Gilbert likes to boast about its national quality-of-life rankings from various organizations, things like: second safest large city in America; No. 1 place to live in Arizona; second fastest rising city; third best rebound in unemployment rates; No. 9 place to raise a family; best median household income. The list goes on.
But here are a few you won’t see on any town brochures: Ranked last among park systems across the top 100 most populated cities in the country, according to the Trust for Public Land’s 2023 ParkScore system; lowest score for amenities in that assessment; 90th of 100 cities, and worst in Arizona, in WalletHub’s rankings of best and worst cities for recreation.
“This isn't a lack of trying because we are at max capacity,” Gilbert Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona said. “We've just reached that capacity level in which we can provide those services that the residents are requesting and wanting more of.”
