There's no way around it: WalletHub's fair methodology when it comes to determining cities and states across the U.S. never fails Texas. Not only did they determine that for Summer 2017, is one of the best road trip states, but their list on 2016's Worst and Best Cities for Your Skin highlights five Texas cities doing their part on the defense against skin cancer.
Before we get into the full list, here's how WalletHub determined the winners and the losers. Their team of analysts "compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across four key areas: Skin-Cancer Prevalence & Contributors; Pollution & Smoking; Climate; and Skin Health & Care." The overall score for each city was calculated using the weighted average of all 17 metrics, and they were ranked accordingly.
Cities that have blue dots have the best shot at preventing skin cancer, while those that are orange have the worst chance at preventing skin cancer.
The 10 Best Cities
10. New York, New York
9. Newark, New Jersey
8. Dallas, Texas
7. Memphis, Tennessee
6. Plano, Texas
5. Santa Rosa, California
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. Austin, Texas
2. San Antonio, Texas
1. El Paso, Texas
So why does Texas, a Southern state with a high average heat index, reign supreme when it comes to skin care and health?
Well, for one, El Paso, San Antonio, and Austin all have extremely low incidences of melanoma per capita compared to the other 147 cities.
The 10 Worst Cities
150. Port St. Lucie, Florida
149. Akron, Ohio
148. Shreveport, Louisiana
147. St. Petersburg, Florida
146. Cape Coral, Florida
145. Spokane, Washington
144. Toledo, Ohio
143. Chattanooga, Tennessee
142. Amarillo, Texas
141. Oxnard, California
According to a report from the American Cancer Society released in 2016, over 5 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. Limiting skin's exposure to the sun is the first and foremost way we should be thinking about protecting our skin.
Take a closer look at the methodology of the study below.
Here's a closer look into the numbers to determine the cities' rankings, per WalletHub.
Skin-Cancer Prevalence & Contributors - Total Points: 40
- Melanoma Incidence Rate per 100,000 Residents: Triple Weight (~17.14 Points)
- Skin-Cancer Death Rate per 100,000 Residents: Triple Weight (~17.14 Points)
- Number of Tanning Salons per 100,000 Residents: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Pollution & Smoking - Total Points: 20
- Air Pollution: Triple Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Smoking Rate Among Adults: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Local 100% Smoke-Free Laws: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Water Quality: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Climate - Total Points: 20
- Ultraviolet Index: Triple Weight (~10.91 Points)
- Humidity: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Average Wind Speed: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)
- Number of Days with Extreme Temperatures: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Skin Health & Care - Total Points: 20
- Number of Dermatologists per 100,000 Residents: Double Weight (~5.71 Points)
- Number of Skin-Care Specialists per 100,000 Residents: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Number of Skin-Care Centers per 100,000 Residents: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Number of Cosmetics- & Beauty-Supply Stores per 100,000 Residents: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Cost of a Dermatologist: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Cost of Cosmetic Medicine: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
