Sacramento makes list of most fun cities in the US. Here’s where it ranks

Cortlynn Stark, The Sum
·3 min read

Ever wanted to put a number to how fun life in Sacramento is? Now you can.

Sacramento is one of the most fun cities in the U.S., according to a new report.

It’s because of the city’s entertainment and nightlife, such as movies at West Wind Drive-in or drinks at Drake’s: The Barn — less so because of how much it costs to do those activities.

Sacramento is the fourth most fun city in California, according to WalletHub’s list of the Most Fun Cities in America, and 34th overall.

WalletHub compared 182 cities based on entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost to find the most fun cities in the country. The cities include the 150 most populated U.S. cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state.

California cities claimed 29 spots on the list, with San Francisco taking fifth place and Oxnard nearly rounding out the list at 180th. San Diego placed 16th, followed by Los Angeles at 20th.

Las Vegas won first place overall.

Source: WalletHub

“Finding a city that matches your own unique brand of fun is important,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in the WalletHub report. “Picking a city to spend a weekend in is easy, but moving to a city where you’ll have fun on a regular basis requires more research.”

When the average American spends more than $3,400 on entertainment annually, where you live can make a difference on your wallet. The average person spent $3,458 on entertainment in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The entertainment and recreation category included the per capita number of coffee and tea shops, ice cream shops, bowling alleys, hiking trails and fitness centers, among other factors. The nightlife and parties category included the number of beer gardens per capita, the time of last call and number of casinos per capita. The average price of beer, wine and food were included in the cost factor.

Sacramento placed 34th for entertainment and recreation, 29th for nightlife and parties, and 140th for cost, meaning it’s one of the more expensive cities on the list.

Here’s the full list of California cities that made the cut and the city’s ranking:

  • 5: San Francisco

  • 16: San Diego

  • 20: Los Angeles

  • 34: Sacramento

  • 76: Oakland

  • 84: Long Beach

  • 89: Garden Grove

  • 91: Anaheim

  • 96: Bakersfield

  • 102: Huntington Beach

  • 109: Irvine

  • 112: San Jose

  • 120: Modesto

  • 129: Fresno

  • 139: Riverside

  • 141: Glendale

  • 144: San Bernardino

  • 147: Santa Ana

  • 153: Santa Clarita

  • 154: Stockton

  • 158: Oceanside

  • 160: Moreno Valley

  • 161: Ontario

  • 163: Rancho Cucamonga

  • 164: Chula Vista

  • 165: Fontana

  • 175: Fremont

  • 177: Santa Rosa

  • 180: Oxnard

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