Chill, dude. Thursday is National Relaxation Day.
Not sure how to kick back and celebrate the day? Try heading to Naperville — the fifth most relaxed city in the United States — and the only Illinois city to make the Top 10 list — according to recent rankings from LawnStarter, a national lawn care company.
Being named the “best of” something is nothing new for Naperville.
In May, Naperville was recognized as Niche’s “Best City to Live in America” list. The city also earned top honors from Niche for “Best Cities to Raise a Family” and “Cities with the Best Public Schools.” It also ranked third on Niche’s list for “Best Cities to Buy a House in America.” Livability also ranked Naperville the 5th best place to live in the U.S.
“Every one of these designations is an honor for our city,” Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli said Wednesday.
The LawnStarter study noted that 89% of Naperville residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, contributing to the city’s relaxed vibes.
Courtesy of Naperville Park District
LawnStarter compared the 500 largest U.S. cities based on various categories, including housing affordability, the average workday length, depression rates and access to mental health providers.
According to LawnStarter, Naperville has 740 mental health care providers for every 100,000 residents and 89% of its residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Wehrli credited the park district for its “amazing recreational opportunities and outside places” as one of the reasons Naperville receives accolades like making the Top 10 list for most relaxed cities in the U.S.
Who else made LawnStarter’s list of most relaxed cities? The top 100 included Arlington Heights, 40; Evanston, 43; Schaumburg, 72; Bolingbrook, 83; and Aurora, 93. Elgin came in at 153rd.