Health & Fitness

Here's How Washington, D.C., Ranks For Most Fun City In U.S.

From nightlife to parks, Washington, D.C., made the top 15 for most fun cities in a new WalletHub list. Plus see the Virginia cities listed.

From nightlife and festivals to health clubs and parks, Washington, D.C., made the top 10 for most fun cities in a new WalletHub list.
From nightlife and festivals to health clubs and parks, Washington, D.C., made the top 10 for most fun cities in a new WalletHub list. (Image via Shutterstock)

WASHINGTON, DC — Everyone knows that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but it looks like there’s always a reason to enjoy yourself Sin City, which finished first in an analysis that claims to rank the most fun cities in the U.S. While Washington, D.C., isn't full of casinos, it offers entertainment from top-fight professional sports to a thriving music scene, a vibrant arts scene and renowned restaurants. So it's no surprise it gives Las Vegas a run for its money.

To determine which city's residents are the happiest, the personal finance website, WalletHub, examined the 50 states across 66 key metrics, ranging from bowling alleys per capita, to beer gardens per capita, to the cost of living.

Each relevant metric was then listed with its corresponding weight, and then graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum fun. The 66 weighted scores were subsequently combined to give each city an individual score.

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Washington, D.C., ranked 15th on the list overall. The city finished 11th in “Entertainment & Recreation,” 10th in “Nightlife & Parties,” and 174th in “Costs.”

Virginia had several cities in the rankings: Richmond at No. 43, Virginia Beach at No. 60, Chesapeake at No. 93, Norfolk at No. 97, and Newport News at No. 123.

Find out what's happening in Washington DCwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Las Vegas also took home the top spot in nightlife & parties, but New York finished first in entertainment & recreation, and Amarillo, Texas, was the best city overall for the cost of fun.

These are the cities that made the top 10 of WalletHub’s rankings:

  1. Las Vegas, NV: 72.39
  2. Orlando, FL: 64.30
  3. New York, NY: 57.62
  4. Miami, FL: 56.41
  5. Chicago, IL: 55.22
  6. Atlanta, GA: 53.95
  7. San Francisco, CA: 53.85
  8. Portland, OR: 51.38
  9. San Diego, CA: 51.38
  10. Los Angeles, CA: 50.78

New York City ended up third overall, but it had the most restaurants per capita, most park playgrounds per capita, and the most accessible bars. On the flip side, NYC also had the highest average beer price.

For people on the quest for fun, Pearl City, Hawaii, isn’t the place for you, as the city finished dead-last in the rankings. Oxnard, California, and Yonkers, New York, rounded out the bottom three.


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