Florida remains a top destination for tourists across the globe, and a recent ranking from WalletHub should help the Sunshine State maintain its edge among top vacation destinations.
WalletHub ranked Florida #1 of all 50 states in its newly-released report: Most Fun States in America.
“There are certain states where fun is not just an option but also a way of life,” WalletHub’s report reads. “These states offer such a variety of activities that everyone will be able to find something that excites them, from people who crave the outdoors and athletics to those who would rather sit down for a film.”
Several key factors contributed to Florida earning the coveted top ranking.
“Florida is the most fun state in 2024, leading the country when it comes to the number of restaurants, amusement parks, arcades and music festivals per capita,” WalletHub stated. “But even if those particular activities aren’t of interest to you, Florida has the third-most attractions per capita, and the sixth-best variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments. In addition, Florida is a great state for people who like to be outside. Although it does have very hot summers, the state has the 12th-best weather overall. It also has the most marinas per capita and the second-most miles of shoreline. Finally, the Florida government spends a lot on parks and recreation, the eighth-most per capita. The average Floridian also spends over $2,000 per year on recreation expenses, the 14th-most in the country.”
Text Here – WalletHub Florida ranking explanation
California and Nevada ranked second and third, respectively. To determine state rankings, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key categories, “Entertainment & Recreation” and “Nightlife”, then evaluated those categories using 26 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 indicating the greatest number and variety of fun and cost-effective options. WalletHub then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at only the city level, and in such cases we calculated a weighted average based on the size of the city population and we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.
Entertainment & Recreation – Total Points: 80
- Number of Attractions*: Quadruple Weight (~11.23 Points)
- Variety of Arts, Entertainment & Recreation Establishments: Quadruple Weight (~11.23 Points)
- Ideal Weather*: Quadruple Weight (~11.23 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking. - Restaurants per Capita**: Double Weight (~5.61 Points)
- Amusement Parks per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
- Golf Courses & Country Clubs per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.40 Points)
- Movie Theaters per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.40 Points)
- Arcades per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.40 Points)
- Fitness Centers per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
- Skiing Facilities per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.40 Points)
- Marinas per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.40 Points)
- Shoreline Mileage: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
Note: Shoreline Mileage of the outer coast includes offshore islands, sounds, bays, rivers, and creeks to the head of tidewater or to a point where tidal waters narrow to a width of 100 feet. For the Great Lakes, shoreline mileage was measured in 1970 by the International Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data and cross-referenced with U.S. Lake Survey measurements for each state. - Beach Quality: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
Note: This metrics includes the beach access, water quality and the status of surfing areas. - Access to Scenic Byways: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
Note: This metrics includes both the Number of Scenic Byways and the Length of Scenic Byways. - Number of State Fairs & Events per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
- Access to National Parks: Full Weight (~2.81 Points)
Note: This metric includes both the number and the gross area of national parks per capita. - Personal Spending on Recreation Services per Capita: Double Weight (~5.61 Points)
- State & Local Direct General Expenditures on Parks & Recreation per Capita: Triple Weight (~8.42 Points)
Nightlife – Total Points: 20
- Average Beer & Wine Price*: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Movie Costs*: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Nightlife Options per Capita**: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
- “Access to Bars” Grade: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This grade is a combination of bars per capita and bars per square mile, a measure of both availability (per capita) and proximity (per square mile). - Time of Last Call: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Music Festivals per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Performing-Arts Theaters per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Casinos per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of July 23, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Park Service, Council for Community and Economic Research, American Gaming Association, TripAdvisor, Beachapedia, America’s Scenic Byways, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, CarnivalWarehouse.com, Music Festival Wizard, Discotech and WalletHub research.
