California is the ‘most fun’ state in the US, WalletHub says. It beats Florida in these areas
California residents know how to have fun — and WalletHub says our home is the most fun state in the country.
The personal finance company ranked the 50 states on a 100-point scale in its latest study, released Monday, with the highest score “indicating the greatest number and variety of fun and cost-effective options.”
The states were ranked on 26 key indicators in entertainment, recreation and nightlife categories. The ranking also examined the cost of the activities that were ranked. WalletHub used data from the U.S. Census, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Park Service and other sources.
Some key indicators under entertainment and recreation, which made up 80 points in the rankings, included: restaurants per capita; fitness centers per capita; and variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments.
Nightlife sections, which were ranked on a 20-point scale, included: average beer and wine cost; movie costs; and music festivals per capita.
Here’s how the states ranked on a fun scale:
Top three most fun states in the US
When it comes to having the most fun California, Florida and Nevada ranked at the top of the list.
California placed first with a total score of 64.6, grabbing the top rank in entertainment and recreation and fourth place in nightlife.
Florida placed second, ranking just behind the Golden State in entertainment and recreation, and 11th in nightlife. Nevada placed in third overall, with a fourth-place ranking in entertainment and recreation and first in nightlife.
The least fun state, according to WalletHub, is Mississippi. It ranked 49 in entertainment and recreation and 43 in nightlife.
A subcategory under entertainment and recreation was restaurants per capita, which California ranked first and Florida trailed behind in second. Alaska came in last with the fewest restaurants in the state. The ranking was similar for fitness centers per capita sub category, with California ranking in first again and Florida in second.
California did fall short when it came to the variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments it offers, ranking 47. Maine ranked first for that sub-category.
Top 10 most fun US states
Below are the top 10 states that have the most fun, according to WalletHub:
- California
- Florida
- Nevada
- New York
- Illinois
- Colorado
- Texas
- Washington
- Minnesota
- Louisiana