2019’s Best Sports Cities
2:41 AMPosted by: Adam McCann
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 Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/15179/geochart-sportfan.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/2P74AKe>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.
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) |
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?
Kathleen Fredricks-Davis Professor, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Scott Jensen Professor, Program Coordinator, Speech Communication Studies, Sports Communication, Webster University
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
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.
from Wallet HubWallet Hub
via Finance Xpress
0 comments