Washington D.C., Irvine, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Cincinnati Top 2026 ParkScore Rankings

The 2026 ParkScore index from Trust for Public Land has been published, evaluating park systems in the 100 largest cities in the U.S. across five criteria: access, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities. For the sixth year in a row, Washington, D.C. topped the list with a score of 85.1, largely due to its impressive access and equity ratings. Following in second place is Irvine, California, with 84.1 points, thanks to the ongoing transformation of the Great Park, a former military site. Minneapolis came in third at 83.4, with 99% of its residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park and a spending rate of $346 per person. St. Paul closely trailed at 83.2, also achieving 99% access and ranking highest for basketball hoops. Cincinnati completed the top five with a score of 81.2, receiving perfect ratings for its playgrounds and sports fields. The index noted that only 76% of residents in these major cities have access to parks within a 10-minute walk, with significant variations in spending per resident. Trust for Public Land's economic study indicated that city parks yield $3 in benefits for every dollar invested.