Illinois is known for its accolades and for holding many titles. Thanks to a new WalletHub analysis, Illinois can now boast that it is the third most fun state in the country. Only trailing behind California and Florida, Illinois ranks number three in the “Entertainment and Recreation” category and number two in the “Nightlife”’ category.
In order to determine the most fun states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key categories, “Entertainment & Recreation” and “Nightlife.” With fun and affordability in mind, WalletHub compared 26 key indicators of enjoyable experiences that won’t break the bank. These range from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to nightlife options per capita.
Just like the overall ranking, Illinois fell behind California and Florida in the entertainment and recreation ranking. Some of the indicators in the entertainment and recreation include number of attractions, variety of arts, beach quality, access to scenic byways, access to national parks, shoreline mileage and most important, ideal weather. Some additional indicators were weighed by per capita including restaurants, golf courses, arcades, movie theaters, skiing facilities, fitness centers, amusement parks, marinas and fairs/events.
Coming in second for night life, Illinois only falls behind Nevada who takes the number one spot. Nightlife is determined by the average beer and wine price, movie costs, access to bars and time of last call. Looking at per capita metrics, states were examined based on nightlife options, number of music festivals, performing-arts theaters, and casinos.
Illinois finds itself ranked in the top 10 in the following categories:
- 4th in nightlife activities per capita including a very high number of music festivals
- 5th in the number of restaurants per capita
- 10th in the lowest-average wine price category
- 8th in per capita spending on parks and recreation
- 9th most public golf course per capita
- 7th most movie theaters per capita
- 6th most attractions per capita
- 8th best variety of arts, entertainment, and recreation
With Illinois ranking in the top 10 for a number of categories, it’s no wonder we find ourselves as the third most fun state in the country! You can read more and view the full list here.
