2018’s Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Believe it or not, the first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t take place in Ireland. Its roots are actually in the U.S., though some say Boston while others claim New York. Regardless, what began as a Catholic feast day and gained more recognition with a parade in the 18th Century is today one of America’s biggest cultural holidays. More than 32 million people in the U.S. claim Irish ancestry – that’s over six and a half times the population of Ireland. As this lucky group of people expanded over the centuries, so too did American St. Paddy’s Day traditions. Chicago, for instance, gained fame for dyeing its river green, while other places are now known for their elaborate pageants, pub crawls or long processions of marching bagpipers. Last year, Americans were projected to spend $5.9 billion on the holiday.

But not every city that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day is worth kissing the Irish for. WalletHub compared 200 of the largest cities across 17 key metrics to find the best places to wear green and save some, too. Our data set ranges from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to weather forecast. Read on for the list of winners, insight from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology. For cool stats about the holiday, check out our St. Patrick’s Day infographic.

Main Findings

Best Places to Go for St. Patrick’s Day

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Total Score	‘St. Patrick’s Day Traditions’ Rank	‘Costs’ Rank	‘Safety & Accessibility’ Rank	‘St. Patrick’s Day Weather’ Rank
1	Chicago, IL	70.65	2	29	108	103
2	Boston, MA	70.07	1	145	161	115
3	Philadelphia, PA	68.83	4	61	45	57
4	Buffalo, NY	64.94	10	66	49	30
5	New York, NY	63.10	3	193	27	36
6	San Francisco, CA	61.75	6	133	121	116
7	Fort Collins, CO	61.10	12	39	87	62
8	Tampa, FL	61.05	9	93	167	36
9	Madison, WI	60.62	16	12	17	169
10	Pittsburgh, PA	60.39	7	144	152	14
11	St. Louis, MO	59.99	8	47	196	116
12	Henderson, NV	58.87	39	58	100	5
13	Naperville, IL	58.51	17	21	38	171
14	Reno, NV	58.43	28	5	76	163
15	Seattle, WA	57.72	5	198	159	103
16	Omaha, NE	57.71	22	34	61	157
17	Columbus, OH	57.34	41	14	94	62
18	Rochester, NY	57.05	33	60	32	116
19	Syracuse, NY	56.87	23	57	141	62
20	Fort Wayne, IN	56.70	38	104	56	31
21	Yonkers, NY	56.57	14	180	3	36
22	Akron, OH	56.56	50	15	43	29
23	Las Vegas, NV	56.42	15	126	131	14
24	Cincinnati, OH	55.86	27	31	125	150
25	Overland Park, KS	54.80	24	41	63	189
26	Denver, CO	54.50	26	71	126	165
27	Knoxville, TN	54.39	35	90	140	62
28	Spokane, WA	54.32	18	113	133	153
29	Milwaukee, WI	54.25	43	33	91	176
30	Des Moines, IA	54.24	51	28	40	159
31	Oklahoma City, OK	54.19	74	1	122	100
32	Sioux Falls, SD	54.14	52	80	138	5
33	St. Paul, MN	54.11	31	109	57	116
34	New Orleans, LA	54.04	32	46	129	181
35	Minneapolis, MN	54.02	30	65	166	116
36	Cleveland, OH	54.00	29	117	145	36
37	Dayton, OH	53.72	34	36	184	114
38	Providence, RI	53.36	25	185	12	101
39	Cedar Rapids, IA	53.20	44	49	33	174
40	Boise, ID	52.94	95	26	42	139
41	Rockford, IL	52.89	45	11	158	183
42	Fort Lauderdale, FL	52.53	37	129	134	43
43	Joliet, IL	52.39	79	72	30	74
44	Portland, OR	52.37	20	132	174	116
45	Colorado Springs, CO	52.32	66	82	75	13
46	Washington, DC	52.22	13	160	193	74
47	Worcester, MA	52.22	40	168	74	72
48	Olathe, KS	52.13	60	13	92	188
49	Fort Worth, TX	52.13	88	86	51	18
50	Orlando, FL	51.82	19	151	181	74
51	Jersey City, NJ	51.70	97	116	1	58
52	Amarillo, TX	51.65	116	45	68	31
53	Atlanta, GA	51.52	11	118	188	198
54	Indianapolis, IN	51.44	64	53	151	62
55	Modesto, CA	51.41	46	69	170	142
56	Grand Rapids, MI	51.33	61	20	144	161
57	Lakewood, CO	51.14	55	30	172	171
58	Savannah, GA	51.13	21	184	50	165
59	Santa Clarita, CA	51.00	42	176	59	62
60	Toledo, OH	50.94	99	38	78	23
61	Arlington, VA	50.82	36	170	23	74
62	Lincoln, NE	50.81	100	23	14	159
63	Chandler, AZ	50.45	73	100	88	14
64	San Diego, CA	49.88	65	156	71	18
65	Louisville, KY	49.77	49	124	70	178
66	Salt Lake City, UT	49.68	85	6	148	151
67	Wichita, KS	49.66	84	18	111	157
68	Peoria, AZ	49.63	96	130	113	7
69	Kansas City, MO	49.58	48	73	168	184
70	New Haven, CT	49.39	54	175	62	60
71	Lexington-Fayette, KY	49.20	77	16	89	175
72	Albuquerque, NM	49.14	103	50	155	22
73	Tulsa, OK	49.08	53	54	190	140
74	Columbia, SC	49.07	67	85	123	149
75	El Paso, TX	49.01	121	81	41	152
76	Corpus Christi, TX	48.98	122	32	28	177
77	Gilbert, AZ	48.67	115	98	86	14
78	Shreveport, LA	48.60	161	2	118	43
79	Waco, TX	48.43	137	48	137	27
80	Springfield, MA	48.37	62	177	36	60
81	McKinney, TX	48.24	94	94	160	2
