(NEXSTAR) – It’s all fun and games until you move from San Diego.
A recent study from U.S. News and World Report has determined San Diego to be the “most fun” place to live in the United States, followed by the good-time towns of San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), Seattle and Nashville.
The study, released last month, took a number of fun-factors into account, including access to attractions such as parks, restaurants, theaters, live music, shopping, professional sports venues and bars. Visitation rates (in terms of airline arrivals) factored semi-significantly into the scores, too.
U.S. News also dipped into its own “Best Places to Live” rankings for 2021-2022, “because how much fun residents have is contingent on a place’s livability,” the outlet wrote.
The results, according to U.S. News, placed San Diego firmly at the top of the 30 “most fun” cities ranked on the list, thanks largely to its restaurant ranking relative to the country’s most populous metro areas (No. 1) and its plethora of parks, which allow residents plenty of outdoor leisure options. San Francisco and Portland, Oregon — both popular airline destinations with access to major nightlife and outdoorsy options — placed second and third.
The top 10 “most fun” cities can be found below.
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle
- Nashville
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Los Angeles
- Cleveland
- Portland, Maine
- Santa Rosa, California
A complete list of the 30 “most fun” places to live, as well as the study’s methodology, can be found at U.S. News and World Report.