Atlanta's park system now one of the top 20 in the nation in annual ParkScore ranking
Atlanta's park system is now one of the 20 best in the nation, according to a new ranking by a national organization.
This week, the Trust for Public Land announced that Atlanta has ranked 18th in its annual ParkScore Index, a comparison of park systems of the 100 most populous cities in the United States.
The new ranking is three higher than in 2025, and a great leap from a decade ago, when Georgia's largest city ranked 51st.
With a score of 67.9 out of 100, Atlanta was ranked between San Diego, California, and St. Petersburg, Florida.
City officials pointed to new data showing that nearly 85% of Atlanta residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Atlanta also scored high on the number of paygrounds, senior and recreation centers, dog parks, and splash pads.
"Atlanta's continuous rise in the ParkScore Index, from 49th when I first took office to now 18th, is further proof that meaningful, deliberate investments deliver results," Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. "For more than four years, our Administration has worked to ensure every neighborhood across this city has access to quality parks and greenspace. These spaces are more than just land, they are community; places to gather, celebrate and make memories."
There are places for improvements, however. Atlanta ranks low in percentage of parkland and only scored 23 out of 100 points for median park size.
"Atlanta's new status as a top 20 ParkScore city reflects its significant, long-term commitment to improve the lives of residents by building and maintaining a world-class park system," said George Dusenbury, the vice president of ParkScore for Trust for Public Land. "By continuing to add new parks, improve recreational amenities, and increase funding for park maintenance, Mayor Dickens can build upon Atlanta's best-ever ParkScore rating and lead the city even higher."
The city with the best park score was Washington, D.C., followed by Irvine, California, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
