2017’s Best Baseball Cities

2:38 AM

Posted by: Adam McCann

What does it take to be a true baseball fan? Mostly a lot of patience and sometimes a lot of dough, 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. Yet more than 52 million U.S. adults are willing to put in the time to watch the drama unfold.

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 113th World Series on Oct. 24, for instance, the cheapest seat at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles would cost $1,060, according to TicketIQ. For Game 7 on Nov. 1 at the same stadium, the damage would range from a starting price of $1,328 all the way to a whopping $139,667, as of Oct. 20. 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.

But it’s more fun — and cheaper — to love on baseball in certain parts of America, so which cities would fans consider a home run? WalletHub crunched the numbers to find out, comparing more than 360 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. Read on for the winners, a ranking by city size and a full description of our methodology.

Below the rankings, you’ll find commentary from baseball experts about the challenges facing the sport, advice on enjoying the ballgame on a budget and more. Make sure to also check out WalletHub's 2017 World Series Facts – Dodgers vs. Astros infographic for fun and interesting stats about the matchup.

  1. Main Findings
  2. Ranking by City Size
  3. Ask the Experts
  4. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/12864/geochart-baseball.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2CAFpgB>

 

Best Baseball Cities

Ranking by City Size

Rank (1 = Best)

Large City (Score)

Rank (1 = Best)

Midsize City (Score)

Rank (1 = Best)

Small City (Score)

