The Most Fun Cities in America - See Where Providence Ranks
Thursday, September 21, 2017
From the restaurants on Federal Hill to the nightclubs and bars across the city, how much fun is Providence?
According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Providence is ranked 59th out of 150 cities when it comes to the most fun cities in the U.S.
“At WalletHub, we define such a place as one that packs a little bit of everything for everyone — except maybe Johnny Knoxville and his extreme-thrill-seeking posse. In a city with enough variety, you won’t have to compromise with your amigos, your family or even yourself about the next fun activity to do alone or together,” said WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTProvidence’s Rankings
- 90th Best - Entertainment & Recreation
- 26th Best - Nightlife
- 116th Best - Cost
The Rankings
Providence ranks behind Charlotte, North Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama, who rank 57th and 58th respectively.
Providence ranks ahead of Boise, Idaho and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who rank 60th and 61st respectively.
Las Vegas, Nevada is ranked as the most fun city in the country, while Oxnard, California is ranked as the least fun city.
The Method
In order to determine the most fun cities in the U.S., WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Entertainment & Recreation, 2) Nightlife & Parties and 3) Costs.
They evaluated those dimensions using 58 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the greatest number and variety of fun and cost-effective activities.
Finally, they determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities in the sample.
Entertainment & Recreation - Total Points: 40
- Number of Attractions: Double Weight (~2.16 Points)
- Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Diversity of Restaurants: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Ice-Cream & Frozen-Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Bowling Alleys per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Tennis Courts per Capita: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Skiing Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Public Beaches per Capita: Half Weight (~0.54 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Beaches” List: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Fishing Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Marinas per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Water Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Hiking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Share of Population with Walkable Park Access: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Share of Designed Parkland Areas: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Parks” List: Half Weight (~0.54 Points)
- Park Playgrounds per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Parkland as Share of City Area: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Acres of Parkland per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Sports Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Recreational Sports Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Sports Fan-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Movie Theaters per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Performing-Arts Theaters per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Arcades per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Amusement Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks” List: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
- Ideal Weather: Full Weight (~1.08 Points)
Nightlife & Parties - Total Points: 40
- Bar Accessibility: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Beer Gardens per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Legality of Public Drinking: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Time of Last Call: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Average Open Hours of Breweries: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Music Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Dance Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Dance Party Index: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Arts & Crafts-Supplies Establishments per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Casinos per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Costs - Total Points: 20
- Average Price of Party Ticket: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Beer Price: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Wine Price: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Food Price (Pizza & Burger): Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants Rated 4.5+ Stars: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Movie Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Bowling Costs: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Fitness-Club Fee: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Price for Three-Star Hotel Room: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Cost of Living: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
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