, VA
No. 16 – Detroit, Warren, and Livonia, MI
No. 17 – San Diego, Carlsbad, and San Marcos, CA
No. 18 – Cincinnati and Middletown, OH
No. 19 – New York, Northern New Jersey and Long Island
No. 20 – Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington, MN
No. 21 – St. Louis, MO
No. 22 – Los Angeles, Long Beach and Santa Ana, CA
No. 23 – Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue, WA
No. 24 – Cleveland, Elyria and Mentor, OH
No. 25 – Chicago, Naperville and Joliet, IL
No. 26 – Pittsburgh, PA