Best Sports Cities

Adam McCann, Financial WriterNov 9, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Nov 9, 2022

To say that Americans love sports is an understatement. Sports are so prevalent that 59% of all adults claim to be sports fans. People value sports as much for their personal and social benefits as for the thrill and drama of the game.

Americans also spend a lot of money on sports every year. The North American sports industry is expected to reach a value of $83.1 billion in 2023, with money coming from ticket and merchandise sales, media rights and sponsorship fees. That’s not mentioning the lucrative fantasy-sports market in North America with over 60 million players. And the eSports (competitive video games) industry is expected to reach $1.8 billion in global market value this year.

The increasingly mobile-oriented ways we consume sports and rising premium-seat demand are partly responsible for the significant industry growth. Today, Americans can read sports news on their phone or tablet and ditch the bleachers for ultra hi-def TVs that seem to get bigger every year. But many serious fans still prefer live action — and the best seats in the house. In response, sports venues are improving their facilities to enhance the in-person viewing experience.

In search of the best sports cities from the fan’s perspective, WalletHub compared 392 cities across more than 50 key metrics related to the five largest sports in the U.S.: football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Sports Cities

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Football	Basketball	Baseball	Soccer	Hockey
1	Los Angeles, CA	50.91	5	1	3	1	24
2	Boston, MA	50.88	4	2	5	13	1
3	New York, NY	47.09	6	12	1	7	5
4	Pittsburgh, PA	46.48	1	99	12	31	2
5	Dallas, TX	42.38	2	18	313	19	17
6	Miami, FL	38.84	7	6	26	14	450
7	Philadelphia, PA	38.54	19	5	18	16	14
8	Denver, CO	37.75	15	24	24	18	6
9	Washington, DC	37.48	22	8	23	6	15
10	Atlanta, GA	37.34	20	14	4	8	450
11	San Francisco, CA	36.58	12	4	8	202	450
12	Cincinnati, OH	35.95	9	55	7	22	450
13	Seattle, WA	35.83	17	144	21	2	21
14	Chicago, IL	34.55	27	17	6	12	11
15	Kansas City, MO	34.24	11	249	20	5	450
16	Indianapolis, IN	33.23	10	21	33	35	450
17	Green Bay, WI	32.76	3	226	450	137	450
18	Minneapolis, MN	32.52	18	28	9	245	49
19	New Orleans, LA	31.93	8	16	214	450	450
20	Houston, TX	30.75	29	9	17	15	450
21	Buffalo, NY	30.44	14	155	124	108	7
22	Nashville, TN	29.97	24	66	30	23	23
23	Baltimore, MD	29.69	16	78	19	94	450
24	Detroit, MI	29.67	30	23	22	38	3
25	Cleveland, OH	28.49	26	20	11	112	450
26	Tampa, FL	27.3	21	228	89	102	8
27	Las Vegas, NV	27.27	23	252	73	40	18
28	Charlotte, NC	26.31	25	25	75	41	450
29	Glendale, AZ	25.09	13	450	450	450	19
30	Clemson, SC	22.57	31	52	45	43	450

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.
If a particular sport was not represented at the NCAA and/or professional level, the rank 450 was attributed by default.

Top 10 Cities for Football Fans

1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. Dallas, TX
3. Green Bay, WI
4. Boston, MA
5. Los Angeles, CA

6. New York, NY
7. Miami, FL
8. New Orleans, LA
9. Cincinnati, OH
10. Indianapolis, IN

Top 10 Cities for Basketball Fans

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Boston, MA
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Philadelphia, PA

