Looks like Chicago is finally getting the recognition it deserves!
A recent WalletHub survey named Chicago as the ninth most fun city in the United States. The study considered the entertainment options from a whopping 150 of the country’s largest metros in calculating its results.
Of course, to say that fun can be calculated at all is a bit of a misnomer. For sportier residents, running a marathon might be considered a Saturday well-spent. For others, hitting the city’s best bars on a Friday night or attending a particularly boozy brunch could be vastly more entertaining.
Recognizing the inherent subjectivity in determining the “fun-ness” of a given city, WalletHub took 58 key metrics under advisement. These metrics ranged in everything from the number of ice cream shops per capita to the lowest average beer price in order to account for a wide variety of fun activities.
Each metric fell under one of three distinct dimensions: Entertainment & Recreation, Nightlife & Parties and Cost. Individual cities were graded by these dimensions on a 100 point scale, with 100 representing the most fun – and wallet-friendly – locations.
By the numbers, Chicago scored an impressive 50.13, coming in at number five for Entertainment & Recreation activities and number twelve for Nightlife & Parties overall.
For cost, the city ranked a disappointing number 125. But as any Chicagoan knows, the perks of living in one of the best cities in the world is definitely worth the extra cost.
Also of note, the city was listed in the nation’s top tier for most parks and playgrounds per capita. Burnham would be proud.
Other cities in the top 10 included:
- Las Vegas, Nevada – 68.2
- Orlando, Florida – 59.27
- New York, New York – 54.31
- Miami, Florida – 53.82
- Portland, Oregon – 53.00
- Atlanta, Georgia – 51.17
- San Fransisco, California – 51.10
- New Orleans, Louisiana – 50.73
- Chicago, Illinois – 50.13
- San Diego, California – 49.04
