Best Baseball Cities (2026)

What does it take to be a true baseball fan? Mostly a lot of patience and sometimes a lot of money, depending on how closely you want to follow the sport. In this slow-paced ballgame, hits and home runs are less frequent than strikes and misses. Still, baseball claims the title of Americans’ second most popular sport, after football.

Fans are willing to pay top dollar to see a game, too, especially during the highly anticipated World Series that kicks off every October. Of course, tickets are kinder to the wallet during the regular season. But to see Game 1 of the 121st World Series on Oct. 24, for instance, the cheapest seat at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles would cost $950, according to TicketIQ. For a ticket at T-Mobile Park, the damage would range from a starting price of $6,433 all the way to a whopping $47,058, as of Oct. 16. That doesn’t leave much room for peanuts and cracker jacks. And that’s not mentioning the hundreds of millions of dollars wagered by the betting market every year.

Certain parts of America make watching baseball both cheaper and more fun. Which cities should fans consider a home run? WalletHub crunched the numbers to find out, comparing 333 of the largest U.S. cities with at least one professional or college baseball team, grouped by division. In each city, we looked at 31 key indicators of baseball fan-friendliness. They range from performance level of team(s) to average ticket price per game to stadium accessibility.

“Baseball is one of America’s most treasured sports, and fans are fiercely loyal to their favorite teams, but fandom can get costly. Enjoying MLB games in person can be quite expensive, for example. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of excitement to be had supporting Minor League teams or even NCAA baseball at a much cheaper cost. While the top baseball cities tend to be those with the best performing MLB teams, they also often have several teams to cheer on at the Minor League and collegiate levels.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Best Baseball Cities

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

MLB Teams

Best-Performing

• 1. Atlanta, GA
• 2. Houston, TX
• 3. Baltimore, MD
• 4. Philadelphia, PA
• 5. Milwaukee, WI

Worst-Performing

• 22. Chicago, IL
• 23. Kansas City, MO
• 24. Washington, DC
• 25. Denver, CO
• 26. West Sacramento, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 2x Difference

Atlanta, GA vs. West Sacramento, CA

MiLB Teams

Best-Performing

• 1. Bridgewater, NJ
• 2. Fresno, CA
• 3. Bowling Green, KY
• 4. Nashville, TN
• 5. Charleston, SC

Worst-Performing

• 114. Port St. Lucie, FL
• 115. Visalia, CA
• 116. Salisbury, MD
• 117. Charlotte, NC
• 118. Stockton, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 2x Difference

Bridgewater, NJ vs. Stockton, CA

College Baseball Teams

Best-Performing

• 1. Fayetteville, AR
• 2. Knoxville, TN
• 3. Dallas, TX
• 4. Irvine, CA
• 5. Corvallis, OR

Worst-Performing

• 256. Fort Wayne, IN
• 257. Huntsville, AL
• 258. Hanover, NH
• 259. Jersey City, NJ
• 260. Princess Anne, MD

Best City vs. Worst City: 5x Difference

Fayetteville, AR vs. Princess Anne, MD

Avg. Ticket for MLB Game

Cheapest

• 1. Miami, FL
• 2. Phoenix, AZ
• 3. Cincinnati, OH
• 4. Denver, CO
• 5. Pittsburgh, PA

Most Expensive

• 22. Chicago, IL
• 23. Washington, DC
• 24. New York, NY
• 25. Houston, TX
• 26. Boston, MA

Best City vs. Worst City: 3x Difference

Miami, FL vs. Boston, MA

Min. Season Ticket for MiLB Games

Cheapest

• 1. Bradenton, FL
• 2. Tampa, FL
• 3. Lynchburg, VA
• 4. Atlanta, GA
• 5. Lakeland, FL

Most Expensive

• T-113. Salt Lake City, UT
• T-113. Reno, NV
• T-113. Frisco, TX
• T-113. Charlotte, NC
• T-113. West Sacramento, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 15x Difference