1 New York, NY (55.85) 1 Cincinnati, OH (43.95) 1 Cullowhee, NC (19.85)
2 St. Louis, MO (54.33) 2 St. Petersburg, FL (33.87) 2 Johnson City, TN (17.23)
3 Los Angeles, CA (53.19) 3 Durham, NC (18.14) 3 Binghamton, NY (16.65)
4 San Francisco, CA (46.46) 4 Birmingham, AL (17.64) 4 State College, PA (16.59)
5 Arlington, TX (46.20) 5 Richmond, VA (17.56) 5 Fort Myers, FL (16.56)
6 Boston, MA (45.01) 6 South Bend, IN (17.51) 6 Orem, UT (16.22)
7 Atlanta, GA (43.98) 7 Greensboro, NC (17.33) 7 Oxford, MS (16.05)
8 Chicago, IL (43.59) 8 Dayton, OH (16.76) 8 Clemson, SC (15.57)
9 Pittsburgh, PA (42.76) 9 Charleston, SC (16.56) 9 Champaign, IL (15.15)
10 Kansas City, MO (40.79) 10 Eugene, OR (16.53) 10 Hanover, NH (15.05)
11 Detroit, MI (39.46) 11 Spokane, WA (16.04) 11 Asheville, NC (14.92)
12 Baltimore, MD (38.93) 12 Baton Rouge, LA (15.84) 12 Allegany, NY (14.64)
13 Cleveland, OH (38.13) 13 Springfield, MO (15.83) 13 Coral Gables, FL (14.49)
14 Oakland, CA (36.17) 14 Columbia, SC (14.88) 14 Fairfield, CT (14.10)
15 Minneapolis, MN (36.03) 15 Knoxville, TN (14.38) 15 Annapolis, MD (14.00)
16 Milwaukee, WI (32.23) 16 Buffalo, NY (13.53) 16 Cookeville, TN (13.98)
17 Washington, DC (31.85) 17 Stockton, CA (13.53) 17 Pullman, WA (13.96)
18 Philadelphia, PA (31.03) 18 Gainesville, FL (13.42) 18 Charlottesville, VA (13.90)
19 San Diego, CA (31.03) 19 Norfolk, VA (13.40) 19 Radford, VA (13.78)
20 Houston, TX (30.24) 20 Cambridge, MA (12.91) 20 Conway, SC (13.52)
21 Seattle, WA (29.85) 21 Reno, NV (12.66) 21 Kingston, RI (13.44)
22 Denver, CO (29.25) 22 Columbia, MO (12.43) 22 Lynchburg, VA (13.25)
23 Phoenix, AZ (28.30) 23 Norman, OK (12.18) 23 Daytona Beach, FL (13.24)
24 Miami, FL (26.10) 24 Winston-Salem, NC (12.16) 24 Buies Creek, NC (13.23)
25 Nashville, TN (19.51) 25 Rochester, NY (11.97) 25 Elon, NC (13.22)
26 Austin, TX (17.04) 26 Mobile, AL (11.86) 26 Mount Pleasant, MI (12.95)
27 Louisville, KY (16.89) 27 Salt Lake City, UT (11.71) 27 Starkville, MS (12.95)
28 San Antonio, TX (16.55) 28 Toledo, OH (11.71) 28 Highland Heights, KY (12.93)
29 Corpus Christi, TX (16.51) 29 Murfreesboro, TN (11.70) 29 West Point, NY (12.93)
30 Tulsa, OK (16.05) 30 Wilmington, NC (11.50) 30 New Britain, CT (12.84)
31 Albuquerque, NM (15.55) 31 Peoria, IL (11.45) 31 Kennesaw, GA (12.78)
32 Tampa, FL (15.43) 32 Montgomery, AL (11.39) 32 Trenton, NJ (12.74)
33 Charlotte, NC (15.19) 33 Provo, UT (11.35) 33 Morehead, KY (12.67)
34 Memphis, TN (15.08) 34 Beaumont, TX (10.98) 34 Rochester, MI (12.64)
35 Jacksonville, FL (15.07) 35 Fort Wayne, IN (10.96) 35 Princeton, NJ (12.62)
36 New Orleans, LA (14.82) 36 Clarksville, TN (10.81) 36 Stillwater, OK (12.58)
37 Lexington-Fayette, KY (14.59) 37 Hartford, CT (10.66) 37 Stanford, CA (12.55)
38 Indianapolis, IN (14.49) 38 Ann Arbor, MI (10.51) 38 Athens, OH (12.54)
39 Columbus, OH (14.07) 39 Lafayette, LA (10.25) 39 Cape Girardeau, MO (12.39)
40 Las Vegas, NV (13.70) 40 Lubbock, TX (10.10) 40 Kent, OH (12.37)
41 Fresno, CA (12.82) 41 Fullerton, CA (9.96) 41 Kalamazoo, MI (12.36)
42 Tucson, AZ (11.80) 42 Athens, GA (9.87) 42 Smithfield, RI (12.24)
43 Dallas, TX (11.56) 43 Tempe, AZ (9.72) 43 Statesboro, GA (12.23)
44 Fort Worth, TX (11.23) 44 Billings, MT (9.61) 44 Corvallis, OR (12.19)
45 Long Beach, CA (10.74) 45 College Station, TX (9.45) 45 San Luis Obispo, CA (12.06)
46 Colorado Springs, CO (10.59) 46 Tallahassee, FL (9.30) 46 Muncie, IN (12.01)
47 San Jose, CA (10.47) 47 Irvine, CA (9.25) 47 Iowa City, IA (11.99)
48 Omaha, NE (9.81) 48 Berkeley, CA (9.19) 48 Greeley, CO (11.97)
49 Wichita, KS (9.76) 49 Huntsville, AL (8.99) 49 Hamden, CT (11.92)
50 Honolulu, HI (9.68) 50 Little Rock, AR (8.76) 50 Hammond, LA (11.89)
51 Portland, OR (9.40) 51 Macon-Bibb County, GA (8.64) 51 Huntington, WV (11.86)
52 Raleigh, NC (8.14) 52 Evansville, IN (8.61) 52 Valparaiso, IN (11.86)