82	St. Petersburg, FL	48.19	56	159	143	36
83	Cary, NC	48.13	111	37	77	116
84	Jacksonville, FL	47.68	91	67	164	74
85	Vancouver, WA	47.65	57	149	153	116
86	Richmond, VA	47.60	92	103	21	142
87	Raleigh, NC	47.59	81	102	83	74
88	Virginia Beach, VA	47.37	87	91	85	142
89	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	47.03	70	190	69	43
90	Port St. Lucie, FL	46.98	68	179	35	138
91	Winston-Salem, NC	46.94	102	76	128	103
92	Huntsville, AL	46.93	93	10	146	178
93	Bakersfield, CA	46.90	149	40	109	72
94	Cape Coral, FL	46.78	69	147	142	28
95	San Antonio, TX	46.77	113	43	124	74
96	Phoenix, AZ	46.72	112	52	135	7
97	Salem, OR	46.64	71	171	39	153
98	Honolulu, HI	46.58	107	111	60	116
99	Austin, TX	46.55	78	114	178	74
100	Houston, TX	46.47	86	89	175	74
101	Kansas City, KS	46.31	75	17	195	184
102	Scottsdale, AZ	46.24	108	108	96	4
103	Tallahassee, FL	46.23	82	97	127	161
104	Oceanside, CA	46.13	120	146	72	43
105	Baltimore, MD	46.08	59	173	154	74
106	Columbus, GA	45.88	83	92	97	194
107	Charlotte, NC	45.79	89	78	192	24
108	Alexandria, VA	45.66	58	196	79	74
109	Sterling Heights, MI	45.58	146	3	64	43
110	Torrance, CA	45.52	129	154	6	74
111	Eugene, OR	45.51	101	157	18	116
112	Frisco, TX	45.37	119	96	112	43
113	Santa Rosa, CA	45.16	117	142	24	103
114	Aurora, CO	44.77	147	19	115	43
115	Sacramento, CA	44.65	114	121	55	103
116	Thousand Oaks, CA	44.59	72	186	58	116
117	Tucson, AZ	44.56	104	122	95	101
118	Stockton, CA	44.38	169	59	90	116
119	Irving, TX	44.31	172	79	65	12
120	Fresno, CA	44.18	163	44	31	74
121	Tempe, AZ	44.16	125	125	107	7
122	Pasadena, CA	44.11	138	143	10	74
123	Springfield, MO	44.06	47	107	200	195
124	Warren, MI	44.01	141	3	93	43
125	Newport News, VA	43.94	134	63	162	153
126	Detroit, MI	43.89	142	24	156	43
127	Dallas, TX	43.63	127	62	183	18
128	Killeen, TX	43.60	150	35	173	74
129	Hampton, VA	43.44	159	63	163	74
130	Chesapeake, VA	43.36	136	77	150	103
131	Hollywood, FL	43.17	106	182	48	43
132	Newark, NJ	43.17	135	106	9	58
133	Norfolk, VA	42.88	118	135	101	116
134	Mobile, AL	42.85	109	42	98	197
135	Garland, TX	42.80	165	83	114	31
136	Nashville, TN	42.70	63	148	182	195
137	Miami, FL	42.67	80	141	185	142
138	Elk Grove, CA	42.56	156	68	84	116
139	Bridgeport, CT	42.51	133	181	19	36
140	Tacoma, WA	42.46	90	138	191	116
141	Baton Rouge, LA	42.37	130	25	169	168
142	Huntington Beach, CA	42.29	76	162	180	164
143	Plano, TX	42.27	144	119	52	31
144	Chattanooga, TN	41.89	105	95	179	169
145	Anaheim, CA	41.77	131	152	105	103
146	Durham, NC	41.59	168	8	110	103
147	Los Angeles, CA	41.57	123	167	106	74
148	San Jose, CA	41.45	164	123	8	116
149	Birmingham, AL	41.29	124	27	187	192
150	Orange, CA	41.22	145	162	16	103
151	Lubbock, TX	41.21	148	101	189	3
152	Augusta, GA	41.12	126	55	120	178
153	Arlington, TX	41.05	154	87	157	43
154	Grand Prairie, TX	40.91	183	83	119	18
155	Glendale, AZ	40.83	139	140	171	1
156	Pasadena, TX	40.83	178	70	81	74
157	McAllen, TX	40.82	188	22	26	187
158	Long Beach, CA	40.69	128	183	15	99
159	West Valley City, UT	40.44	182	6	176	141
160	Mesquite, TX	40.40	173	112	147	24
161	Fayetteville, NC	40.31	151	115	130	74
162	Little Rock, AR	40.22	98	88	199	182
163	Irvine, CA	39.84	167	161	34	74
164	Mesa, AZ	39.82	160	98	165	7
165	Chula Vista, CA	39.22	179	139	44	24
166	Glendale, CA	39.12	181	158	2	74
167	Lancaster, CA	38.91	177	136	54	142
168	Fullerton, CA	38.60	158	152	20	74
169	Memphis, TN	38.57	143	110	177	103
170	Salinas, CA	38.43	191	134	25	116
171	North Las Vegas, NV	38.41	175	51	198	11
172	Fremont, CA	38.12	176	131	37	116
173	Clarksville, TN	37.98	132	74	194	191
174	Aurora, IL	37.63	153	105	53	173
175	Escondido, CA	37.31	162	194	67	43
176	Greensboro, NC	36.96	174	120	46	74
177	Garden Grove, CA	36.36	180	162	13	142
178	Oxnard, CA	36.12	186	186	22	116
179	Sunnyvale, CA	36.06	170	127	7	142
180	Hayward, CA	36.04	187	128	47	116
181	Paterson, NJ	35.96	196	172	4	36
182	Brownsville, TX	35.65	199	56	29	190
183	Riverside, CA	35.43	152	199	132	43
184	Pembroke Pines, FL	35.19	140	188	99	165
185	Santa Ana, CA	35.13	194	162	11	103
186	Oakland, CA	35.08	166	166	82	116
187	Hialeah, FL	34.43	198	155	5	62
188	Jackson, MS	34.21	155	150	117	186
189	Laredo, TX	34.17	199	9	102	193
190	Corona, CA	34.14	171	195	136	62
191	Bellevue, WA	34.12	157	178	80	116
192	Ontario, CA	33.57	190	190	73	43
193	Fontana, CA	33.48	189	190	103	31
194	Anchorage, AK	32.17	110	189	197	200
195	Miramar, FL	31.52	197	169	116	62
196	Palmdale, CA	31.47	184	136	139	153
197	Montgomery, AL	31.09	185	75	104	199
198	Pomona, CA	30.91	193	174	66	74
199	San Bernardino, CA	28.58	192	197	186	62
200	Moreno Valley, CA	26.13	195	199	149	74

