“Fun” sounds a little different to everyone, but some factors are universal: good weather and a menu of fun and affordable activities, for example, almost always contribute to creating a fun environment.
Now that summer is here, people’s calendars are going to be filled with outdoor concerts, holidays and other festivities – and if you’re lucky enough to be off work this season, you might be wondering where to go and what to do to get the most out of your summer.
Some places make it easier for you to have fun than others – at least according to a new report from WalletHubwhich identifies the funniest states in America.
To determine the list, the personal finance website compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia on two key dimensions: “entertainment and recreation” and “nightlife.”
Over 25 metrics were used, including restaurants and amusement parks per capita, coastline mileage as well as access to national parks, and the metrics were weighted differently. To calculate the overall score, each state’s weighted average across all measures was used.
Here are the 10 funniest states in America, according to WalletHub’s report:
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1. California
Score total: 63,60
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 1
Nightlife Ranking: 3
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2. Florida
Score total: 61.26
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 2
Nightlife Ranking: 8
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3. Nevada
Score total: 59,84
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 4
Nightlife Ranking: 1
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4. New-York
Score total: 56.11
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 3
Nightlife Ranking: sept
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5. Illinois
Score total: 55.33
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 5
Nightlife Ranking: 4
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6. Colorado
Score total: 51.38
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 6
Nightlife Ranking: dix
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7.Washington
Score total: 50,64
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 8
Nightlife Ranking: 9
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8.Texas
Score total: 50.27
Entertainment & leisure ranking: sept
Nightlife Ranking: 13
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9.Minnesota
Score total: 45.21
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 11
Nightlife Ranking: 6
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10. Louisiana
Score total: 44,53
Entertainment & leisure ranking: 14
Nightlife Ranking: 2
It’s no surprise that coastal states with thriving tourism industries like California, Florida, and New York top the list, as these destinations have been consistently ranked on travel blogs and reports as some of the best places to visit in the United States
Other states performed well on more specific measures to secure a spot in the top 10: Louisiana, home to New Orleans, was known for its nightlife, while Texas, the birthplace of Six Flags, was in the lead for the most number of amusement parks per capita.
WalletHub also considered accessibility to scenic drives, number of state fairs, and average price of beer and wine, among other factors, to come up with its ranking.
Some states on the list, including California, Colorado and Florida, spend “a lot” to promote local tourism, Indiana Wesleyan University economics professor Tom Lehman told WalletHub. Although it is difficult to measure the direct impact of state-sponsored campaigns on tourism promotion, these campaigns tend to have “a minor positive impact on the level of out-of-state visitors and revenue”, he added.
Check:
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