Phoenix ranked among the worst nightlife cities in U.S. Here's why

Think Phoenix nightlife is lacking, even with its vibrant nightspots, respected concert venues and abundance of theme bars? You’re not alone.

Venue rental website Giggster recently ranked Phoenix among the 10 U.S. cities with the worst nightlife, citing factors like the number of after-dark options and the costs of a night out.

Talk about a buzzkill.

Earlier this year, the California-based company analyzed data from the 40 largest U.S. cities to rank the nation’s top party destinations. Giggster used data like the average prices for drinks, a taxi ride and a hotel stay — as well as the number of bars, pubs, nightlife spots and upcoming events — to calculate a party city score for each. Phoenix ranks as the 10th least party-friendly city with a score of 4.18 out of 10. It averages just 5.7 nightlife attractions and 2.4 bars and pubs per 100,000 residents. Taxi rides cost approximately $14.40 for an 8-kilometer trip, while the nightly rate for a three-star hotel room is $106.61. A cocktail averages $14 and a beer costs $5.41.

Other U.S. cities ranking among the 10 worst party cities based on Giggster’s metrics include Philadelphia (with a score of 4.05); Houston (3.90); San Diego (3.80); El Paso, Texas (3.57); Jacksonville, Fla. (3.33); NYC (3.24); San Jose, Calif. (2.74) and Los Angeles (2.61).

Fresno, Calif. was ranked as the place with the worst nightlife in the U.S. with a party city score of 1.91.

Conversely, Baltimore ranked as the city with the best nightlife, scoring 669.6, followed by Atlanta (469.8) and Sacramento, Calif. (468.2).

Giggster’s nightlife number-crunching wasn’t all bad news for Phoenix. Our city ranked third in a separate list of the most affordable party cities in the U.S., based on the cost of drinks, taxi rides, and nightly hotel stays. Tucson was first, followed by Oklahoma City.