Adam McCann, Financial Writer

Nov 14, 2019

To say that Americans love sports is an understatement. It’s in our blood. We value sports as much for their personal and social benefits as for the thrill and drama of the game. In the U.S., 59 percent of all adults claim to be sports fans. In 2018, more than two thirds of the top 100 telecasts watched live or the same day were sports events. That number rises to more than 80 percent for the 18 - 49 age group.

But Americans also cheer on their favorite teams with their wallets. The North American sports industry is expected to grow from a value of $69.1 billion in 2017 to $80.3 billion in 2021, 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 eSports, or competitive video games, is expected to cross $1 billion in global market value in 2019.

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 over 418 cities across more than 50 key metrics related to the five largest sports in the U.S.: football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer. Scroll down for the winners, expert commentary and a full description of our methodology.

Main Findings

Best Sports Cities

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

Ranking by City Size

Rank

(1 = Best) Large Cities

(Score) Rank

(1 = Best) Midsize Cities

(Score) Rank

(1 = Best) Small Cities

(Score) 1 Boston, MA

(54.25) 1 Cincinnati, OH

(30.94) 1 Clemson, SC

(19.58) 2 New York, NY

(48.15) 2 Buffalo, NY

(25.71) 2 West Point, NY

(18.84) 3 Los Angeles, CA

(47.20) 3 Green Bay, WI

(24.27) 3 State College, PA

(18.64) 4 Pittsburgh, PA

(43.60) 4 Salt Lake City, UT

(23.51) 4 Chapel Hill, NC

(17.56) 5 Philadelphia, PA

(40.34) 5 Orlando, FL

(20.24) 5 Tuscaloosa, AL

(17.01) 6 Chicago, IL

(39.92) 6 Glendale, AZ

(19.60) 6 Hanover, NH

(16.87) 7 Washington, DC

(38.52) 7 Ann Arbor, MI

(18.32) 7 Morgantown, WV

(16.58) 8 Dallas, TX

(37.97) 8 Durham, NC

(18.22) 8 East Lansing, MI

(16.47) 9 Oakland, CA

(37.24) 9 South Bend, IN

(16.30) 9 Princeton, NJ

(16.13) 10 Denver, CO

(36.20) 10 Baton Rouge, LA

(15.50) 10 Buies Creek, NC

(16.01) 11 Atlanta, GA

(36.09) 11 Tallahassee, FL

(15.28) 11 Stanford, CA

(15.71) 12 Miami, FL

(35.36) 12 Cambridge, MA

(14.79) 12 Fayette, MS

(15.62) 13 Detroit, MI

(34.67) 13 Norman, OK

(14.76) 13 Fairfield, CT

(15.29) 14 Minneapolis, MN

(33.63) 14 Provo, UT

(14.50) 14 Kingston, RI

(15.07) 15 Houston, TX

(31.81) 15 Birmingham, AL

(14.32) 15 Stillwater, OK

(14.88) 16 New Orleans, LA

(30.30) 16 Fargo, ND

(14.31) 16 Charlottesville, VA

(14.72) 17 Seattle, WA

(30.18) 17 Norfolk, VA

(13.64) 17 College Park, MD

(14.67) 18 Indianapolis, IN

(29.92) 18 Tempe, AZ

(13.47) 18 Boone, NC

(14.59) 19 Cleveland, OH

(29.74) 19 Eugene, OR

(13.11) 19 Starkville, MS

(14.59) 20 San Francisco, CA

(28.55) 20 Gainesville, FL

(13.07) 20 Grambling, LA

(14.56) 21 Kansas City, MO

(28.31) 21 Boise, ID

(12.84) 21 Hamilton, NY

(14.52) 22 Baltimore, MD

(26.35) 22 New Haven, CT

(12.75) 22 Spartanburg, SC

(14.43) 23 Nashville, TN

(25.85) 23 Greensboro, NC

(12.70) 23 Troy, AL

(14.43) 24 Tampa, FL

(24.31) 24 Reno, NV

(12.67) 24 Oxford, MS

(14.36) 25 Charlotte, NC

(23.99) 25 Winston-Salem, NC

(12.60) 25 Jacksonville, AL

(14.32) 26 San Antonio, TX

(22.03) 26 Dayton, OH

(12.59) 26 Annapolis, MD

(14.27) 27 Jacksonville, FL

(19.54) 27 Murfreesboro, TN