6. Miami, FL
7. San Antonio, TX
8. Washington, DC
9. Houston, TX
10. Oklahoma City, OK

Top 10 Cities for Baseball Fans

1. New York, NY
2. St. Louis, MO
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Boston, MA

6. Chicago, IL
7. Cincinnati, OH
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Minneapolis, MN
10. Oakland, CA

Top 10 Cities for Hockey Fans

1. Boston, MA
2. Pittsburgh, PA
3. Detroit, MI
4. St. Louis, MO
5. New York, NY

6. Denver, CO
7. Buffalo, NY
8. Tampa, FL
9. Newark, NJ
10. Sunrise, FL

Top 10 Cities for Soccer Fans

1. Los, Angeles, CA
2. Seattle, WA
3. Portland, OR
4.Orlando, FL
5. Kansas City, MO

6. Washington, DC
7. New York, NY
8. Atlanta, GA
9. Salt Lake City, UT
10. St. Paul, MN

Ranking by City Size

Rank (1=Best)	Large Cities (Score)	Rank (1=Best)	Midsize Cities (Score)	Rank (1=Best)	Small Cities (Score)
1	Los Angeles, CA (50.91)	1	Green Bay, WI (32.76)	1	Clemson, SC (22.57)
2	Boston, MA (50.88)	2	Buffalo, NY (30.44)	2	West Point, NY (19.46)
3	New York, NY (47.09)	3	Glendale, AZ (25.09)	3	Fayette, MS (19.43)
4	Pittsburgh, PA (46.48)	4	Salt Lake City, UT (22.56)	4	State College, PA (18.23)
5	Dallas, TX (42.38)	5	Tuscaloosa, AL (21.04)	5	Hanover, NH (17.86)
6	Miami, FL (38.84)	6	Orlando, FL (20.35)	6	Princeton, NJ (17.34)
7	Philadelphia, PA (38.54)	7	Ann Arbor, MI (17.43)	7	Morgantown, WV (17.19)
8	Denver, CO (37.75)	8	Tallahassee, FL (16.96)	8	Buies Creek, NC (16.99)
9	Washington, DC (37.48)	9	Durham, NC (16.83)	9	Stanford, CA (16.89)
10	Atlanta, GA (37.34)	10	Baton Rouge, LA (16.72)	10	Stillwater, OK (16.63)
11	San Francisco, CA (36.58)	11	Fargo, ND (16.70)	11	East Lansing, MI (16.52)
12	Cincinnati, OH (35.95)	12	Norman, OK (16.49)	12	Kingston, RI (16.03)
13	Seattle, WA (35.83)	13	Birmingham, AL (16.10)	13	Hamilton, NY (16.01)
14	Chicago, IL (34.55)	14	South Bend, IN (15.85)	14	Boone, NC (15.94)
15	Kansas City, MO (34.24)	15	Provo, UT (15.80)	15	Oxford, MS (15.45)
16	Indianapolis, IN (33.23)	16	Cambridge, MA (15.32)	16	Chapel Hill, NC (15.41)
17	Minneapolis, MN (32.52)	17	New Haven, CT (15.13)	17	Conway, SC (15.32)
18	New Orleans, LA (31.93)	18	Athens, GA (14.82)	18	Fairfield, CT (15.24)
19	Houston, TX (30.75)	19	Charleston, SC (14.08)	19	Starkville, MS (15.20)
20	Nashville, TN (29.97)	20	Greensboro, NC (14.00)	20	Lynchburg, VA (15.20)
21	Baltimore, MD (29.69)	21	Norfolk, VA (13.55)	21	College Park, MD (15.19)
22	Detroit, MI (29.67)	22	Worcester, MA (13.54)	22	Grambling, LA (15.19)
23	Cleveland, OH (28.49)	23	Tempe, AZ (13.50)	23	Huntington, WV (15.16)
24	Tampa, FL (27.30)	24	Jackson, MS (13.46)	24	Statesboro, GA (14.99)
25	Las Vegas, NV (27.27)	25	Toledo, OH (13.39)	25	Charlottesville, VA (14.98)
26	Charlotte, NC (26.31)	26	Richmond, VA (13.36)	26	Annapolis, MD (14.70)
27	Portland, OR (20.39)	27	Lafayette, LA (13.28)	27	Richmond, KY (14.60)
28	Jacksonville, FL (20.34)	28	Eugene, OR (13.26)	28	Jacksonville, AL (14.57)
29	San Antonio, TX (19.58)	29	Dayton, OH (12.92)	29	Williamsburg, VA (14.54)
30	San Diego, CA (19.47)	30	Springfield, MO (12.86)	30	Itta Bena, MS (14.53)
31	Columbus, OH (19.01)	31	Winston-Salem, NC (12.72)	31	Harrisonburg, VA (14.47)
32	Memphis, TN (17.24)	32	Gainesville, FL (12.71)	32	Orono, ME (14.43)
33	San Jose, CA (16.42)	33	Berkeley, CA (12.65)	33	Lewisburg, PA (14.39)
34	Sacramento, CA (16.23)	34	Reno, NV (12.62)	34	Mount Pleasant, MI (14.32)
35	Tulsa, OK (15.94)	35	Des Moines, IA (12.41)	35	Greenville, SC (14.30)
36	Austin, TX (15.33)	36	Chattanooga, TN (12.19)	36	Iowa City, IA (14.28)
37	Louisville, KY (14.49)	37	Knoxville, TN (12.12)	37	Brookings, SD (14.23)
38	Colorado Springs, CO (14.33)	38	Abilene, TX (12.08)	38	Spartanburg, SC (14.11)
