
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends $3,635 annually on entertainment–a 25% increase from $2,909 in 2020. If you ask us, we probably spend that same amount on pizza and bagels alone, but the entertainment aspect does make sense, what with all of NYC’s nightclubs, museums, movies, concerts, and more.
So when the team over at Action Network conducted a study to determine America’s most entertaining city, we certainly expected NYC to come out on top–it was, after all, just named the “Best City That Never Sleeps.” And, well, imagine our surprise when it didn’t…
Action Network analyzed the 100 most populated cities in the U.S. across 11 key factors. Categories included:
Each city then received an entertainment score–with a maximum score of 10–to identify those that keep people hooked with a mix of different activities, resulting in a well-rounded city of entertainment. And, according to their data, Las Vegas takes the top spot with a perfect entertainment score of 10. Vegas is packed with 179 casinos, 84 theaters, 23 museums, 13 arcades, and has a big digital presence–there are 46,940 #LasVegasFun hashtags on Instagram.
They do say, though, that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, so we’re sure the city definitely has some skeletons in its closet that just aren’t being talked about…
As for New York City, we ranked second with an entertainment score of 9.66. The study writes:
New York City scores big on entertainment with a 9.66 rating, thanks to its 198 museums and Broadway scene with 22 theaters. With 50 arcades and three casinos, the city’s entertainment factor doesn’t stop there. It also has a strong social media presence with 1,822 hashtags, like #NewYorkCityFun.
Rounding out the top ten of America’s Most Entertaining City ranking is as follows:
1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. New York City, New York
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4. Chicago, Illinois
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Seattle, Washington
8. Minneapolis, Minnesota
9. Kansas City, Missouri
10. Los Angeles, California