We decided to rely on cold, hard facts, and the results might surprise you (Los Angeles and Chicago didn’t crack the top 10). Sure, there are some predictable places that made the cut (New York included), but there were a few less obvious gems that stood up to our criteria for the most exciting cities.Â
How We Ranked America’s Most Exciting Cities
To formulate our list of exciting cities, we selected 10 criteria that people typically associate with exciting places to live. We then found the 50 most populous cities in the country and analyzed each city’s available amenities in these categories per person or per square mile—whichever made more sense for the category. We only looked within city limits, so these analyses are not based on entire metro areas.
These are the 10 criteria for most exciting cities we selected and the cities that stood out for each:
- Park acreage per person
Everyone needs a place to reconnect with nature, go for a picnic, or play a quick pickup game. Virginia Beach took the top spot in this category.
- Percent of population between 20 and 34 years old
This might be a controversial metric, but cities with more amenities and a faster pace tend to have a younger population. Columbus, OH, surprisingly had the most people in this age bracket—probably because it’s home to Ohio State University.
- Bars per square mile
Bars are a significant part of a city’s nightlife. San Francisco, with its high concentration of bars due to its relatively small size, took the top spot in this category.
- Population diversity
Diversity matters. It encourages a blend of ideas, cultures, and viewpoints, so diversity boosted a city’s excitement score. Oakland just barely beat out San Jose in this category.
- Movie theaters per square mile
Even with the advent of streaming services, nothing beats an evening watching the latest blockbuster (or indie foreign film) on the big screen. Oakland came out on top with the highest concentration of movie theaters.
- Theater companies per square mile
Live theater has a reputation for being snooty, but it has managed to maintain its popularity and become even more accessible to younger generations with musicals like Hamilton. Oakland squeaked past Minneapolis to take the top spot here.
- Museums per square mile
Museums are the perfect place to soak in art, science, history, culture, and even learn more about ice cream. Once again, Oakland is at the head of the class in this respect.
- Music venues per square mile
There’s something special about seeing your favorite band or musician live or discovering a new favorite when they play a set at your favorite venue. San Francisco has the most live music venues per square mile (thanks in part to its small size).
- Big box stores per square mile
The next two metrics counted against a city’s excitement score. While big-box stores aren’t necessarily bad, they can be considered soulless. While they rank high inconvenience, they take away from a city’s uniqueness. We simplified this and looked at two of the largest retail chains—Walmart and Target. Interestingly, Detroit doesn’t have a single Walmart or Target in the city proper.
- Fast food restaurants per square mile
While also convenient, a high concentration of fast-food restaurants usually means stifling mom and pop restaurants and ethnic eateries. We looked at the three largest fast-food chains—Subway, McDonald’s, and Starbucks—and found that El Paso has the fewest per square mile.
The Top 10 Most Exciting Cities in America
Portland scored high marks for its cultural scene and nightlife with a plethora of music venues, movie theaters, bars, and restaurants per square mile. It’s this cultural scene and affordable cost of living that has made its population steadily rise for the last decade.
Not surprisingly, Philadelphia scored high for its museums and diversity. But it also boasts a lively bar scene and great dining options.Â
While Atlanta has a lot of fast food restaurants per square mile and not as many parks and green spaces as the other contenders, it does boast a lot of bars and live music venues. It also has a surprisingly young population.Â
This urban enclave in the heart of the Midwest was a surprising addition to our top 10 most exciting cities. While it lives up to its nickname of Brew City with plenty of bars, it was also the most well-rounded city we looked at with solid scores across all our criteria.
The cultural capital of the world surprisingly didn’t manage to break the top five. While it scored high in nightlife, museums, diversity, and music, it scored low in park access and had a high concentration of fast food restaurants.
Washington, D.C. isn’t just home to our nation’s politicos, it’s also (not surprisingly) a haven for museums and parks. It also boasts a high concentration of bars, which makes sense considering how high stress the world of politics is.
This unofficial capital of the Pacific Northwest is another well-rounded city, scoring high across the board—especially for bars, museums, and music venues.Â
It’s not a surprise that the City by the Bay’s vibrant art, music, and food scene made it a shoo-in for the top five. But, with its astronomical rent prices, it comes at a very high cost.Â
Boston secured a second place spot in our most exciting cities list thanks to its young population, high concentration of bars and movie theaters, and its low number of fast food and big box stores. While its diversity is lacking, it’s a hub for academia so there’s no shortage of people sharing knowledge.
While its top ranking in so many metrics makes Oakland a natural pick for number one most exciting city, we were still surprised that San Francisco’s sister city crushed all the competition to take the top spot. Oakland’s bar, music, and theater scenes combined with its diversity, young population, and vibrant culture makes it the most exciting city in America.