39	Albuquerque, NM (14.21)	39	Boise, ID (12.05)	39	Boiling Springs, NC (14.03)
40	Lexington, KY (13.55)	40	Murfreesboro, TN (11.91)	40	Kent, OH (13.91)
41	Fresno, CA (13.45)	41	Akron, OH (11.86)	41	Prairie View, TX (13.88)
42	Raleigh, NC (13.28)	42	Syracuse, NY (11.73)	42	Stony Brook, NY (13.79)
43	St. Louis, MO (13.01)	43	Columbia, SC (11.71)	43	Cullowhee, NC (13.75)
44	El Paso, TX (11.72)	44	College Station, TX (11.52)	44	Huntsville, TX (13.65)
45	Milwaukee, WI (11.57)	45	Columbia, MO (11.49)	45	Newark, DE (13.57)
46	Honolulu, HI (11.00)	46	Lubbock, TX (11.35)	46	Morehead, KY (13.50)
47	Fort Worth, TX (10.69)	47	Waco, TX (11.22)	47	Kennesaw, GA (13.49)
48	Tucson, AZ (10.37)	48	Clarksville, TN (11.22)	48	Ruston, LA (13.45)
49	Phoenix, AZ (9.98)	49	Mobile, AL (11.21)	49	Thibodaux, LA (13.33)
50	St. Paul, MN (9.26)	50	Macon, GA (11.10)	50	Athens, OH (13.30)
51	Oklahoma City, OK (7.53)	51	Greeley, CO (11.05)	51	Muncie, IN (13.27)
52	Arlington, TX (6.93)	52	Beaumont, TX (11.04)	52	Kalamazoo, MI (13.26)
53	Oakland, CA (5.92)	53	Denton, TX (10.86)	53	Fayetteville, AR (13.15)
54	Omaha, NE (5.52)	54	Madison, WI (10.82)	54	Oxford, OH (13.12)
55	Corpus Christi, TX (4.61)	55	Lincoln, NE (10.76)	55	West Lafayette, IN (13.02)
56	Riverside, CA (4.59)	56	Montgomery, AL (10.58)	56	Carbondale, IL (13.01)
57	Stockton, CA (4.56)	57	Huntsville, AL (10.41)	57	Elon, NC (12.98)
58	Long Beach, CA (4.16)	58	Providence, RI (10.28)	58	Normal, IL (12.92)
59	Bakersfield, CA (3.73)	59	Hampton, VA (9.90)	59	Bowling Green, OH (12.88)
60	Wichita, KS (3.69)	60	Boulder, CO (9.74)	60	Martin, TN (12.86)
61	Anaheim, CA (2.12)	61	Las Cruces, NM (9.65)	61	Murray, KY (12.84)
		62	North Charleston, SC (9.21)	62	Troy, AL (12.81)
		63	Fort Collins, CO (8.45)	63	Cape Girardeau, MO (12.79)
		64	Newark, NJ (7.20)	64	Durham, NH (12.79)
		65	St. Petersburg, FL (6.26)	65	Manhattan, KS (12.78)
		66	Hartford, CT (6.22)	66	Cheney, WA (12.75)
		67	Spokane, WA (5.91)	67	Loretto, PA (12.74)
		68	Irvine, CA (5.71)	68	Bowling Green, KY (12.72)
		69	Lowell, MA (5.60)	69	Cedar Falls, IA (12.71)
		70	Fort Wayne, IN (5.21)	70	Ypsilanti, MI (12.70)
		71	Peoria, IL (5.16)	71	Hammond, LA (12.68)
		72	Fullerton, CA (3.87)	72	Corvallis, OR (12.63)
		73	Little Rock, AR (3.84)	73	Lexington, VA (12.55)
		74	High Point, NC (3.80)	74	Champaign, IL (12.55)
		75	Wilmington, NC (3.77)	75	Bloomington, IN (12.54)
		76	Santa Clara, CA (3.56)	76	Johnson City, TN (12.50)
		77	Cary, NC (3.36)	77	North Andover, MA (12.46)
		78	Evansville, IN (3.08)	78	DeKalb, IL (12.42)
		79	Rochester, NY (2.74)	79	Amherst, MA (12.19)
		80	Kansas City, KS (2.33)	80	Ogden, UT (12.16)
		81	Jersey City, NJ (2.18)	81	Charleston, IL (12.14)
		82	Davenport, IA (1.59)	82	Youngstown, OH (12.14)
		83	Allentown, PA (1.58)	83	Davis, CA (12.13)
		84	Cedar Rapids, IA (1.52)	84	Boca Raton, FL (12.11)
		85	Amarillo, TX (1.45)	85	Terre Haute, IN (12.10)
		86	Midland, TX (1.41)	86	Easton, PA (12.08)
		87	Augusta, GA (1.41)	87	Poughkeepsie, NY (12.01)
		88	Sugar Land, TX (1.39)	87	Bethlehem, PA (12.01)
		89	Lakeland, FL (1.38)	89	Natchitoches, LA (11.99)
		90	Port St. Lucie, FL (1.38)	90	San Luis Obispo, CA (11.94)
		91	Modesto, CA (1.36)	91	Nacogdoches, TX (11.94)
		92	Lansing, MI (1.35)	92	Lake Charles, LA (11.91)
		93	Clearwater, FL (1.34)	93	Albany, NY (11.84)
		93	Manchester, NH (1.34)	94	Florence, AL (11.82)
		95	Tacoma, WA (1.32)	95	Evanston, IL (11.81)
		96	Grand Rapids, MI (1.31)	96	Conway, AR (11.81)
		97	Everett, WA (1.29)	97	Lawrence, KS (11.75)
		98	Rancho Cucamonga, CA (1.27)	98	Missoula, MT (11.74)
		99	San Bernardino, CA (1.25)	99	Auburn, AL (11.73)
		100	Round Rock, TX (1.21)	100	Orangeburg, SC (11.72)
		101	Fayetteville, NC (1.20)	101	Pullman, WA (11.64)
