The City in a Forest™ is increasingly becoming known as a city with a top-flight system of parks and greenspaces, and a new national ranking could help bolster that reputation. 

The City of Atlanta has cracked the top five in a 2026 “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” analysis compiled by personal finance website WalletHub, which compared recreational attributes of the largest 100 cities in the U.S. right now.

Atlanta ranked No. 4—behind Las Vegas, Orlando, and yes Cincinnati, respectively—when WalletHub analysts weighed 47 metrics related to the benefits of recreational activity in each city. 

Atlanta shined most when it came to parks and recreation spending per capita (No. 1)—and our sheer number of heat-relief swimming pools (also No. 1). 

WalletHub 2026

The study examined each city proper and not metro areas. Key factors included quality of parks, weather, entertainment and recreational facilities, and costs associated with getting out and having a good time. 

Everything from bike infrastructure, tennis courts, music venues, basketball hoops per capita, hiking trails, pool halls, “sports-fan friendliness,” and more fell under the Entertainment and Recreational Facilities category, which was the most heavily weighted. 

A leisurely day in Midtown greenspace Piedmont Park in spring 2025. Shutterstock

Las Vegas topped the list for not just casinos but “an extremely high number of attractions overall,” including amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, and music venues per capita, along with restaurants considered affordable with 4.5-star ratings or higher, per WalletHub’s findings. 

The study’s release coincides with July being National Parks and Recreation Month. 

Below are a few highlights of ATL’s performance in 2026:

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Recreation in Atlanta (1 = best; 50 = average):

  • Overall rank: 4th
  • 1st – Spending on parks and recreation per capita
  • 1st – Swimming pools per capita
  • 14th – Bike rental facilities per capita
  • 32nd – Percent of population with walkable park access
  • 12th – Music venues per capita
  • 4th – Tennis courts per capita
  • 19th – Park playgrounds per capita

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Here’s a closer look at how the City of Atlanta stacked up against U.S. brethren this year, per WalletHub’s findings: 

WalletHub

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And here’s the bottom 10 performing cities of the 100 studied, according to WalletHub: 

The worst-performing large cities of 100 studied in 2026. WalletHub

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•  Atlanta's ascension continues in national, annual ranking of city parks (Urbanize Atlanta)