Bradenton, FL vs. West Sacramento, CA

Min. Season Ticket for College Baseball Games

Cheapest

• T-1. New York, NY
• T-1. Chicago, IL
• T-1. Phoenix, AZ
• T-1. Philadelphia, PA
• T-1. Indianapolis, IN

Most Expensive

• 199. Columbia, SC
• 200. Raleigh, NC
• 201. Knoxville, TN
• 202. Auburn, AL
• 203. College Station, TX

MLB Stadiums

Most Accessible

• 1. West Sacramento, CA
• 2. St. Louis, MO
• 3. Cincinnati, OH
• 4. Pittsburgh, PA
• 5. Arlington, TX

Least Accessible

• 22. San Diego, CA
• 23. Philadelphia, PA
• 24. Los Angeles, CA
• 25. Houston, TX
• 26. New York, NY

Best City vs. Worst City: 25x Difference

West Sacramento, CA vs. New York, NY

MiLB Stadiums

Most Accessible

• T-1. Fishkill, NY
• T-1. Zebulon, NC
• T-1. Palm Beach, FL
• 4. Eastlake, OH
• 5. Papillion, NE

Least Accessible

• 114. Jacksonville, FL
• 115. Columbus, OH
• 116. San Antonio, TX
• 117. San Jose, CA
• 118. New York, NY

College Baseball Stadiums

Most Accessible

• T-1. Starkville, MS
• T-1. Oxford, MS
• T-1. Orono, ME
• T-1. Clemson, SC
• T-1. Fayette, MS

Least Accessible

• 250. San Antonio, TX
• 251. St. Paul, MN
• 252. Fort Wayne, IN
• 253. Indianapolis, IN
• 254. Chicago, IL

MLB Fans

Most Engaged

• 1. West Sacramento, CA
• 2. St. Louis, MO
• 3. Boston, MA
• 4. Arlington, TX
• 5. Atlanta, GA

Least Engaged

• 22. Denver, CO
• 23. New York, NY
• 24. Houston, TX
• 25. San Diego, CA
• 26. Phoenix, AZ

Best City vs. Worst City: 29x Difference

West Sacramento, CA vs. Phoenix, AZ

MiLB Fans

Most Engaged

• T-1. Fishkill, NY
• T-1. Zebulon, NC
• 3. Papillion, NE
• 4. Eastlake, OH
• 5. Palm Beach, FL

Least Engaged

• 114. Columbus, OH
• 115. Wichita, KS
• 116. Jacksonville, FL
• 117. San Antonio, TX
• 118. New York, NY

College Baseball Fans

Most Engaged

• T-1. Buies Creek, NC
• T-1. Starkville, MS
• T-1. Clemson, SC
• T-1. Oxford, MS
• T-1. Boiling Springs, NC

Least Engaged

• 257. Portland, OR
• 258. Phoenix, AZ
• 259. San Jose, CA
• 260. New York, NY
• 261. Chicago, IL

Show More

In-Depth Look at the Best Baseball Cities

New York, NY

New York is the best baseball city of 2025, and it’s home to two MLB teams, the Yankees and the Mets. Together, these teams have earned New York the most World Series titles of any city, but 27 wins come from the Yankees while just two come from the Mets. New York also has the highest average franchise value in the country, at $5.7 billion, with the Yankees being worth over $8 billion and the Mets worth over $3 billion.

In addition, New York has one Minor League Baseball team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, along with six Division 1 NCAA teams, the most in the country. Those NCAA teams are the Columbia University Lions, Wagner College Seahawks, St. John’s University Red Storm, Fordham University Rams, Long Island University Sharks and Manhattan College Jaspers. Although none of these teams have particularly noteworthy records, supporting them can still be a very fun way to enjoy baseball on a budget. It’s even possible to see some teams’ games for free!

