Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
What are the best cities for spreading out your picnic blanket and enjoying a meal al fresco?
To find out, LawnStarter ranked the best cities for picnic lovers.
We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on four categories. We considered the number of public parks, the share of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park, and weather conditions, among 12 total metrics.
Dig into our following rankings. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
15. Albuquerque, NM
- Overall Score: 49.02
- Park Accessibility Rank: 7
- Climate Rank: 324
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 188
14. Pleasanton, CA
- Overall Score: 49.13
- Park Accessibility Rank: 117
- Climate Rank: 42
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 226
13. Oakland, CA
- Overall Score: 49.13
- Park Accessibility Rank: 15
- Climate Rank: 79
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 500
12. Lake Forest, CA
- Overall Score: 49.19
- Park Accessibility Rank: 112
- Climate Rank: 6
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 74
11. San Francisco, CA
- Overall Score: 49.41
- Park Accessibility Rank: 6
- Climate Rank: 102
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 496
10. Redwood City, CA
- Overall Score: 49.70
- Park Accessibility Rank: 74
- Climate Rank: 41
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 297
9. Fremont, CA
- Overall Score: 49.73
- Park Accessibility Rank: 25
- Climate Rank: 63
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 411
8. Phoenix, AZ
- Overall Score: 49.83
- Park Accessibility Rank: 26
- Climate Rank: 172
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 124
7. Simi Valley, CA
- Overall Score: 50.07
- Park Accessibility Rank: 181
- Climate Rank: 59
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 45
6. San Diego, CA
- Overall Score: 51.49
- Park Accessibility Rank: 12
- Climate Rank: 88
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 297
5. Tucson, AZ
- Overall Score: 51.61
- Park Accessibility Rank: 22
- Climate Rank: 139
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 130
4. Seattle, WA
- Overall Score: 51.70
- Park Accessibility Rank: 8
- Climate Rank: 133
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 421
3. Honolulu, HI
- Overall Score: 54.98
- Park Accessibility Rank: 35
- Climate Rank: 87
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 1
- Safety Rank: 112
2. Irvine, CA
- Overall Score: 55.82
- Park Accessibility Rank: 14
- Climate Rank: 44
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 170
1. Thousand Oaks, CA
- Overall Score: 56.32
- Park Accessibility Rank: 17
- Climate Rank: 46
- Laws and Regulations Rank: 2
- Safety Rank: 78
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Picnic Lovers. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into four categories: Park Accessibility, Climate, Laws and Regulations, and Safety. The factors are listed below.
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1).
- Share of Residents Within a 10-Minute Walk of a Park
- Number of Public Parks
- Share of Land Used for Parks and Recreation
- Number of Trails
- Percentage of Sunny Days
- Average Annual Precipitation (in Inches)
- Average Number of Very Hot Days
- Average Number of Very Cold Days
- Dirtiest Cities Ranking
- Public Drinking Banned in State
- Crime Index (Safer than % of American Cities)
- Tick-borne Disease Rank
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