A recent report leaves Dallas out of America's Top Five most fun cities. In fact, the list leaves Dallas out of the Top 10, the Top 20 and the Top 30. That’s right, Dallas ranks 31st on the list of most fun cities in America. Clearly, the researchers have never been here before.
The study from WalletHub compares 182 U.S. cities across three categories — entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and costs. Then, 64 different metrics within the three categories were assigned a point value. For instance, bowling alleys per capita within the entertainment and recreation section are worth one point.
Single points are given for shopping malls, spas and fitness centers, of which Dallas has no shortage. But some of the metrics are downright discriminatory. Public beaches per capita and "ideal weather" are worth one point each. Marinas, fishing facilities, boat tours and hiking trails are also worth a point. We never stood a chance.
Researchers awarded points only for amenities within city limits, meaning fun locales such as The Star, AT&T Stadium and Six Flags do not get us brownie points. Based solely on the attractions within city limits, maybe 31st is not so bad after all.
Researchers combined the total averages to determine the fun-o-meter, but individual ranks for the three subcategories are also provided. Dallas came in at 24 for nightlife and parties, which is no surprise, considering Deep Ellum has long stood as a cultural and musical center point of the South. Big D ranked 39th for entertainment and recreation (oof). Oddly enough, museums were not considered in the fun rankings, so the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Garden and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science are all in vain.
The point system is a little flawed, giving major favorability to cities with lax drinking laws and high casino presence. Casinos per capita and time of last call are both worth 2.86 points. Not surprisingly, Las Vegas ranks as the most fun city by a landslide, 10 points ahead of Orlando. Theme parks are also of high value. Had last year's bills to approve casino gambling passed the in the state legislature, maybe Dallas would rank higher.
Fifteen Lone Star cities were ranked. Austin placed sixth by earning major points for recreational activities. Houston ranked ninth on the list and San Antonio came in at 25.Also to no one's surprise, the city loses points for its lack of natural resources. But it catches up with a strong presence of concert venues, prolific bar districts and unrivaled shopping. The report ranked cities by cost, with first place being most expensive. Dallas came in at 114th, which is great. So, our cost of living makes us a winner and, really, nothing is more fun than having money.