		102	Visalia, CA (1.19)	102	Greenville, NC (11.58)
		103	Hillsboro, OR (1.19)	103	Blacksburg, VA (11.55)
		104	Frisco, TX (1.08)	104	Monroe, LA (11.39)
		105	Springfield, MA (0.75)	105	Jonesboro, AR (11.37)
				106	DeLand, FL (11.35)
				107	West Long Branch, NJ (11.34)
				108	Daytona Beach, FL (11.31)
				109	San Marcos, TX (11.28)
				110	Grand Forks, ND (11.26)
				111	Laramie, WY (11.14)
				112	Towson, MD (11.12)
				113	Bozeman, MT (11.00)
				114	Hattiesburg, MS (10.95)
				115	Cookeville, TN (10.87)
				116	Ames, IA (10.77)
				117	Clinton, SC (10.69)
				118	Logan, UT (10.60)
				119	Macomb, IL (10.31)
				120	Vermillion, SD (10.13)
				121	Flagstaff, AZ (10.08)
				122	Moscow, ID (10.01)
				123	Pine Bluff, AR (10.00)
				124	Davidson, NC (9.89)
				125	Cedar City, UT (9.70)
				126	Dover, DE (9.31)
				127	Ithaca, NY (9.12)
				128	University Park, TX (8.86)
				129	Smithfield, RI (8.66)
				130	Pocatello, ID (8.56)
				131	New Britain, CT (8.56)
				132	Storrs, CT (8.52)
				133	Valparaiso, IN (7.51)
				134	Stephenville, TX (7.49)
				135	East Hartford, CT (6.76)
				136	Lewiston, NY (6.73)
				137	Piscataway, NJ (6.55)
				138	St. George, UT (5.80)
				139	Binghamton, NY (5.35)
				140	Emmitsburg, MD (5.20)
				140	Fort Myers, FL (5.20)
				142	Edinburg, TX (5.16)
				143	Hempstead, NY (5.05)
				144	Rock Hill, SC (5.01)
				145	Highland Heights, KY (4.93)
				146	Radford, VA (4.74)
				147	Moraga, CA (4.67)
				148	Malibu, CA (4.60)
				149	Santa Barbara, CA (4.54)
				150	New Brunswick, NJ (4.54)
				151	Orem, UT (4.53)
				152	Asheville, NC (4.41)
				153	New Rochelle, NY (4.26)
				154	Edwardsville, IL (4.20)
				155	Fairfax, VA (4.11)
				156	Princess Anne, MD (4.08)
				157	Farmville, VA (3.94)
				158	Long Branch, NJ (3.73)
				159	Rochester Hills, MI (3.61)
				160	Hackensack, NJ (3.54)
				161	Trenton, NJ (3.49)
				162	Burlington, VT (3.44)
				163	Olean, NY (2.91)
				164	Allegany, NY (2.53)
				165	Sunrise, FL (2.38)
				166	Coral Gables, FL (2.29)
				167	Erie, PA (2.09)
				168	Papillion, NE (1.99)
				169	Zebulon, NC (1.95)
				170	Fishkill, NY (1.91)
				171	Salem, VA (1.83)
				172	Palm Beach, FL (1.72)
				173	Myrtle Beach, SC (1.64)
				174	Appleton, WI (1.63)
				175	Pearl, MS (1.60)
				176	Aberdeen, MD (1.58)
				177	Harrisburg, PA (1.57)
				178	Fredericksburg, VA (1.55)
				179	Pensacola, FL (1.54)
				180	Reading, PA (1.51)
				181	Eastlake, OH (1.51)
				182	Altoona, PA (1.50)
				183	West Sacramento, CA (1.50)
				184	North Little Rock, AR (1.49)
				185	Kinston, NC (1.49)
				186	Portland, ME (1.48)
				187	Salisbury, MD (1.45)
				188	Scranton, PA (1.44)
				189	Rome, GA (1.44)
				190	Bridgewater, NJ (1.42)
				191	Biloxi, MS (1.42)
				192	Hickory, NC (1.39)
				193	Bowie, MD (1.35)
				194	Dunedin, FL (1.34)
				195	Springdale, AR (1.30)
				196	Midland, MI (1.30)
				196	Pasco, WA (1.30)
				198	Wilmington, DE (1.30)
				199	Kannapolis, NC (1.29)
				200	Leesburg, VA (1.29)
				201	Madison, AL (1.28)
				202	Bradenton, FL (1.28)
				203	Lakewood, NJ (1.24)
				204	Beloit, WI (1.18)
				205	Houghton, MI (1.17)
				206	Jupiter, FL (1.17)
				207	Seaside, CA (1.16)
				208	Lake Elsinore, CA (1.16)
				209	Potsdam, NY (1.09)
				210	Big Rapids, MI (0.95)
				211	Sault Ste. Marie, MI (0.92)
				212	Bemidji, MN (0.87)
				213	Canton, NY (0.84)
				214	Hamden, CT (0.84)
				215	Lawrence, NJ (0.82)
				216	Schenectady, NY (0.79)
				217	Mankato, MN (0.74)
				218	Duluth, MN (0.74)
				219	Waltham, MA (0.68)
				220	St. Cloud, MN (0.67)
				221	Marquette, MI (0.65)
				222	Troy, NY (0.63)
				223	North Andover, MA (0.59)
				224	Fairbanks, AK (0.53)
				225	Rochester, MI (0.48)
				226	South Orange Village, NJ (0.36)