53 El Paso, TX (7.62) 53 Davenport, IA (8.33) 53 Harrisonburg, VA (11.78)
54 Sacramento, CA (7.06) 54 Cedar Rapids, IA (8.21) 54 Easton, PA (11.71)
55 Oklahoma City, OK (6.83) 55 Fargo, ND (8.04) 55 Normal, IL (11.61)
56 Riverside, CA (6.26) 56 Jackson, MS (8.03) 56 Greenville, SC (11.56)
57 Bakersfield, CA (6.01) 57 Lincoln, NE (8.01) 57 Charleston, IL (11.51)
57 Modesto, CA (8.01) 58 Hackensack, NJ (11.40)
59 Akron, OH (7.80) 59 Tuscaloosa, AL (11.37)
60 New Haven, CT (7.77) 60 Lawrence, KS (11.29)
61 Syracuse, NY (7.77) 61 Terre Haute, IN (11.16)
62 Lowell, MA (7.59) 62 Moraga, CA (11.15)
63 Boise City, ID (7.51) 63 West Lafayette, IN (11.15)
64 Everett, WA (7.45) 64 Greenville, NC (11.14)
65 Worcester, MA (7.40) 65 Troy, AL (11.14)
66 Midland, TX (7.39) 66 Richmond, KY (11.08)
67 Lakeland, FL (7.29) 67 Granville, WV (11.04)
68 Frisco, TX (7.28) 68 Fayetteville, AR (11.01)
69 Chattanooga, TN (7.13) 69 Williamsburg, VA (10.92)
70 Port St. Lucie, FL (7.12) 70 College Park, MD (10.91)
71 Round Rock, TX (7.12) 71 Huntsville, TX (10.89)
72 Waco, TX (7.05) 72 San Marcos, TX (10.79)
73 Grand Rapids, MI (7.02) 73 Ruston, LA (10.78)
74 High Point, NC (6.96) 74 Elizabethton, TN (10.77)
75 Lancaster, CA (6.86) 75 Jonesboro, AR (10.71)
75 Clearwater, FL (6.86) 76 Fishkill, NY (10.70)
75 Augusta, GA (6.86) 77 Bowling Green, KY (10.62)
78 Des Moines, IA (6.76) 78 Martin, TN (10.60)
79 Orlando, FL (6.68) 79 Hempstead, NY (10.60)
80 Allentown, PA (6.68) 80 Bluefield, WV (10.43)
81 Savannah, GA (6.51) 81 Emmitsburg, MD (10.15)
82 Erie, PA (6.50) 82 Lake Charles, LA (10.13)
83 Lansing, MI (6.34) 83 Jacksonville, AL (10.02)
84 Santa Clara, CA (6.34) 84 Thibodaux, LA (10.01)
85 Tacoma, WA (6.31) 85 Orono, ME (10.01)
86 Las Cruces, NM (6.27) 86 Hattiesburg, MS (9.98)
87 Visalia, CA (6.19) 87 Monroe, LA (9.85)
88 Manchester, NH (6.17) 88 Chapel Hill, NC (9.84)
89 San Bernardino, CA (6.13) 89 Natchitoches, LA (9.83)
90 Rancho Cucamonga, CA (5.96) 90 Great Falls, MT (9.76)
91 Providence, RI (5.47) 91 Auburn, NY (9.70)
92 Newark, NJ (5.09) 92 Zebulon, NC (9.68)
93 Jersey City, NJ (2.85) 93 Malibu, CA (9.61)
94 Manhattan, KS (9.39)
95 Boone, NC (9.28)
96 South Orange Village, NJ (9.26)
97 Papillion, NE (9.21)
98 Morgantown, WV (9.21)
99 Farmville, VA (9.16)
100 Nacogdoches, TX (9.11)
101 Edinburg, TX (9.10)
102 Norwich, CT (9.06)
103 Davidson, NC (9.06)
104 Storrs, CT (9.02)
105 Pulaski, VA (8.98)
106 Stony Brook, NY (8.92)
107 Troy, NY (8.85)
108 Idaho Falls, ID (8.74)
109 Spartanburg, SC (8.71)
110 Newark, DE (8.70)
111 Itta Bena, MS (8.66)
112 Ogden, UT (8.53)
113 Eastlake, OH (8.42)
114 Lexington, VA (8.40)
115 Danville, VA (8.37)
116 Salem, VA (8.32)
117 Kingsport, TN (8.31)
118 Woodbridge, VA (8.29)
119 Lewisburg, PA (8.23)
120 Boiling Springs, NC (8.22)
121 Reading, PA (8.21)
122 Appleton, WI (8.15)
123 West Long Branch, NJ (8.11)
124 Batavia, NY (8.10)
125 Bloomington, IN (8.04)
126 Keizer, OR (8.04)
127 Princeton, WV (7.98)
128 East Lansing, MI (7.97)
129 Auburn, AL (7.95)
130 Bowling Green, OH (7.94)
131 Helena, MT (7.87)
132 Fairfax, VA (7.86)
133 Pensacola, FL (7.86)
134 Greeneville, TN (7.85)
135 Myrtle Beach, SC (7.85)
136 Scranton, PA (7.81)
137 Albany, NY (7.81)
138 Clinton, SC (7.79)
139 Bristol, VA (7.77)
140 Portland, ME (7.75)
141 Burlington, VT (7.74)
142 Burlington, NC (7.71)
143 Boca Raton, FL (7.64)
144 Hillsboro, OR (7.63)
145 Pasco, WA (7.57)
146 Dover, DE (7.52)
147 Hickory, NC (7.52)
148 Santa Barbara, CA (7.48)
149 Altoona, PA (7.45)
150 Palm Beach, FL (7.40)
151 Harrisburg, PA (7.40)
152 Frederick, MD (7.39)
153 Port Charlotte, FL (7.37)
154 Missoula, MT (7.37)
155 Grand Junction, CO (7.34)
156 Springdale, AR (7.31)
157 West Sacramento, CA (7.27)
158 Niles, OH (7.21)
159 Rome, GA (7.21)
160 Bethlehem, PA (7.16)
161 Wilmington, DE (7.15)
