We all know Florida is fun. But which of its cities is more entertaining? How do Sunshine State municipalities rank compared to other municipalities?
Personal finance company WalletHub recently released its annual “America’s Most Fun Cities” report, with two Florida cities ranking in the top five.
“The most fun cities naturally include some of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S., like Las Vegas, Orlando and Miami, but these cities are much more than just tourist traps,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lobo. A wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for all kinds of interests, from sports to theaters to arcades, and they have lots of diverse restaurants to try.”
What makes a city a “fun city”? See methodology
To determine the most fun cities in the United States, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populous U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populous cities in every state — across three key dimensions: leisure and entertainment, nightlife and parties, And costs.
Do you need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Game.
Administrators then rated these dimensions using 65 relevant measures listed below with their corresponding weights on a 100-point scale.
Finally, they determined each city's weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank the cities.
What are the 10 most fun cities in America? Which city took first place?
Once again, Sin City takes the top spot on the list. WalletHub declared Las Vegas the most fun city overall due to so many attractions and restaurants with at least a 4.5-star rating.
“Some particularly popular places include spas, malls, sports stadiums, festivals, and arcades. There are also plenty of things you can do to work out, as Las Vegas has plenty of bowling alleys, basketball courts, and hiking trails. Per capita,” he wrote. WalletHub.
Officials also pointed to its reputation for throwing a good party, adding that it is one of the only cities in our study where public drinking is permitted in most or all venues.
Here are all the top ten cities:
Las Vegas, Nevada, FLMiami, FLAtlanta, GANew Orleans, LAAustin, TXSan Fransico, CAChicago, ILHouston, TXNew York, NY
Two Florida cities beat out New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles
Move over, NYC and Chi-City! It beat Florida by two of its cities; Orlando and Miami.
Why did Orlando get its status?
WalletHub highlighted the central Florida city of Orlando as its second most fun city, thanks to its theme parks. But even if you're not a fan of theme parks, there's still plenty to enjoy.
“If you are a sports fan, Orlando is classified as one of the best cities for soccer fans, and it has a very large number of sports stadiums per capita. If you want to improve your fitness yourself, the city has a very large number of sports stadiums. Of fitness centers per capita “
Additionally, Orlando ranks as one of the best cities for spas, performing arts theatres, arcades, pool halls and lounges, proving that there is more to it than just a major tourist trap.
Why did Miami get its status?
Further south, Miami was crowned the third most fun city in the country.
“…famous for its beaches, which are a particularly popular destination for spring breakers. Miami also leads the country when it comes to the number of fishing facilities, marinas, boat tours, and water sports opportunities per capita, ranking 31st — most miles of coastline per capita among the more than 180 A city in our study.”
WalletHub also noted the city's love of staying active and its popular sports teams, like the Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat.
Finally, Miami is one of the best cities when it comes to the availability of affordable restaurants that are rated at least 4.5 stars, and it has the 9th highest number of bars per square mile as well as one of the highest number of ice cream parlors per capita.
Here are where other Florida cities made the list:
Fort Lauderdale – 11 Tampa – 17th Street. Petersburg – 28 Jacksonville – 35 Tallahassee – 72 Cape Coral – 76 Pembroke Pines – 91 Hialeah – 100 Port St. Lucie – 128