(12.58) 27 Williamsburg, VA

(14.11) 28 St. Louis, MO

(18.96) 28 Richmond, VA

(12.53) 28 Orono, ME

(14.10) 29 Portland, OR

(18.90) 29 Toledo, OH

(12.48) 29 Statesboro, GA

(14.08) 30 San Diego, CA

(18.18) 30 Springfield, MO

(12.35) 30 Lynchburg, VA

(14.01) 31 Columbus, OH

(17.72) 31 Athens, GA

(12.16) 31 Greenville, SC

(13.97) 32 Memphis, TN

(17.04) 32 Worcester, MA

(12.14) 32 Amherst, MA

(13.90) 33 Sacramento, CA

(16.62) 33 Mobile, AL

(12.02) 33 Lawrence, KS

(13.87) 34 Milwaukee, WI

(16.39) 34 Newark, NJ

(12.00) 34 Athens, OH

(13.82) 35 Las Vegas, NV

(15.49) 35 Charleston, SC

(11.94) 35 Lewisburg, PA

(13.79) 36 San Jose, CA

(15.22) 36 College Station, TX

(11.91) 36 Harrisonburg, VA

(13.78) 37 Lexington, KY

(15.08) 37 Columbia, SC

(11.91) 37 Johnson City, TN

(13.51) 38 Phoenix, AZ

(14.60) 38 Jackson, MS

(11.85) 38 Brookings, SD

(13.48) 39 Louisville, KY

(14.55) 39 Providence, RI

(11.83) 39 Huntington, WV

(13.46) 40 Tulsa, OK

(14.45) 40 Syracuse, NY

(11.65) 40 Kalamazoo, MI

(13.43) 41 Raleigh, NC

(14.29) 41 Columbia, MO

(11.50) 41 Cullowhee, NC

(13.35) 42 Colorado Springs, CO

(14.08) 42 Waco, TX

(11.47) 42 Bowling Green, OH

(13.30) 43 Albuquerque, NM

(13.74) 43 Chattanooga, TN

(11.44) 43 Richmond, KY

(13.26) 44 Fresno, CA

(13.65) 44 Lafayette, LA

(11.28) 44 Mount Pleasant, MI

(13.00) 45 Austin, TX

(13.17) 45 Macon, GA

(11.20) 45 Pullman, WA

(12.94) 46 Oklahoma City, OK

(12.90) 46 Lincoln, NE

(11.19) 46 Bethlehem, PA

(12.83) 47 Arlington, TX

(12.34) 47 Abilene, TX

(11.16) 47 Durham, NH

(12.81) 48 Tucson, AZ

(11.88) 48 Akron, OH

(11.12) 48 Ruston, LA

(12.76) 49 Fort Worth, TX

(10.89) 49 Clarksville, TN

(11.12) 49 Fayetteville, AR

(12.75) 50 Honolulu, HI

(10.63) 50 Greeley, CO

(11.10) 50 Kennesaw, GA

(12.69) 51 El Paso, TX

(10.00) 51 Des Moines, IA

(11.06) 51 Huntsville, TX

(12.68) 52 Omaha, NE

(7.97) 52 Beaumont, TX

(11.03) 52 Ogden, UT

(12.62) 53 Corpus Christi, TX

(6.96) 53 Madison, WI

(10.84) 53 Iowa City, IA

(12.61) 54 Long Beach, CA

(6.49) 54 Lubbock, TX

(10.74) 54 Bloomington, IN

(12.55) 55 Stockton, CA

(6.41) 55 Berkeley, CA

(10.47) 55 DeKalb, IL

(12.51) 56 Bakersfield, CA

(5.40) 56 Knoxville, TN

(10.28) 56 Elon, NC

(12.45) 57 Wichita, KS

(5.37) 57 Montgomery, AL

(10.21) 57 Prairie View, TX

(12.45) 58 Anaheim, CA

(4.95) 58 Las Cruces, NM

(10.18) 58 Charleston, IL

(12.43) 59 Riverside, CA

(4.63) 59 Huntsville, AL

(9.95) 59 Normal, IL

(12.38) 60 St. Paul, MN

(4.17) 60 Denton, TX

(9.24) 60 Morehead, KY

(12.38) 61 Hampton, VA

(9.19) 61 Lake Charles, LA

(12.27) 62 Savannah, GA

(9.12) 62 Itta Bena, MS

(12.19) 63 Boulder, CO

(9.02) 63 Hammond, LA

(12.15) 64 Lowell, MA

(8.74) 64 Nacogdoches, TX

(12.15) 65 North Charleston, SC

(8.53) 65 San Luis Obispo, CA

(12.14) 66 St. Petersburg, FL

(8.26) 66 Martin, TN

(12.10) 67 Spokane, WA

(8.15) 67 Thibodaux, LA

(12.10) 68 Fort Collins, CO

(7.67) 68 Oxford, OH

(12.07) 69 Fort Wayne, IN

(7.24) 69 Champaign, IL

(12.00) 70 Peoria, IL

(6.94) 70 Auburn, AL

(11.88) 71 High Point, NC

(6.79) 71 Evanston, IL

(11.87) 72 Irvine, CA

(6.58) 72 Boiling Springs, NC

(11.82) 73 Hartford, CT

(6.49) 73 Loretto, PA

(11.80) 74 Wilmington, NC

(6.03) 74 Kent, OH

(11.78) 75 Fullerton, CA

(5.76) 75 Manhattan, KS

(11.74) 76 Little Rock, AR