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles is the second-best baseball city, with two MLB teams, the Dodgers and the Angels. Collectively, the two teams have brought home nine World Series titles, which ranks L.A. third among the cities with the most wins. The Dodgers have achieved eight of these victories, and the Angels only one. The average franchise value in L.A. is nearly $5 billion, with the Dodgers worth more than the Angels.

Los Angeles actually doesn’t have any Minor League teams, but it does have four Division 1 NCAA baseball teams, the second-most in the country. The NCAA teams are the University of Southern California Trojans, UCLA Bruins, Cal State Northridge Matadors, and Loyola Marymount Lions. These teams together have won 13 NCAA tournaments, the most for any city. One win goes to UCLA, while the other 12 go to the University of Southern California.

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta ranks as the third-best city for baseball fans, and it’s home to the Atlanta Braves, who have taken home 4 World Series titles, the seventh-most of any team. The Atlanta Braves are worth $3 billion, which is substantial but notably lower than several other MLB teams, such as the Mets and the Phillies. The Atlanta Braves have very dedicated followers, with the MLB’s fifth-highest fan engagement on social media, the eighth-highest percentage of people who view the team favorably and the third-highest average game attendance (nearly 92% of stadium capacity).

While Atlanta is great for Major League Baseball, it only has one Minor League team, the Gwinnett Stripers, who have yet to win a league championship but do have two division titles. The city is also home to two Division 1 NCAA teams, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Georgia State Panthers, neither have won any NCAA tournaments though both have won multiple conference championships.

Ranking by City Size

Ask the Experts

As baseball grows in popularity in the U.S. and abroad, so will the challenges for those in the industry. For insight into those issues, advice on enjoying the ballgame and more, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are the biggest issues facing Major League Baseball today?
2. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of Major League Baseball?
3. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards?
4. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget?

Ask the Experts

Nicholas Masafumi Watanabe
Ph.D., Associate Professor, International Graduate Program Director, Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
Read More

Sarah K. Fields
JD, Ph.D., FNAK, Professor, Communication, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Faculty Coordinator, CU Denver Honors Scholars Program - University of Colorado Denver
Read More

Theodore Curtis
Professor, Sports Management - Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida
Read More

Jan Boehmer
Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Center for Sport Marketing Research - University of Michigan
Read More

Michelle Pulaski Behling
Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of the Media, Communications and Visual Arts Department - Pace University
Read More

Sean Pradhan
Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sports Management and Business Analytics, School of Business Administration - Menlo College
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for baseball fans, WalletHub compared 333 of the most populated U.S. cities based on 31 key metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for baseball fans. For our sample, we chose cities with at least one Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor League Baseball (MiLB) or college baseball (NCAA) team.

We then grouped the cities by division and assigned weights to each divisional category according to its popularity among fans. Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

For the ranking by city size, we grouped and ranked the cities based on the following population-size guidelines:

• Large cities: More than 300,000 people
• Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
• Small cities: Fewer than 100,000 people

MLB – Total Points = 70

• Number of Teams: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
• Performance Level of Team(s): Triple Weight (~21.00 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
• Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
• Number of Regular Season Division Titles: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Franchise Value: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the team(s) estimated value in dollars.
• Average Ticket Price per Game: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
• Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2015–2016 to 2024–2025.
• Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.
• Attendance: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing average home-fan attendance by stadium capacity.
• Popularity Index: Half Weight (~3.50 Points)

MiLB – Total Points = 10

• Number of Teams: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
• Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
• Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
• Number of Division Titles: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
• Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
• Minimum Season Ticket Price: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
• Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
• Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
  Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2015–2016 to 2024–2025.
• Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing average home-fan attendance by stadium capacity.
• Attendance: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.

NCAA Baseball – Total Points = 20

• Number of Teams: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
• Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Number of Regular Season Division Titles: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Minimum Season Ticket Price for a Game: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
• Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
  Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2015–2016 to 2024–2025.
• Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of September 24, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, MLB Advanced Media, Minor League Baseball, YouGov, Sports Reference, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The National Collegiate Athletic Association, Forbes, Facebook, Twitter and each team’s website.

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