Living

It's Official, These Are the Most Fun States in America

WalletHub compared nightlife, entertainment, and recreation across all 50 states.

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Published on June 12, 2023

From going on a hike to visiting an amusement park, finding fun things to do in your state is something many people enjoy. But if you've been struggling to find activities that interest you in your hometown, you may want to consider visiting a state that's known for being fun. To help thrill-seekers around the country, WalletHub, a personal finance website, released its list of the most fun states in America.

To obtain the findings, the company compared all 50 states across two key categories: nightlife, and entertainment and recreation. They evaluated those categories using 26 relevant metrics, including number of attractions, ideal weather, movie costs, and number of state fairs. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 indicating the greatest amount of fun and cost-effective options.

Father and Son walking in Yosemite Park in California — noblige / GETTY IMAGES

At the top of the list is California, which had an overall score of 64.56, and ranked first in entertainment and recreation and fourth in nightlife. According to WalletHub, the Golden State has the most restaurants, movie theaters, and fitness centers per capita.

With a total fun score of 61.72, Florida followed California on the list. The state ranked second in entertainment and recreation and 11th in nightlife. In addition to having many restaurants per capita, Florida also has a notable number of golf courses, fitness centers, and marinas.

Rounding out the top five is Nevada, New York, and Illinois with fun scores of 58.19, 56.44, and 53.42 respectively. Out of all 50 states, the Empire State has the most performing arts theaters per capita, while Nevada came in first for its number of state and local expenditures on parks and recreation.