(5.60) 76 Muncie, IN

(11.72) 77 Evansville, IN

(5.40) 77 Cape Girardeau, MO

(11.70) 78 Santa Clara, CA

(4.68) 78 Albany, NY

(11.65) 79 Rochester, NY

(4.09) 79 Grand Forks, ND

(11.55) 80 Cary, NC

(2.58) 80 Cheney, WA

(11.51) 81 Jersey City, NJ

(2.56) 81 Newark, DE

(11.51) 82 Billings, MT

(2.30) 82 Conway, AR

(11.48) 83 Tacoma, WA

(2.22) 83 Davis, CA

(11.44) 84 Cedar Rapids, IA

(1.86) 84 Jonesboro, AR

(11.43) 85 Davenport, IA

(1.84) 84 Murray, KY

(11.43) 86 Modesto, CA

(1.80) 86 Hattiesburg, MS

(11.41) 87 Everett, WA

(1.76) 87 Ypsilanti, MI

(11.34) 88 Springfield, MA

(1.76) 88 Blacksburg, VA

(11.30) 89 Hillsboro, OR

(1.73) 89 Monroe, LA

(11.21) 90 Clearwater, FL

(1.69) 90 Terre Haute, IN

(11.19) 91 Midland, TX

(1.67) 91 West Lafayette, IN

(11.17) 92 Port St. Lucie, FL

(1.66) 92 Carbondale, IL

(11.15) 93 Augusta, GA

(1.63) 93 Youngstown, OH

(11.09) 94 Lakeland, FL

(1.62) 94 Boca Raton, FL

(11.05) 95 Grand Rapids, MI

(1.61) 95 Natchitoches, LA

(11.03) 96 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

(1.55) 96 Cedar Falls, IA

(11.03) 97 Lancaster, CA

(1.54) 97 Conway, SC

(11.00) 98 Allentown, PA

(1.54) 98 Orangeburg, SC

(10.94) 99 San Bernardino, CA

(1.53) 99 San Marcos, TX

(10.93) 100 Lansing, MI

(1.52) 100 Lexington, VA

(10.82) 101 Round Rock, TX

(1.52) 101 Towson, MD

(10.81) 102 Manchester, NH

(1.51) 102 Easton, PA

(10.79) 103 Visalia, CA

(1.45) 103 Macomb, IL

(10.79) 104 Fayetteville, NC

(1.44) 104 Storrs, CT

(10.74) 105 Amarillo, TX

(1.33) 105 DeLand, FL

(10.72) 106 Frisco, TX

(1.22) 106 Poughkeepsie, NY

(10.70) 107 Anchorage, AK

(0.93) 107 Stony Brook, NY

(10.51) 108 Kansas City, KS

(0.84) 108 Ames, IA

(10.42) 109 Missoula, MT

(10.42) 110 Clinton, SC

(10.28) 111 Cookeville, TN

(10.26) 112 Laramie, WY

(10.25) 113 Greenville, NC

(10.20) 114 Daytona Beach, FL

(10.00) 115 Ithaca, NY

(9.99) 116 Moscow, ID

(9.95) 117 Valparaiso, IN

(9.52) 118 Corvallis, OR

(9.43) 119 Lewiston, NY

(9.26) 120 Bowling Green, KY

(9.21) 121 Florence, AL

(8.92) 122 Vermillion, SD

(8.56) 123 Flagstaff, AZ

(8.51) 124 Dover, DE

(8.44) 125 New Britain, CT

(8.35) 126 Davidson, NC

(8.17) 127 Cedar City, UT

(7.72) 128 Bozeman, MT

(7.56) 129 Emmitsburg, MD

(7.48) 130 Highland Heights, KY

(7.45) 131 Orem, UT

(7.33) 132 Logan, UT

(7.26) 132 Radford, VA

(7.26) 134 West Long Branch, NJ

(7.26) 135 Fort Myers, FL

(7.24) 136 Asheville, NC

(7.18) 137 Pine Bluff, AR

(7.09) 138 Binghamton, NY

(7.09) 139 Pocatello, ID

(7.00) 140 New Brunswick, NJ

(6.95) 141 Smithfield, RI

(6.81) 142 Rock Hill, SC

(6.69) 143 Moraga, CA

(6.68) 144 New Rochelle, NY

(6.42) 145 Trenton, NJ

(6.35) 146 Hempstead, NY

(6.22) 147 Edinburg, TX

(6.05) 148 Princess Anne, MD

(6.02) 149 Burlington, VT

(5.78) 150 University Park, TX

(5.75) 151 Long Branch, NJ

(5.60) 152 Rochester Hills, MI

(5.59) 153 Fairfax, VA

(5.48) 154 Santa Barbara, CA

(5.39) 155 Malibu, CA

(5.35) 156 East Hartford, CT

(5.02) 157 Farmville, VA

(4.81) 158 Edwardsville, IL

(4.64) 159 Hackensack, NJ

(4.52) 160 Olean, NY

(4.28) 161 Piscataway, NJ

(4.14) 162 Sunrise, FL

(4.07) 163 Troy, NY

(3.04) 164 Fishkill, NY

(2.98) 165 Coral Gables, FL

(2.93) 166 Bluefield, WV

(2.53) 167 Erie, PA

(2.49) 168 Elizabethton, TN

(2.46) 169 Great Falls, MT

(2.28) 170 Granville, WV

(2.23) 171 Idaho Falls, ID

