We're having a blast
Austin proclaimed one of most fun cities in America by new report
As that bridal party hoofing it down Sixth Street will tell you, Austin sure is fun. And now we have the study to prove what a barrel of laughs we really are.
On September 17, personal finance site WalletHub released the results of its new report, an investigation to uncover the 2018 Most Fun Cities in America because, as they explain, "everyone likes to have fun." In order to quantify fun, a process which seems inherently not fun, thus negating the fun study, the researchers looked at 80 U.S. cities based on 65 relevant metrics.
According to WalletHub, Americans spend nearly $3,000 on entertainment each year, so this fun study is actually about money. Austin landed at No. 14 among U.S. cities — up four spots from 2017 — and took the No. 1 spot among Texas cities. (In your face, Midland!)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Live Music Capital of the World scored its highest marks in the "Nightlife & Parties" (13) and "Entertainment & Recreation" (19) categories. Austin didn't do as well in the "Costs" column, earning a paltry 54.
Strangely, Austin did not land among the top five cities for festivals. Instead, that honor went to Honolulu. No disrespect to Honolulu, but seriously? Austin hosted a festival entirely for cats, and we didn't even get an honorable mention? That's just ridiculous.
Texas' next most fun city is Houston (18), followed by San Antonio (22), and Dallas (27). Fort Worth, El Paso, and Arlington are medium levels of fun at Nos. 56, 73, and 86, respectively. Sadly, at No. 170, Brownsville wears the tiny sad crown as the least fun place in Texas.
So where is the ultimate fun city in the U.S.? That precious honor was bestowed upon Las Vegas. Orlando, Florida, and New York City round out the top three spots.
As for us, we're going to celebrate this news by renting one of those beer bikes that pedals around downtown blocking traffic. Catch you later!