Ask the Experts

As one of the biggest holidays in the U.S., St. Patrick’s Day can bring a sizeable economic boost to cities, but it poses challenges as well. Safety is a particularly important concern. For insight and advice, we turned to a panel of experts. Click on their profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Why is St. Patrick's Day so popular in the U.S.?
2. In evaluating the best cities for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, what are the top five indicators?
3. Are large St. Patrick’s Day celebrations an economic benefit or drain for cities?
4. What are some social and economic considerations for cities considering hosting St. Patrick’s Day celebrations?
5. How can local authorities promote safety and reduce alcohol-related accidents on St. Patrick’s Day?

Methodology

In order to determine the best places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, WalletHub compared 200 of the most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) St. Patrick’s Day Traditions, 2) Costs, 3) Safety & Accessibility and 4) St. Patrick’s Day Weather.

We evaluated those dimensions using 17 relevant 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 best conditions for celebrating the holiday. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions – Total Points: 50

• St. Patrick’s Day Parades: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
• Length of St. Patrick’s Day History: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the difference between 2018 and the year when the city's first St. Patrick's Day parade was held.
• St. Patrick’s Day Parties & Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
• Share of Irish Population: Triple Weight (~13.64 Points)
• Irish Pubs & Restaurants per Capita*: Triple Weight (~13.64 Points)
• Access to Bars: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
  Note: This grade measures a combination of availability (bars per 100,000 residents) and proximity (bars per square mile).
• Google Search Interest for “St. Patrick’s Day Events”: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
  Note: This metric measures search interest for “st patrick's day parade”, “st patrick's day activities” and “st patrick's day party”.

Costs – Total Points: 20

• Average Price for St. Patrick’s Day Party Ticket: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Average Beer Price: Triple Weight (~10.00 Points)
  Note: “Beer” refers to a pack of six 12 oz. Heineken containers, excluding any deposit.
• Lowest Price of a Three-Star Hotel on St. Patrick’s Day Celbrations: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Affordable 4+ Star Irish Pubs & Restaurants: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Safety & Accessibility – Total Points: 20

• Crime Rate: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• DUI-Related Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes per Capita: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  Note: The fatalities that took place in March were used to calculate this metric.
• Traffic Congestion: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• Walkability: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

St. Patrick’s Day Weather – Total Points: 10

• Forecasted vs. Average Temperature for St. Patrick’s Day: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the difference between the forecasted temperature for March 17 and the average temperature recorded during the holiday.
• Forecasted Precipitations for St. Patrick’s Day: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, INRIX, Council for Community and Economic Research, Eventbrite, Kayak.com, Walk Score, St-Patricks-Day.com, each city’s official page for its “St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Yelp and AccuWeather.