Is Your City in the Top 50 Swim Cities in the US?

Last week, the happy swimmers at USA Swimming and Speedo released a report on the top 50 swim cities in the US. Along the criteria, they picked number of accessible pools, numbers of swimmers, swim clubs and number of standout swimmers (that’s Olympians and elite swimmers). These cities take their swimming seriously and that’s a great thing. Swimming is a wonderful recreational activity as well as a true lifesaver. You know how anal I am about kids being able to swim. Safety first, guys, safety first! Swimming is the only sport that can save lives.

Of course, I’ve been taking my girls to swim classes ever since they were babies. At ages 9 and 10, they’re now comfortable in the water and proficient swimmers in a pool. They might not be Olympic material, but they can float, swim, dive, tumble-turn and goof around in the water very happily. I’m a happy mom!

To share some swimming love, here is the full list of top 50 cities, followed by fun facts about the top 10 cities, and a lovely infographic on the top 10. Put on your Speedos, here goes!

1. Ann Arbor, MI
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
3. Raleigh-Durham, NC
4. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
6. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
7. Madison, WI
8. Austin-Round Rock, TX
9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
10. Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
11. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
12. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
13. Boulder, CO
14. Trenton-Ewing, NJ
15. Colorado Springs, CO
16. Anchorage, AK
17. Minneapolis-St Paul, MN
18. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
19. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
20. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA
21. Lexington-Fayette, KY
22. Lincoln, NE
23. Richmond, VA
24. Denver-Aurora, CO
25. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC
26. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
27. Tallahassee, FL
28. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
29. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
30. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
31. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
32. Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
33. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI
34. Provo-Orem, UT
35. Reno-Sparks, NV
36. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
37. New Haven-Milford, CT
38. Albuquerque, NM
39. Columbus, OH
40. Baltimore-Towson, MD
41. Pittsburgh, PA
42. Tucson, AZ
43. Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA
44. Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
45. Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL
46. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
47. Fort Wayne, IN
48. South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
49. Rochester, NY
50. Salt Lake City, UT

Fun facts

San Jose-Santa Clara: This hotbed for swimming owns the most USA Swimming members per 1,000 people and the largest multicultural make-up of any region. Legends Mark Spitz and Donna de Varona grew up in the area.
Raleigh-Durham: Offers access to a large number of pool facilities for robust summer league participation, plus boasts a high percentage of top-performing athletes in USA Swimming competitions.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk: Possesses one of the greatest national indexes for number of USA Swimming clubs, USA Swimming members and top-performing athletes.
San Francisco-Oakland: Owns the biggest collection of U.S. Masters (adult) swimmers and is also home to Olympic Gold Medalists Natalie Coughlin and Nathan Adrian, among many others.
Fort Collins: Scored very high in the number of USA Swimming members, clubs and top-performing swimmers relative to its population.
Madison: Ranks second of all cities on the index for USA Swimming members and is among the top for number of facilities within city limits.
Austin: Renowned for its active lifestyle, the city flaunts a large population of those who swim for fitness and also a high percentage of residents who are USA Swimming members, and a number of Olympic champions including Brendan Hansen.
Los Angeles-Orange County: The massive population is filled with quality pool facilities and is the birthplace of numerous Olympic Gold Medalists, including Jessica Hardy.
Indianapolis: Home to multiple USA Swimming national meets, the area boasts a high percentage of clubs and active members within the region’s population base. Local Carmel High School has won 28-straight state swimming titles.