WalletHub released a list of the 25 most fun cities in the country. Among the top 10 are New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. Factors considered in the ranking include leisure, nightlife and cost.
Move over, Miami. Las Vegas is the most fun city in the United States, according to WalletHub’s 2023 rankings.
Welcome to dazzling lights, endless casinos and the new Sphere, the city tops the list for its balance of entertainment and affordability. The personal finance company said that while Vegas isn’t the cheapest city for fun, it falls somewhere between the costs of activities and food.
Sin City, which scored 71.38, is known as a flashy tourist destination with plenty of attractions, 4.5-star or higher restaurants and is one of the few cities where public consumption is allowed almost everywhere.
“In terms of activities, Vegas unsurprisingly has the largest number of casinos in the country. But it is also known for its artists, particularly in music,” the report says.
Florida cities take second and third places
Orlando, Florida and Miami are behind Las Vegas as the cities where people can have the most fun in America.
Ranking second with an overall score of 62.42, Orlando is best known for its theme parks like the world of Disney and Universal Studios. It’s also a hub for soccer fans, with low nightly rates at 3-star hotel rooms and low average prices for meals, like pizza and burgers, according to WalletHub.
Miami ranks as the third most fun city in America because of its beaches, boat tours, and water sports. The city, with an overall score of 55.91, is also close to natural sites like the Everglades and more than 88 percent of the city’s residents live within a half-mile of a park, the report added.
“We also can’t talk about Miami without mentioning its famous sports teams, like the Miami Dolphinswhich allowed the city to rank as the sixth best football fan,” the report said.
What are the most fun cities in the United States?
Here are the 25 most fun American cities (and their overall score):
- #1 – Las Vegas (71.38)
- #2 – Orlando, Florida (62.42)
- #3 – Miami, Florida (55.91)
- #4 – Atlanta, Georgia (55.73)
- #5 – San Francisco, California (53.35)
- #6 – New Orleans, LA (52.49)
- #7 – Austin, Texas (51.60)
- #8 – Chicago, IL (50.57)
- #9 – Honolulu, HI (49.98)
- #10 – New York, New York (49.35)
- #11 – Cincinnati, Ohio (49.22)
- #12 – Denver, Colorado (48.99)
- #13 – Portland, Oregon (48.86)
- #14 – St. Louis, Missouri (48.78)
- #15 – Washington, DC (48.67)
- #16 – San Diego, California (48.33)
- #17 – Tampa, Florida (47.83)
- #18 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida (47.40)
- #19 – Houston, TX (47.28)
- #20 – Los Angeles, California (47.01)
- #21 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (45.35)
- #22 – Seattle, Washington (44.90)
- #23 – Salt Lake City, Utah (44.25)
- #24 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (44.24)
- #25 – San Antonio, Texas (44.12)
For the complete ranking of 182 different American cities, see the full report.
Most expensive US cities: San Diego ranks number one with LA and Santa Barbara in the top five
Ranking analyzed entertainment, nightlife and costs
WalletHub’s report compared the 150 most populous U.S. cities and at least two of the most populous cities in each state. The report looks at three main aspects, namely entertainment and leisure, nightlife and costs.
Each of the three aspects was calculated using 65 relevant parameters rated on a 100-point scale. A score of 100 means the city has the greatest number and variety of fun and profitable activities. The report does not take into account the surrounding metropolitan area of the 182 cities.
The report also calculated the city’s weighted average on all parameters to calculate its overall score and finalize the ranking.
