Irvine has officially secured its spot as a national leader in urban excellence, capturing the No. 2 spot in the 2026 ParkScore index for the second year in a row.
Irvine’s score of 84.1 on Trust for Public Land’s 2026 ParkScore Index ranks behind only Washington, D.C., which scored 85.1. Thanks to decades of masterplanning with an emphasis on parks and open space, the report found that 94% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, far above the 76% national average. Irvine also ranks at or near the top in the nation for park acreage percentage and annual investment. Irvine’s ranking has improved steadily, up from the 10th spot in 2018 and fourth in 2022 and 2023.
Only one other California city ranks in the top ten: San Francisco, in sixth place. In Southern California, the city with the next closest score is Santa Clarita, ranked 40th. Santa Ana is ranked 75th while Anaheim comes in at No. 84.
Accompanying this year’s ParkScore Index, Trust for Public Land released a report on the return on investment from parks.
“Americans from all walks of life love their local parks, and they want leaders to invest in them,” says Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “The 2026 ParkScore rankings and results show why: Parks deliver real returns, generating $3 in economic benefits for every $1 invested, while improving physical and mental health and strengthening communities.”
Along with the ParkScore rankings and the ROI report, Trust for Public Land shared a new national survey on park use. The research found that 88% of Americans visited a public park last year, and over half said they’d like to spend even more time outdoors. People noted that parks are key for staying fit (71%), clearing their heads (61%) and meeting up with others (46%). According to the national survey, 88% of residents want their cities to keep investing in local parks and recreation.
