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

With traveling on the brain for most Americans during the summer of 2023, one expert says there are two things to consider for the upcoming tourism season. Dr. Samuel B. Stone, associate professor at California State University, Fullerton, mentioned that traveling will be "segmented" by a household's income and the effects of inflation.

"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.

texas reports WalletHub Fun Ideas

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Editor's note: It's time to catch up on the top Houston news of the week, from Texas' safest cities to fresh restaurant openings. Read on for our most popular stories, then visit this guide for more weekend fun.

1. 2 Houston neighbors ranked among the top 10 safest cities in Texas. A new report says the Houston area is home to two of the safest cities in Texas. Home security review site SafeWise has ranked Memorial Villages (No. 3) and Fulshear (No. 8) on its recent list of towns unburdened by crime worries.

2. Johnny Carrabba now serving Southern comfort food at new Bellaire locale. A fast casual, family-friendly Houston restaurant has arrived in Bellaire. After a two-week soft opening, Mia’s Table is now open full time in the Bellaire triangle.

3. Cult-favorite chicken and waffle restaurant opens in Houston this weekend. Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles will open its first Bayou City outpost on Saturday, February 21.

4. The Rustic owners tee up new casual icehouse at Fifth Ward golf course. The team behind The Rustic is taking over operations at a downtown-adjacent golf course. Birdies Icehouse is the newest project from Dallas-based FreeRange Concepts, which operates The Rustic, Bowl & Barrel, and The General Public.

5. Preservationists stage last-ditch attempt to save historic Houston theatre. Houstonians residing in the Heights, Garden Oaks, and far beyond were thrown into a tizzy by the abrupt news that the Garden Oaks Theater had been purchased by commercial developers in a $7.1 million, off-market deal.