Best & Worst Cities for Recreation (2023)

Staying active isn’t just good for your health. It’s also good for your wallet. One of the best ways to maintain an active lifestyle is to choose a city that encourages and facilitates recreation. The best cities have a wide range of leisure activities, both indoor and outdoor. Those activities require varying levels of exercise and contribute to a city’s overall well-being and economy.

Neighborhood parks are one of the most beneficial types of recreation a city can offer. Research has found that having a park within 500 to 600 feet of your property can have significant impact on its value. In addition, parks help people stay fit, saving them as much as $1,500 in healthcare costs per year, and they reduce the overall costs of air pollution by $3.8 billion per year. It’s also important for cities to offer recreation opportunities that don’t require good weather, though, so things like movie theaters, music venues and coffee shops also contribute to each city’s recreation-friendliness.

Some cities offer cheaper and more numerous options than others. To determine the places where recreation is a high priority, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 47 key metrics that speak to the benefits of recreational activities. In each city, we examined basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities and the weather.

Table of Contents

Main FindingsAsk the ExpertsMethodology

Main Findings

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Best Cities for Recreation

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Entertainment & Recreational Facilities	Costs	Quality of Parks	Weather
1	Las Vegas, NV	64.23	2	58	22	18
2	Orlando, FL	61.64	1	52	60	28
3	Cincinnati, OH	59.17	12	15	2	58
4	Tampa, FL	58.33	7	45	77	13
5	Scottsdale, AZ	55.48	35	25	33	3
6	San Diego, CA	55.48	4	88	28	34
7	Albuquerque, NM	55.17	40	8	11	37
8	Atlanta, GA	55.01	9	72	32	41
9	Honolulu, HI	53.70	6	93	10	43
10	New Orleans, LA	52.89	18	66	7	53
11	San Francisco, CA	52.85	3	99	5	49
12	Tucson, AZ	52.46	27	33	70	16
13	St. Louis, MO	51.71	22	12	13	94
14	Phoenix, AZ	51.62	30	32	81	17
15	Sacramento, CA	51.54	29	75	24	9
16	Los Angeles, CA	51.34	11	96	63	7
17	Denver, CO	51.33	14	68	18	64
18	St. Petersburg, FL	51.16	31	21	51	40
19	Chandler, AZ	50.85	82	1	55	14
20	El Paso, TX	50.67	69	4	31	25
21	Chicago, IL	50.60	10	85	8	92
22	Glendale, AZ	50.49	76	2	82	11
23	Tulsa, OK	49.51	59	7	59	30
23	Boise, ID	49.51	53	10	71	26
25	Minneapolis, MN	49.47	23	57	6	77
26	Reno, NV	48.84	44	20	88	27
27	Henderson, NV	48.82	74	17	83	4
28	New York, NY	48.22	8	100	1	55
29	Kansas City, MO	48.20	63	27	27	44
30	Portland, OR	48.20	16	76	34	78
31	Austin, TX	48.03	17	47	73	81
32	Jacksonville, FL	47.99	34	30	37	67
33	Milwaukee, WI	47.85	32	24	19	95
34	San Antonio, TX	47.56	24	34	48	74
35	Philadelphia, PA	47.51	20	77	44	52
36	Miami, FL	47.42	5	91	56	68
37	Pittsburgh, PA	47.36	19	59	43	84
38	Houston, TX	47.19	26	46	25	86
39	Columbus, OH	47.16	47	28	36	61
40	Lincoln, NE	46.91	64	35	21	46
41	Mesa, AZ	46.60	75	16	80	20
42	Oklahoma City, OK	46.51	62	9	90	35
43	Birmingham, AL	46.44	52	26	99	59
44	Madison, WI	46.32	38	64	3	73
45	Bakersfield, CA	46.08	91	13	93	2
46	Stockton, CA	45.67	89	53	53	10
47	Baton Rouge, LA	45.63	43	39	69	54
48	Plano, TX	45.50	61	56	38	45
49	Irvine, CA	45.41	51	90	12	21
50	Gilbert, AZ	45.36	95	3	97	14
51	Fort Worth, TX	45.33	65	40	65	32
52	Norfolk, VA	45.13	50	50	23	62
53	Toledo, OH	44.98	77	11	47	50
54	Washington, DC	44.95	15	94	15	93
55	Anaheim, CA	44.76	49	82	89	6
56	Seattle, WA	44.75	13	98	26	70
57	Cleveland, OH	44.65	36	37	58	83
58	Omaha, NE	44.57	41	54	29	75
59	Virginia Beach, VA	44.56	42	49	20	90
60	Long Beach, CA	44.15	46	92	50	12
61	San Bernardino, CA	44.10	96	67	99	8
62	Colorado Springs, CO	44.08	56	63	52	42
63	Chesapeake, VA	43.90	94	43	14	47
64	Arlington, TX	43.88	66	42	91	36
65	Dallas, TX	43.83	33	65	49	72
66	San Jose, CA	43.58	60	80	41	23
67	St. Paul, MN	43.24	39	70	30	69
68	Louisville, KY	43.02	25	61	72	91
69	Lubbock, TX	42.98	88	18	79	48
70	Nashville, TN	42.73	37	44	78	88
71	Fresno, CA	42.43	84	62	68	19
72	Detroit, MI	42.39	71	55	17	60
73	Buffalo, NY	42.30	28	69	40	100
74	Charlotte, NC	42.11	58	48	42	71
75	Winston-Salem, NC	42.03	92	31	74	39
76	Boston, MA	41.86	21	97	9	98
77	Riverside, CA	41.84	72	74	96	1
78	Raleigh, NC	41.73	55	29	86	79
79	Corpus Christi, TX	41.67	67	38	57	66
80	Lexington-Fayette, KY	41.60	80	19	76	62
81	Santa Ana, CA	41.42	81	79	64	21
82	Laredo, TX	40.87	100	23	87	31
83	Anchorage, AK	40.67	54	86	4	82
84	North Las Vegas, NV	40.45	98	84	46	5
85	Wichita, KS	40.25	83	6	84	85
86	Baltimore, MD	40.19	45	78	35	89
87	Greensboro, NC	40.17	87	36	67	57
88	Indianapolis, IN	39.86	48	22	95	99
89	Hialeah, FL	39.45	73	83	75	38
90	Fremont, CA	39.43	97	89	16	24
91	Memphis, TN	39.18	68	41	66	87
92	Aurora, CO	38.23	85	60	62	65
93	Durham, NC	38.06	79	5	98	79
94	Garland, TX	37.62	90	71	94	33
95	Oakland, CA	37.61	57	95	39	51
96	Irving, TX	37.34	93	51	61	76
97	Newark, NJ	36.81	70	73	45	97
98	Jersey City, NJ	36.40	78	87	54	55
99	Chula Vista, CA	36.06	99	81	85	29
100	Fort Wayne, IN	35.42	86	14	92	96