(2.19) 172 Zebulon, NC

(2.19) 173 Allegany, NY

(2.15) 174 Auburn, NY

(2.13) 175 Papillion, NE

(2.08) 176 Houghton, MI

(2.05) 177 Pulaski, VA

(2.04) 178 Princeton, WV

(2.00) 179 Woodbridge, VA

(2.00) 180 Salem, VA

(1.95) 181 Appleton, WI

(1.94) 182 Kingsport, TN

(1.93) 183 Norwich, CT

(1.92) 184 Big Rapids, MI

(1.88) 185 Marquette, MI

(1.85) 186 Palm Beach, FL

(1.82) 187 Danville, VA

(1.81) 188 Batavia, NY

(1.80) 189 Harrisburg, PA

(1.80) 190 Altoona, PA

(1.79) 191 Frederick, MD

(1.78) 192 Schenectady, NY

(1.77) 192 Bristol, VA

(1.77) 194 Pensacola, FL

(1.75) 195 Williamsport, PA

(1.74) 196 Scranton, PA

(1.74) 197 Pasco, WA

(1.71) 198 Keizer, OR

(1.71) 199 Wilmington, DE

(1.71) 199 St. Cloud, MN

(1.71) 201 Potsdam, NY

(1.70) 202 Reading, PA

(1.69) 203 Portland, ME

(1.69) 203 Hickory, NC

(1.69) 205 Niles, OH

(1.68) 206 Burlington, NC

(1.67) 207 Grand Junction, CO

(1.66) 208 Myrtle Beach, SC

(1.65) 209 Jackson, TN

(1.65) 210 Sault Ste. Marie, MI

(1.65) 211 Salisbury, MD

(1.63) 211 Canton, NY

(1.63) 213 Port Charlotte, FL

(1.63) 214 Greeneville, TN

(1.62) 215 Pawtucket, RI

(1.62) 216 Rome, GA

(1.62) 217 Kinston, NC

(1.61) 218 Clinton, IA

(1.61) 219 Burlington, IA

(1.60) 219 Aberdeen, MD

(1.60) 221 Dunedin, FL

(1.60) 222 Springdale, AR

(1.60) 223 North Little Rock, AR

(1.58) 224 Hagerstown, MD

(1.57) 225 Lakewood, NJ

(1.56) 226 Biloxi, MS

(1.55) 227 Bemidji, MN

(1.53) 228 Eastlake, OH

(1.52) 229 Beloit, WI

(1.51) 230 Pearl, MS

(1.47) 231 Lake Elsinore, CA

(1.47) 232 Charleston, WV

(1.45) 233 West Sacramento, CA

(1.44) 234 Duluth, MN

(1.44) 235 Kannapolis, NC

(1.44) 236 Jupiter, FL

(1.42) 237 Bowie, MD

(1.41) 238 Bradenton, FL

(1.39) 239 Kissimmee, FL

(1.39) 240 Midland, MI

(1.29) 241 Waltham, MA

(1.27) 242 Geneva, IL

(1.20) 243 Mankato, MN

(1.18) 244 North Andover, MA

(1.03) 245 Fairbanks, AK

(0.99) 246 Leesburg, VA

(0.62) 247 Hamden, CT

(0.52) 248 Lawrence, NJ

(0.51) 249 Rochester, MI

(0.27) 250 South Orange Village, NJ

(0.20)

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?

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 The Global Sports Media Consumption Report. Because some adults claim to be fans of more than one sport, the sum of all the weights is greater than 100 percent.

Football Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 50 Percent

Basketball Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 31 Percent

Baseball Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 27 Percent

Hockey Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 15 Percent

Soccer Ranking (Overall) - Total Weight: 9 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 418 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





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Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, NCAA, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sports Reference, Forbes, Sports Analytics Research from Mike Lewis, MLB Advanced Media, Minor League Baseball, Nielsen, Sports Reference, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The National Collegiate Athletic Association, Forbes, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, NBA, Ranker.com, 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.

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