162 Rock Hill, SC (7.13)
163 Burlington, IA (7.09)
164 Dunedin, FL (7.09)
165 North Little Rock, AR (7.09)
166 Williamsport, PA (7.06)
167 Conway, AR (7.04)
168 DeLand, FL (7.02)
169 Clinton, IA (7.01)
170 Pearl, MS (6.98)
171 Pawtucket, RI (6.92)
172 Salisbury, MD (6.92)
173 Aberdeen, MD (6.85)
174 New Brunswick, NJ (6.84)
175 New Rochelle, NY (6.84)
176 Beloit, WI (6.83)
177 Hagerstown, MD (6.81)
178 Blacksburg, VA (6.78)
179 Towson, MD (6.78)
180 Grambling, LA (6.77)
181 Oxford, OH (6.77)
182 Carbondale, IL (6.73)
183 Lewiston, NY (6.71)
184 Lake Elsinore, CA (6.65)
185 Fayette, MS (6.62)
186 Davis, CA (6.61)
187 Bradenton, FL (6.54)
188 Amherst, MA (6.52)
189 Jackson, TN (6.51)
190 Lakewood, NJ (6.44)
191 Princess Anne, MD (6.44)
192 Pine Bluff, AR (6.42)
193 Biloxi, MS (6.40)
194 Ypsilanti, MI (6.39)
195 Poughkeepsie, NY (6.32)
195 Murray, KY (6.32)
197 DeKalb, IL (6.21)
198 Bowie, MD (6.20)
199 Kannapolis, NC (6.11)
200 Evanston, IL (5.99)
201 Jupiter, FL (5.96)
202 Brookings, SD (5.90)
203 Charleston, WV (5.88)
204 Edwardsville, IL (5.82)
205 Geneva, IL (5.80)
206 Prairie View, TX (5.74)
207 Ithaca, NY (5.56)
208 Midland, MI (5.52)
209 Macomb, IL (5.17)
210 Youngstown, OH (5.13)
211 Old Westbury, NY (4.78)
212 Kinston, NC (4.33)
213 Kissimmee, FL (1.78)

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 MLB today?
  2. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB?
  3. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league?
  4. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards?
  5. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget?
< >

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for baseball fans, WalletHub’s analysts compared 363 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 total 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 (~8.24 Points)
  • Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~8.24 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played.
  • Number of Championships Wins: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
  • Number of Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
  • Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
  • Franchise Value: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric measures the team(s) estimated value in dollars.
  • Average Ticket Price per Game: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
  • Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
  • Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
  • Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / City Population.
  • Attendance: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Arena Capacity.
  • Popularity Index: Half Weight (~4.12 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.
  • Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
  • Number of Regular Season Championship Wins: 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 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
  • Attendance: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Arena Capacity.
  • Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / 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.
  • Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
  • Number of Regular Season Championship Wins: 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 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
  • Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / City Population.

 

Videos for News Use:

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, MLB, Minor League Baseball, The Harris Poll, Sports Reference, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The National Collegiate Athletic Association and each team’s website.

Image: Adam Vilimek / Shutterstock.com



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