When it comes to ranking America's neighborhood parks, Sacramento scores well above average but there's still room for improvement.
California's Capitol City comes in 22nd on the Trust for Public Land's 7th annual Parkscore index - and gets above-average marks for accessibility. According to the non-profit's research, 78 percent of Sacramentans meet the national standard of living within a ten-minute walk of a city park.
“We find that if you can walk to a park or open space within ten minutes of your home, you’re actually going to go there and use it,” said Guillermo Rodriguez of the Trust for Public Land.
This year's ParkScore rankings are based on Access, Acreage, Investment and Amenities.
Sacramento scores well on playground access and funding for its city parks but is below average when it comes to restroom availability - with less than two for every 10,000 residents.
“In order to enjoy the park, you really have to have a restroom nearby,” Rodriguez noted.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, rank one and two for having the best park systems in the nation. San Francisco is California's highest ranking city, placing 5th.