// BEGIN editorial data var i = 0; var TDY_Self_10Cities = new Array(); TDY_Self_10Cities.ID = "TDY_Self_10Cities"; TDY_Self_10Cities.ID_WB = 27927867; TDY_Self_10Cities.sPubDate = "11/26/2008 8:04:33 PM GMT"; TDY_Self_10Cities.navsectionID = "3032632" TDY_Self_10Cities.appFmt = 9; TDY_Self_10Cities.itemsPerPage = 1; TDY_Self_10Cities.appWidth = 460; TDY_Self_10Cities.appHeader = "10 healthiest American cities for women"; TDY_Self_10Cities.appDeck = "SELF magazine digs deep to find the top places for ladies to live "; TDY_Self_10Cities.appFooter = "Source: SELF magazine"; TDY_Self_10Cities.appNavStyle = 3; TDY_Self_10Cities.bDhtml = 0; TDY_Self_10Cities.appLayout = 3; TDY_Self_10Cities.copyHeight = 400; TDY_Self_10Cities.copyWidth = 325; TDY_Self_10Cities.copyMargin = 9; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Top cities","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/081126-tdy-bestcities-SF.htease.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "left", "", "Featurepics.com", "100", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
Where are the healthiest places for women to live? SELF ranked the largest U.S. metro areas to find out. We analyzed roughly 8,000 bits of data in more than 50 categories, including death and disease rates, environmental indicators, community resources and lifestyle habits. Sperling's BestPlaces in Portland, Oregon, helped us gather the data and crunch the numbers, and an expert panel decided how much weight to give each criterion.

Where applicable, all data is women-specific and weighted for age and population size; averages are for the 100 cities on SELF's list. How did your hometown do?"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Md.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
Population: 1,166,242
2008 ranking: 1 out of 100
2007 ranking: Unranked

Pros

  • Top scores for scarcity of toxic sites and prevalence of green buildings
  • Highest rates of ob/gyns and internists per capita
  • The list's lowest unemployment rate

    Cons

  • One of the lists's longest average daily commutes, at nearly 72 minutes round trip
  • Above-average suicide rate
  • 15 fewer days of sunshine than average"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City, Calif.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 1,719,044
    2008 ranking: 2 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 1 out of 100

    Pros

  • The survey's lowest rate of obesity
  • Top score on list for dental health
  • Many more ob/gyns and internists per capita compared to other places

    Cons

  • Above average drinking rates
  • Highest rate of allergies of anywhere on the list
  • Long commute of 64 minutes round trip, on average"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Honolulu, Hawaii","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 914,163
    2008 ranking: 3 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 4 out of 100

    Pros

  • Among the 10 lowest obesity rates on SELF's list
  • Among the five lowest cancer death rates among women
  • Best score for safe sex practices

    Cons

  • Less than half the average number of health clubs per capita
  • Longer-than-average commute time of more than one hour round trip
  • Above-average drinking rates"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Nassau-Suffolk counties, N.Y>","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 2,814,852
    2008 ranking: 4 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 2 out of 100

    Pros

  • 77 percent fewer rapes reported than in the average place on list
  • Lowest depression rate on the list
  • Women exercise more and have lower BMIs compared to the average

    Cons

  • Among the places with the highest number of toxic sites
  • Longer-than-average commute of 70 minutes a day
  • Among the places with the most deaths from ovarian cancer per capita"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Mass.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 1,454,593
    2008 ranking: 5 out of 100
    2007 ranking: Unranked

    Pros

  • Area reports one of the lowest rates of cervical cancer
  • One of the highest ratings for psychiatric care availability
  • In the top five cities for women receiving clinical breast exams

    Cons

  • Poor scores for prevalence of toxic sites
  • Among the 10 areas with the most reported respiratory infections
  • Below-average exercise rates"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 906,167
    2008 ranking: 6 out of 100
    2007 ranking: Unranked

    Pros

  • Among the five areas with the lowest rates of migraines
  • Above-average access to gyms/health clubs per capita
  • One of the five cities with the lowest rates of rape and vehicular deaths

    Cons

  • Women report low levels of social and emotional support
  • Above-average drinking rates
  • 40 fewer days of sunshine than average"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","New York–White Plains, NY/Wayne, N.J.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 11,573,024
    2008 ranking 7 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 8 out of 100

    Pros

  • 43 percent more ob/gyns and internists per capita compared to average
  • Among the five places with the lowest rates of vehicular deaths
  • Women are more likely to walk to work here than in any other place

    Cons

  • Higher-than-average deaths from heart disease, breast cancer and cervical cancer
  • Women report some of the list's lowest levels of social and emotional support
  • Fewer health clubs and gyms per capita than average"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Santa Ana–Anaheim-Irvine, Calif.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 3,049,355
    2008 ranking: 8 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 6 out of 100

    Pros

  • Among the five lowest smoking rates on list
  • Scored in the top 10 cities for healthy eating habits
  • Among the 10 highest exercise rates on list

    Cons

  • Longer-than-average commute of nearly one hour round trip, on average
  • Above-average drinking rate
  • Poor scores for air quality and prevalence of toxic sites"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, Calif.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 1,794,025
    2008 ranking: 9 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 3 out of 100

    Pros

  • One of the list's five lowest smoking rates
  • Among top 10 places for healthy eating
  • Cancer deaths in women 18 percent lower than average

    Cons

  • Above-average number of toxic sites
  • Among five cities with highest allergy rates
  • Below-average rates of women getting Pap smears, mammograms and breast exams"; TDY_Self_10Cities[i++] = new Array("","Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TDY_Self_10Cities[i-1].body = "
    Population: 2,497,870
    2008 ranking: 10 out of 100
    2007 ranking: 14 out of 100

    Pros

  • Among the top 10 scores for seat belt usage
  • Among 10 lowest rates of death from breast and cervical cancers
  • Washington is among the five best states for access to birth control and abortion

    Cons

  • 60 fewer days of sunshine than the average place SELF surveyed
  • Above-average suicide rate and 60 fewer days of sunshine than average
  • One of the 10 poorest air quality scores and higher than average rates of asthma

    Click here for SELF's full report."; // END editorial data