deep in the heart of fun
Texas kicks up No. 7 spot in new study of most fun state in America
Texas has the most movie theaters per capita, according to the report.
Texans already know our state is one of the best states for fun, niche hobbies like beekeeping and urban treasure hunting. Now, we're the overall No. 7 most fun state in the United States, according to a new report by personal finance website WalletHub.
The study analyzed 26 metrics across every state to determine which state has the greatest variety of enjoyment and recreational opportunities. A few of the categories that helped determine Texas' rank include access to national parks, performing arts theaters, and more.
Texas earned the top spot for the most amusement parks per capita, and tied for first place with California for the most movie theaters. The state also tied for No. 1 with California, Florida, and New York for the most restaurants, and ranked No. 3 for the most fitness centers.
In the category of most golf courses and country clubs per capita, Texas only ranked No. 17. The state also ranked outside the top 10 in No. 12 for the number of performing arts theaters.
Despite the unrelenting summer heat, other states that made it into the top 10 include popular tourism destinations like California (No. 1), Florida (No. 2), and Nevada (No. 3).
The top 10 most fun states in America are:
- No. 1 – California
- No. 2 – Florida
- No. 3 – Nevada
- No. 4 – New York
- No. 5 – Illinois
- No. 6 – Colorado
- No. 7 – Texas
- No. 8 – Washington
- No. 9 – Minnesota
- No. 10 – Louisiana
"On the one hand, high inflation should have a big impact on discretionary household spending, which would include travel and tourism," said Dr. Stone. "On the other hand, the high prices for airfare and other tourism-related items seem to be a result, in part, of pent-up demand from reduced travel during the pandemic... Travel by households at lower income levels may be affected a lot by inflation while higher income households may not be affected very much."
The bottom five least fun states in America are Arkansas (No. 46), Rhode Island (No. 47), Delaware (No. 48), West Virginia (No. 49), and Mississippi (No. 50).
More information about the report can be found on wallethub.com.
