It’s easy to make New Year’s resolutions. The hard part is keeping them.
But before you blame yourself entirely for your previous lack of success, consider this: Your location may be setting you up for failure.
If you live in a neighborhood with no sidewalks or fitness centers nearby, for example, you may not feel as encouraged to exercise.
The same goes if most of your restaurant options are limited to fast food – you may be less likely to eat healthy.
More than 7 in 10 people admit they have failed to uphold their New Year’s resolutions in the past, according to a recent WalletHub survey, but there’s no reason not to try again.
As we set our goals for 2021, some of the biggest financial resolutions you might want to consider include paying off some of your credit card debt, adding to your emergency fund, and paying bills immediately after getting a paycheck.
2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions
With Americans’ top financial resolutions for 2021 being “to make a realistic budget and stick to it” and “to look for a better job” but the COVID-19 pandemic making it harder to stay on track, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions, as well as accompanying videos.
This new report complements WalletHub’s list of the top New Year’s Financial Resolutions for 2021 and corresponding consumer survey.
To help Americans stick to their 2021 goals, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 57 key metrics.
The data set ranges from exercise opportunities to income growth to employment outlook.
| Best Cities for Keeping Resolutions | Worst Cities for Keeping Resolutions |
| 1. Scottsdale, AZ | 173. Memphis, TN |
| 2. Salt Lake City, UT | 174. Brownsville, TX |
| 3. Seattle, WA | 175. San Bernardino, CA |
| 4. Irvine, CA | 176. Jackson, MS |
| 5. San Diego, CA | 177. Detroit, MI |
| 6. Overland Park, KS | 178. Charleston, WV |
| 7. San Francisco, CA | 179. Newark, NJ |
| 8. Fremont, CA | 180. Shreveport, LA |
| 9. Raleigh, NC | 181. Huntington, WV |
| 10. San Jose, CA | 182. Gulfport, MS |
Best vs. Worst
- San Francisco has the lowest share of obese adults, 17.10 percent, which is 2.7 times lower than in Jackson, Mississippi, the city with the highest at 45.90 percent.
- Fargo, North Dakota & Bismarck, North Dakota, have the lowest unemployment rate, 3.00 percent, which is 6.9 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 20.60 percent.
- San Francisco has the lowest share of delinquent debtors, 2.01 percent, which is 6.2 times lower than in Jackson, Mississippi, the city with the highest at 12.43 percent.
- Jackson, Mississippi, has the lowest prevalence of adult binge drinking, 11.70 percent, which is 2.1 times lower than in Madison, Wisconsin, the city with the highest at 24.90 percent.
- Irvine, California, has the lowest share of adult smokers, 8.50 percent, which is 3.4 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 29.30 percent.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, click here.
