What is the healthiest city in the United States these days? Or maybe an even more interesting question is: what is the healthiest city for women? As it turns out, some cities are healthier than others for women’s health.

The heart-healthiest cities in America for women are Minneapolis, Washington, DC, and San Francisco.

The unhealthiest cities include Nashville, St. Louis and Detroit. Women who live in these cities have a high likelihood of dying prematurely from heart disease or stroke.

The rankings were based on a survey conducted by the American Heart Association that examine 22 factors affecting women’s health, including rates of heart related deaths, high blood pressure, exercise and smoking.

Other heart-healthy communities included Denver, Boston, Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Los Angeles. Pittsburgh, Dallas, Columbus, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Cleveland and Indianapolis rounded out the list of unhealthy cities. Women in these towns were more likely to be overweight, smoke cigarettes, frequent fast-food restaurants and get very little exercise.

These cities also have fewer teaching hospitals and physicians. In general, communities in the Midwest and South are five-10 years behind the rest of the country in appreciating the importance of regular exercise and healthy diet for preventing disease. [sources: American Heart Association, Fitness Rx]