2019’s Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans
3:11 AMPosted by: Adam McCann
For many people, football is far more than just a game: it’s a sacred American tradition. These fans aren’t just spectators but are also participants. They do more than just proudly wear a team’s jersey, perfect game-day chili or tailgate with fellow fans. They show their passion by roaring in approval when their team scores a touchdown or crying out in disappointment when they fumble their way to failure. Football is by far Americans’ favorite sport to watch, with more popularity than basketball, baseball and soccer combined.
But to show your passion for the sport, you need the best seats in the house. With Super Bowl LIII upon us, WalletHub compared more than 244 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team across 21 key metrics. Our data set ranges from number of NFL and college football teams to average ticket price for an NFL game to fan friendliness. Read on for the winners, additional insight from our panel of experts and a full description of how we ranked the cities.
For fun and interesting facts about the biggest sporting event of the year, make sure to check out WalletHub’s Super Bowl LIII By The Numbers infographic.
Main FindingsEmbed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/9691/geochart-sportfans.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/2G6gL9C>
Best Football Cities for Fans
|
Rank (1 = Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1 = Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1 = Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh, PA (63.49) | 1 | Green Bay, WI (55.00) | 1 | Tuscaloosa, AL (29.45) | |||
| 2 | Boston, MA (55.24) | 2 | Glendale, AZ (41.18) | 2 | Clemson, SC (28.37) | |||
| 3 | Dallas, TX (53.71) | 3 | Cincinnati, OH (40.02) | 3 | State College, PA (23.15) | |||
| 4 | New York, NY (49.20) | 4 | Buffalo, NY (37.22) | 4 | Boone, NC (22.52) | |||
| 5 | Miami, FL (48.25) | 5 | Fargo, ND (23.24) | 5 | Stanford, CA (21.45) | |||
| 6 | New Orleans, LA (47.20) | 6 | Tallahassee, FL (22.53) | 6 | West Point, NY (20.83) | |||
| 7 | Oakland, CA (44.00) | 7 | Baton Rouge, LA (20.91) | 7 | Hamilton, NY (20.56) | |||
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA (43.51) | 8 | Norman, OK (20.07) | 8 | Grambling, LA (20.18) | |||
| 9 | Seattle, WA (42.79) | 9 | Boise, ID (19.50) | 9 | Starkville, MS (20.15) | |||
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN (41.80) | 10 | Ann Arbor, MI (18.51) | 10 | Fayette, MS (20.11) | |||
| 11 | Denver, CO (40.98) | 11 | Provo, UT (18.46) | 11 | Hanover, NH (19.91) | |||
| 12 | Atlanta, GA (40.74) | 12 | Cambridge, MA (17.68) | 12 | Jacksonville, AL (19.70) | |||
| 13 | San Francisco, CA (40.73) | 13 | Durham, NC (17.10) | 13 | Troy, AL (19.61) | |||
| 14 | Kansas City, MO (40.68) | 14 | Athens, GA (16.78) | 14 | Morgantown, WV (19.55) | |||
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN (39.21) | 15 | Orlando, FL (16.75) | 15 | Cheney, WA (19.54) | |||
| 16 | Washington, DC (38.09) | 16 | Murfreesboro, TN (16.69) | 16 | Chapel Hill, NC (19.17) | |||
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA (37.51) | 17 | Des Moines, IA (16.65) | 17 | Statesboro, GA (19.15) | |||
| 18 | Baltimore, MD (37.44) | 18 | Birmingham, AL (16.61) | 18 | Williamsburg, VA (18.91) | |||
| 19 | Tampa, FL (34.76) | 19 | Toledo, OH (16.03) | 19 | Stillwater, OK (18.82) | |||
| 20 | Nashville, TN (34.27) | 20 | Chattanooga, TN (15.91) | 20 | Richmond, KY (18.76) | |||
