WalletHub Lists San Francisco and Los Angeles as Top Fun Cities in America

California Cities Excel in Various Rankings

Both San Francisco and San Diego were highlighted in the top five best cities for active lifestyles. San Francisco also earned the title of the eighth-best sports city, while Los Angeles achieved first place in this category, largely due to its numerous professional sports teams, including the Dodgers based near downtown in Chavez Ravine.

“While sports can spark rivalries between cities, they can also foster a deep appreciation for other places besides one’s hometown. The cities known for the best sports usually possess the most popular and high-performing teams, like Los Angeles,” explained analyst Chip Lupo.

Both Los Angeles County and the adjacent Orange County are recognized for having some of the finest weather in the United States, according to WalletHub.

Earlier this year, San Diego secured a spot in the top 10 on two separate WalletHub lists—for staycations and recreation, both times landing at No. 7.

In terms of fitness centers per capita, Oakland ranked third and Huntington Beach came in fifth.

Where California Lacks

California cities fell short in certain essential categories of this year’s most fun cities survey, notably in park playgrounds per capita, where Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati tied for the top spot. Houston was ranked fifth.

Additionally, no California city appeared in the top five for acres of parkland per capita. The nearest city to California’s border in the top five is Scottsdale, Arizona, which secured the fifth spot.

With regard to acres of parkland per capita, Stockton in Northern California ranked 99th and Santa Ana in Southern California positioned 102nd.

No California cities were present in the top five for “accessible bars,” with Fort Lauderdale, Florida, taking first. Nonetheless, two Golden State cities landed in the bottom five: Fontana at 178th and Moreno Valley at 181st. Fremont also ranked poorly for dance clubs per capita at 156th.

Additionally, certain California cities faced challenges with high movie costs, as Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario tied for 172nd place, while Long Beach and Los Angeles shared the last position at 181st.

Four California cities were among the bottom 10 on the overall list: Oxnard ranked 177th, Fremont took 178th, Santa Rosa was at 176th, and Chula Vista found itself at 173rd.

Factors That Make a City Enjoyable

Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn, an associate professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University, believes that cities can enhance their appeal by relaxing restrictions and regulations.

“Incorporating elements like Latin America or Europe—making cities more walkable and less restrictive (such as allowing food stands everywhere, permitting public drinking, tolerating music, and mixed-use zoning)—can greatly improve the experience,” he shared with WalletHub.

“The U.S. presents a peculiar dichotomy—combining a prudish disposition and stringent regulations against public drinking, loitering, or smoking, yet, in inner cities, one sometimes encounters environments resembling a zombie apocalypse, as seen in places like San Francisco or Philadelphia,” he added.

“Las Vegas is recognized as the most enjoyable city overall, featuring a vast array of attractions and restaurants earning ratings of at least 4.5 stars,” stated WalletHub. “In many aspects, it remains relatively affordable—it ranks as the fourth-cheapest city for burgers and has the 13th-lowest average cost for fitness club memberships.”

In its study, WalletHub examined 182 cities—comprising the 150 largest U.S. cities along with at least two of the most populated cities from each state—across three major aspects: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and costs, utilizing 65 different metrics.

WalletHub computed each city’s weighted average and utilized these scores to create rankings. The analysis focused on the cities themselves and did not take into account their surrounding metropolitan areas.