They also have extreme temperatures. San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Portland, Ore., Denver and Honolulu were healthier cities. Minneapolis was rated the second healthiest city in the country. Which takes away one of Omaha's excuses. The roots of an answer, experts say, could be in the heritages and latitudes of both cities.
Minneapolis winters are longer and colder.
The lakes stay frozen longer, the ground is covered with snow longer and more regularly. While Omahans tend to hibernate, Minnesotans tend to celebrate winter. So we really need to get out and continue living in winter. So Minnesotans are out there skating and cross-country skiing from November through March. And the city is designed to foster winter sports, with ponds in most every neighborhood and cross-country ski trails on city trails and through public golf courses.