| 21 | Charlotte, NC (33.51) | 21 | Norfolk, VA (15.64) | 21 | Princeton, NJ (18.75) | |||
| 22 | Houston, TX (33.14) | 22 | Denton, TX (15.53) | 22 | Harrisonburg, VA (18.72) | |||
| 23 | Chicago, IL (32.68) | 23 | Worcester, MA (15.13) | 23 | Cedar Falls, IA (18.62) | |||
| 24 | Jacksonville, FL (31.91) | 24 | Gainesville, FL (15.06) | 24 | Buies Creek, NC (18.36) | |||
| 25 | Detroit, MI (31.53) | 25 | Reno, NV (14.78) | 25 | Huntington, WV (18.19) | |||
| 26 | Cleveland, OH (30.41) | 26 | Salt Lake City, UT (14.78) | 26 | Youngstown, OH (17.93) | |||
| 27 | San Diego, CA (19.22) | 27 | College Station, TX (14.75) | 27 | West Long Branch, NJ (17.84) | |||
| 28 | Albuquerque, NM (17.14) | 28 | Macon, GA (14.64) | 28 | Brookings, SD (17.82) | |||
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO (15.62) | 29 | Hampton, VA (14.55) | 29 | Kennesaw, GA (17.57) | |||
| 30 | Fresno, CA (15.50) | 30 | Columbia, MO (14.44) | 30 | Durham, NH (17.50) | |||
| 31 | San Antonio, TX (15.48) | 31 | Winston-Salem, NC (14.39) | 31 | Lake Charles, LA (17.49) | |||
| 32 | Columbus, OH (14.54) | 32 | South Bend, IN (14.27) | 32 | Orono, ME (17.29) | |||
| 33 | Austin, TX (14.49) | 33 | Syracuse, NY (14.24) | 33 | Fairfield, CT (17.22) | |||
| 34 | Fort Worth, TX (14.48) | 34 | North Charleston, SC (14.01) | 34 | Bethlehem, PA (17.21) | |||
| 35 | Tulsa, OK (14.44) | 35 | Las Cruces, NM (13.99) | 35 | Greenville, SC (17.10) | |||
| 36 | Honolulu, HI (13.78) | 36 | Lafayette, LA (13.95) | 36 | Athens, OH (17.05) | |||
| 37 | Louisville, KY (13.77) | 37 | Waco, TX (13.95) | 37 | Spartanburg, SC (16.95) | |||
| 38 | Sacramento, CA (13.51) | 38 | Jackson, MS (13.94) | 38 | Orangeburg, SC (16.92) | |||
| 39 | Memphis, TN (13.50) | 39 | Richmond, VA (13.92) | 39 | Newark, DE (16.89) | |||
| 40 | Tucson, AZ (13.46) | 40 | Beaumont, TX (13.88) | 40 | Oxford, MS (16.75) | |||
| 41 | Lexington, KY (13.21) | 41 | Springfield, MO (13.79) | 41 | Smithfield, RI (16.71) | |||
| 42 | Raleigh, NC (12.73) | 42 | Mobile, AL (13.75) | 42 | Missoula, MT (16.71) | |||
| 43 | Las Vegas, NV (12.70) | 43 | Akron, OH (13.66) | 43 | Auburn, AL (16.68) | |||
| 44 | El Paso, TX (11.57) | 44 | Tempe, AZ (13.65) | 44 | Huntsville, TX (16.54) | |||
| 45 | Portland, OR (11.46) | 45 | Boulder, CO (13.62) | 45 | East Lansing, MI (16.54) | |||
| 46 | San Jose, CA (10.92) | 46 | Greeley, CO (13.56) | 46 | Ruston, LA (16.38) | |||
| 47 | Lincoln, NE (13.48) | 47 | Lynchburg, VA (16.35) | |||||
| 48 | Montgomery, AL (13.25) | 48 | Ogden, UT (16.24) | |||||
| 49 | Madison, WI (13.23) | 49 | Manhattan, KS (16.23) | |||||
| 50 | Abilene, TX (13.20) | 50 | Pullman, WA (16.09) | |||||
| 51 | Clarksville, TN (13.16) | 51 | Cullowhee, NC (16.05) | |||||
| 52 | Eugene, OR (13.04) | 52 | Evanston, IL (16.02) | |||||
| 53 | Huntsville, AL (12.54) | 53 | Martin, TN (16.02) | |||||
| 54 | Lubbock, TX (12.35) | 54 | Laramie, WY (15.96) | |||||
| 55 | Berkeley, CA (12.27) | 55 | Conway, AR (15.95) | |||||
| 56 | Dayton, OH (12.06) | 56 | Prairie View, TX (15.89) | |||||
| 57 | Greensboro, NC (12.00) | 57 | Florence, AL (15.84) | |||||
| 58 | Knoxville, TN (11.87) | 58 | Lewisburg, PA (15.80) | |||||
| 59 | Fort Collins, CO (11.69) | 59 | Moscow, ID (15.80) | |||||
| 60 | Columbia, SC (11.00) | 60 | Charleston, IL (15.79) | |||||
| 61 | Savannah, GA (10.87) | 61 | Towson, MD (15.75) | |||||
| 62 | New Haven, CT (10.68) | 62 | Mount Pleasant, MI (15.75) | |||||
