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Gilbert has the Heritage District, a downtown area the city has worked hard to fill with trendy restaurants and shops. Peoria has P83, which it bills as the “gateway to dozens of entertainment options.”
Despite those offerings, one recent ranking says both Arizona suburbs are a total snooze.
The finance website WalletHub recently ranked 182 of the largest municipalities across the country according to which are the most fun. The outlet graded each city by a variety of factors that fit under three main categories: entertainment and recreation options (40%), nightlife and parties (40%), and costs (20%).
Phoenix, the largest city in the state, came in at No. 27. But Peoria and Gilbert rank among the least fun cities in the country. According to WalletHub’s metrics, they respectively rank 149th and 151st, respectively, out of 182, putting them both in the bottom quintile of fun.
Notably, Gilbert ranked as the fifth-worst city for park playgrounds per capita, which factored into its position on the list. The city’s neighbor, Chandler, came in as the second-worst city on WalletHub’s list for dance clubs per capita, just ahead of Henderson, Nevada. Overall, Chandler ranked 114th.
The least fun city in the raking is Pearl City, Hawaii. The most fun cities were the ones you’d expect: Las Vegas (first), Orlando (second) and Miami (third).
“These cities are far more than tourist traps,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health.”
Here’s where Arizona’s cities rank on the fun scale.
27. Phoenix
30. Tucson
42. Scottsdale
58. Tempe
108. Glendale
114. Chandler
118. Mesa
149. Peoria
151. Gilbert