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Bowling Costs

Lowest

1. Nashville, TN
2. Durham, NC
3. Tucson, AZ
4. Oklahoma City, OK
5. Toledo, OH

Highest

T-94. Anaheim, CA
T-94. San Bernardino, CA
T-94. Long Beach, CA
T-94. Santa Ana, CA
T-94. Irvine, CA
100. St. Paul, MN

Best City vs. Worst City: 7x Difference

Nashville, TN vs. St. Paul, MN

Movie Costs

Lowest

1. Corpus Christi, TX
2. Wichita, KS
3. Houston, TX
4. Oklahoma City, OK
5. Minneapolis, MN

Ask the Experts

Public facilities are known to enhance public health, a city’s economy and the beauty of a community — but only when planned and managed carefully. We therefore turned to a panel of experts for advice on improving municipal parks and recreation options. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

What are some cost-effective ways for local authorities to improve parks and recreation facilities?
What is the biggest mistake local authorities make in building and maintaining parks and recreation facilities?
Should local authorities prioritize funding recreational activities for certain groups (e.g., the elderly or children)?
When evaluating the best cities for recreation, what are the top five indicators?
Do you think cities should consider raising new taxes or increasing debt levels in order to invest in parks and recreation?

Ask the Experts

Randall S. Rosenberger
Ph.D. – Associate Dean – Student Success and Special Projects – Oregon State University, College of Forestry
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Jamie Rae Walker
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Urban and Municipal Parks, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences – Texas A&M University
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Katrina Black Reed
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management – Penn State Abington
Read More

Kenneth A. Cohen
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies – SUNY Cortland
Read More

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management – Lynn University
Read More

Methodology

To determine the best and worst cities for recreation, WalletHub compared a sample of the 100 most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Entertainment & Recreational Facilities, 2) Costs, 3) Quality of Parks and 4) Weather. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the four dimensions using 47 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of recreation-friendliness. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample

Entertainment & Recreational Facilities – Total Points: 40

Number of Attractions: Double Weight (~2.71 Points)
Music Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Public Beaches per Capita*: Half Weight (~0.68 Points)
Tennis Courts per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Public & Municipal Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Public Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Bike Rental Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Fishing Spots per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Bike Score: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Walk Score: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Hiking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Amusement Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks” List: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Water Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Food & Wine Tours per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Zoos & Aquariums per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Motion Picture Theaters and Drive-Ins per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Bowling Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Pool Halls per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Food Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Sports Fan-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best Sports Cities” ranking. Sports include football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.
Sport Venues per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)
Recreational Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.36 Points)

Costs – Total Points: 30

Spending on Parks and Recreation per Capita: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
Average Fitness Club Fee: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Average Cost of Tennis-Court Rent: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Note: This metric considers cost of rent for one hour during the weekend.
Movie Costs: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Bowling Costs: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Grooming Costs: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Average Price per Massage Treatment: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Note: Massage Treatment refers to both deep tissue and Swedish massage.
Average Alcoholic Beverage Price: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Note: “Alcoholic Beverage” refers to both beer and wine. “Beer” refers to a six-pack of 12-ounce Heineken containers, excluding any deposit. “Wine” refers to a 1.5-liter bottle of Chablis, Chenin Blanc or any white table wine.
Average Food Price: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Note: “Food” refers to both hamburger and pizza. “Hamburger” refers to a ¼-pound patty with cheese, pickle, onion, mustard, and ketchup. “Pizza” refers to an 11"-12" thin crust cheese pizza.
Prevalence of Affordable 4.5+ Star Restaurants: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Restaurant Meal Costs: Double Weight (~5.22 Points)

Quality of Parks – Total Points: 20

Share of Population with Walkable Park Access: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Share of Designed Parkland Areas: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Parks” List: Half Weight (~1.82 Points)
Park Playgrounds per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Parkland as Share of City Area: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)

Weather – Total Points: 10

Ideal Weather (~10.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, The Trust for Public Land, Yelp.com, TripAdvisor, Numbeo.com, Areavibes, 2Book, Walk Score, GolfLink and WalletHub research.

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