| 63 | Charleston, SC (9.09) | 63 | College Park, MD (15.74) | |||||
| 64 | Providence, RI (7.93) | 64 | Poughkeepsie, NY (15.74) | |||||
| 65 | Amherst, MA (15.68) | |||||||
| 66 | Macomb, IL (15.61) | |||||||
| 67 | DeKalb, IL (15.60) | |||||||
| 68 | Kalamazoo, MI (15.55) | |||||||
| 69 | San Luis Obispo, CA (15.46) | |||||||
| 70 | Annapolis, MD (15.41) | |||||||
| 71 | Ypsilanti, MI (15.33) | |||||||
| 72 | Normal, IL (15.31) | |||||||
| 73 | Monroe, LA (15.25) | |||||||
| 74 | University Park, TX (15.17) | |||||||
| 75 | Kingston, RI (15.13) | |||||||
| 76 | Daytona Beach, FL (15.08) | |||||||
| 77 | Jonesboro, AR (15.03) | |||||||
| 78 | Grand Forks, ND (14.97) | |||||||
| 79 | Thibodaux, LA (14.94) | |||||||
| 80 | Flagstaff, AZ (14.85) | |||||||
| 81 | Hattiesburg, MS (14.80) | |||||||
| 82 | Charlottesville, VA (14.76) | |||||||
| 82 | DeLand, FL (14.76) | |||||||
| 84 | Oxford, OH (14.72) | |||||||
| 85 | Murray, KY (14.70) | |||||||
| 86 | Blacksburg, VA (14.69) | |||||||
| 87 | Hammond, LA (14.68) | |||||||
| 88 | Cape Girardeau, MO (14.66) | |||||||
| 89 | Iowa City, IA (14.63) | |||||||
| 90 | Itta Bena, MS (14.60) | |||||||
| 91 | Albany, NY (14.57) | |||||||
| 92 | Morehead, KY (14.56) | |||||||
| 93 | Ames, IA (14.48) | |||||||
| 94 | Nacogdoches, TX (14.47) | |||||||
| 95 | Johnson City, TN (14.47) | |||||||
| 96 | Elon, NC (14.43) | |||||||
| 97 | Carbondale, IL (14.43) | |||||||
| 98 | Natchitoches, LA (14.31) | |||||||
| 99 | Boiling Springs, NC (14.27) | |||||||
| 100 | Loretto, PA (14.19) | |||||||
| 101 | Easton, PA (14.14) | |||||||
| 102 | Pocatello, ID (14.09) | |||||||
| 103 | Vermillion, SD (13.98) | |||||||
| 104 | Bowling Green, OH (13.95) | |||||||
| 105 | Boca Raton, FL (13.82) | |||||||
| 106 | Davis, CA (13.60) | |||||||
| 107 | Clinton, SC (13.44) | |||||||
| 108 | Lexington, VA (13.32) | |||||||
| 109 | East Hartford, CT (13.25) | |||||||
| 110 | Muncie, IN (13.24) | |||||||
| 111 | Terre Haute, IN (12.95) | |||||||
| 112 | Cookeville, TN (12.89) | |||||||
| 113 | Fayetteville, AR (12.82) | |||||||
| 114 | Cedar City, UT (12.60) | |||||||
| 115 | San Marcos, TX (12.42) | |||||||
| 116 | Kent, OH (12.22) | |||||||
| 117 | Greenville, NC (11.98) | |||||||
| 118 | Champaign, IL (11.94) | |||||||
| 119 | Stony Brook, NY (11.86) | |||||||
| 120 | Bozeman, MT (11.14) | |||||||
| 121 | Piscatawayship, NJ (10.94) | |||||||
| 122 | Bloomington, IN (10.90) | |||||||
| 123 | Dover, DE (10.89) | |||||||
| 124 | Conway, SC (10.68) | |||||||
| 125 | Lawrence, KS (10.63) | |||||||
| 126 | Logan, UT (10.44) | |||||||
| 127 | West Lafayette, IN (9.44) | |||||||
| 128 | New Britain, CT (9.20) | |||||||
| 129 | Bowling Green, KY (7.95) | |||||||
| 130 | Ithaca, NY (7.70) | |||||||
| 131 | Valparaiso, IN (7.32) | |||||||
| 132 | Corvallis, OR (7.25) | |||||||
| 133 | Davidson, NC (6.90) | |||||||
| 134 | Pine Bluff, AR (6.46) |
Ask the Experts
Certain qualities make a city a good environment for football fans. For more insight, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?
- How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long-term health and safety of players?
- How have the recent player protests affected the sport, or how will they affect it in the future?
- What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football — at home, in a bar or at the stadium, for instance — without breaking the bank?
- Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?
- Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?
