Orlando named Second-Best City for Recreation in the Country, with Tampa in Third Place

A new study has placed Orlando, and Tampa just behind Las Vegas as two of the best placed in the U.S. for offering a huge choice of leisure activities.

In a new study from WalletHub that names the Best & Worst Cities for Recreation in the U.S., Orlando has been placed in second place, with Tampa in third place, with Las Vegas narrowly beating the Florida cities.

To identify the best cities for recreation, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 47 key metrics that speak to the benefits of recreational activities. In each city, they examined the availability and cost of recreational activities, along with the quality of parks and the weather, with the best cities offering a wide range of leisure activities, both indoor and outdoor, which require varying levels of exercise and contribute to a city’s overall well-being and economy.

According to the study, neighborhood parks are one of the most beneficial places for recreation a city can offer. Having a park within 600 feet of your property can have a significant impact on its value.

In addition, parks help people stay fit, saving them an average of over $1,800 in health care costs per year, and they reduce the overall cost of air pollution by $3.8 billion per year. It’s also important for cities to offer recreation opportunities that don’t require good weather. Therefore, places like movie theaters, music venues and coffee shops contribute to each city’s recreation-friendliness, too.

To determine the best and worst cities for recreation, WalletHub compared a sample of the 100 most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Entertainment & Recreational Facilities, 2) Costs, 3) Quality of Parks and 4) Weather.

The study placed Orlando in second place due in large part to its theme parks, including Walt Disney World, and Universal Orlando. In addition, Orlando has a very high number of water parks, boat tours, water sports opportunities, and more.

There are also a lot of great places for outdoor activities in Orlando. It ranks at the top of the country for sport venues per capita and eighth for the availability of recreational centers. Orlando also has the 11th-highest percentage of city land that is designated as parkland, giving people plenty of space to choose their own types of recreation. Orlando is the fourth-best city for soccer fans, too.

When it comes to dining, Orlando has an especially high number of restaurants per capita, and it’s one of the best cities for affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars. It also has a large number of ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita, along with the 10th-most food festivals.

Tampa, is the third-best city for recreation, and as a coastal city, it has the advantage of offering a lot of activities revolving around water. For example, it ranks at the top of the country when it comes to fishing spots, boat tours and water sports per capita, and ranks sixth for water parks. It also has the 14th-most miles of public beaches per capita.

Tampa is a hot city, but if you can stand the heat, it ranks 13th among the cities with the best weather in the U.S., making it ideal for outdoor recreation, especially in the fall and winter.

Surprisingly, this sunny city is also the eighth-best place for hockey fans in the U.S.

Finally, Tampa has the 13th-most restaurants per capita overall, and when it comes to affordable restaurants with at least 4.5 stars, it’s one of the top cities. It also has a very high number of food festivals and ice cream shops.

Gotta Go Orlando offers the best and most up to date coverage of events & things to do in Orlando, and throughout Central Florida. Featuring the latest entertainment news, concerts, theater, culture, nightlife, food & drink. theme parks, attractions, events, and more.

Never miss any Orlando news! Sign up to the Gotta Go Orlando Newsletter, and join us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.