Ask the Experts

The sports industry will continue to grow both in terms of finances and fan base. We asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their insight on sports culture and advice on how cities can best accommodate fans. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

What makes a good sports city?
To what extent do sports teams reflect the cities they call home?
To what extent are fantasy sports de-emphasizing the role of place in fandom?
Attending a sporting event has never been more expensive — from tickets to parking to food. What are some tips to keep costs down when attending a game?
Do publicly funded sports stadiums make fiscal sense for cities?
How have improvements in in-home viewing affected the community nature of fandom? Are there any cities in which this is more prevalent than others?

Ask the Experts

Andrew C. Billings
Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting, Dept. of Journalism & Creative Media; Executive Director, Alabama Program in Sport Communication; Co-Editor, Communication & Sport; Affiliate Faculty, Department of Race and Gender Studies – The University of Alabama
Read More

Michael A. DeLong
Professor, Sport Management – Keiser University Flagship
Read More

Dominique C. Kropp
Ph.D. – Teaching Professor, Sport Science and Management – Xavier University
Read More

Jonathan Casper
Ph.D. – Associate Professor and Sport Management Program Coordinator in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources– North Carolina State University
Read More

Patrick McConnell
Associate Professor of Sports Media – High Point University
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the best sports cities, WalletHub combined the results from its previous rankings listed below. Each sports category was assigned a weight corresponding with the total percentage of adults in the U.S. who claim to follow that particular sport, according to Gallup.

Football Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 54 Percent
Basketball Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 16 Percent
Baseball Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 13 Percent
Soccer Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 11 Percent
Hockey Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 6 Percent

Each sports category was also graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for sports fans. Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all sports categories to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Our sample includes a total of 392 U.S. cities, categorized according to 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

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, TN Bets, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, NCAA, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sports Reference, Forbes, Minute Media, Sports Business Journal, MLB Advanced Media, Minor League Baseball, YouGov, Sports Reference, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The National Collegiate Athletic Association, Forbes, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, NBA, NHL.com, U.S. College Hockey Online, TicketIQ, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, USL, Soccer Stadium Digest, FlashScore, Google Trends, National Soccer Hall of Fame and WalletHub analysis.

Supporting Video Files:

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