Alexandre Olbrecht Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Ramapo College Of New Jersey
Peter Groothuis Ph.D. – Professor, Appalachian State University, Department of Economics
Alexandre Olbrecht Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Ramapo College Of New Jersey
Peter Groothuis Ph.D. – Professor, Appalachian State University, Department of EconomicsIn order to determine the best and worst cities for football fans, WalletHub compared 244 U.S. cities based on 21 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 most favorable conditions for football fans.
For our sample, we chose cities with at least one professional football team (NFL) or at least one college football team (NCAA, including FBS and FCS). We then grouped the cities by division — “Pro Football” and “College Football” — and assigned weights to each divisional category based on 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 our “Ranking by City Size,” we categorized each city 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
- Number of NFL Teams: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
- Performance Level of NFL Team: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the past three seasons’ averages and the following formula: Number of Wins / Total Number of Games Played.
- Number of NFL Championships Wins: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
- Number of NFL Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)
- Number of Hall-of-Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)
- Franchise Value: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric measures the team(s) estimated value in millions of dollars.
- Average Ticket Price for an NFL Game: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
- NFL Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” (on each team’s official accounts) per capita.
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2009-2010 to 2018-2019.
- NFL Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / Total City Population.
- Attendance: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Stadium Capacity.
- Popularity Index: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)
- Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Teams: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Performance Level of College Football (FBS & FCS) Team(s): Full Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the past three seasons’ averages and the following formula: Number of Wins / Total Number of Games Played.
- Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Championship Wins: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Conference Championship Wins: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Number of Hall-of-Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Minimum Season-Ticket Price for College Football (FBS & FCS) Game: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- College Football Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” (on each team’s official accounts) per capita.
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2009–2010 to 2018–2019.
- College Football (FBS & FCS) Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / Total City Population.
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, Facebook, Twitter, Sports Analytics Research from Mike Lewis and each team’s website.
Image: Sean Locke Photography / Shutterstock.com
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