Washington, D.C., August 26, 2025
News Summary
WalletHub has released its ranking of the most fun states for 2025, with California taking the top spot, followed closely by Florida. The study evaluated states based on recreational options, entertainment venues, and lifestyle opportunities, highlighting California’s abundance of dining, amusement parks, and beaches. Florida remains strong, ranking second with its wealth of outdoor activities and attractions. Nevada, Illinois, and New York complete the top five, each showcasing unique strengths in entertainment and lifestyle activities.
Washington, D.C. — WalletHub released its 2025 ranking of the most “fun” states on August 26, 2025, placing California at the top and moving Florida into second place after Florida held first in 2024. The annual study measured recreational opportunities, entertainment options, and related measures to assess how well each state supports leisure and lifestyle activities.
Top-line findings
The 2025 list names California as the most fun state, followed by Florida, Nevada, Illinois, and New York to round out the top five. California’s lead stems from a high concentration of restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, fitness centers, performing-arts establishments, and music festivals per capita, as well as the best beach access and the most scenic byways per capita in the nation. Florida retains strong showings in food, attractions, and outdoor amenities, leading the country in restaurants, amusement parks, arcades, and music festivals per capita.
Key supporting details
California earned top marks for a combination of indoor and outdoor entertainment options: numerous dining venues, theme parks, and movie theaters per capita; a robust performing-arts scene; and accessible scenic travel routes and beaches. These factors contributed to California ranking second for attractions per capita overall.
Florida ranks second overall and leads several specific categories. The state has the most marinas per capita and the second-most miles of shoreline, contributing to its strength in outdoor and water-based recreation. Florida also ranks first in the number of restaurants, amusement parks, arcades, and music festivals per capita and has the fourth-most attractions per capita. In terms of arts and entertainment establishments, Florida sits at seventh in the country. The state’s average household recreation spending is about $2,300 per year, the 15th-highest nationwide, and government investment in parks and recreation places Florida 17th per capita. Florida is also noted for having the 12th-best overall weather.
Nevada, Illinois, and New York round out the top five, each showing different strengths: Nevada’s entertainment and nightlife offerings and concentrated attractions, Illinois’ mix of cultural institutions and urban entertainment, and New York’s dense concentration of performing-arts venues and dining options.
City-level notes
Earlier in 2025, the same research ranked the most fun cities in the U.S., listing Orlando and Miami among the top three cities. Both cities scored particularly high for entertainment and nightlife but were held back in overall placement by cost-related measures.
Why this ranking matters
The study links access to varied recreational and entertainment opportunities with potential benefits for residents’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being. The ranking is intended as a comparative snapshot of where states concentrate leisure infrastructure and how that may affect quality of life. Results highlight trade-offs between entertainment density, affordability, and public investment in recreational services.
Method and scope
The ranking evaluates states across multiple categories of recreation and entertainment, including dining, parks and beaches, attractions, performing arts, festivals, and infrastructure such as marinas and scenic routes. It also accounts for spending and government investment in recreation. The outcome is a ranked list reflecting a combination of per-capita measures and availability of amenities; it does not assign clinical or definitive measures of health outcomes.
Top 5 most fun states (2025)
- California
- Florida
- Nevada
- Illinois
- New York
Frequently Asked Questions
What was released and when?
The ranking of the most fun states was released on August 26, 2025. It evaluates states on recreational and entertainment indicators to produce an overall comparative list.
Which state ranked No. 1 in 2025?
California ranked as the most fun state in 2025, driven by a high number of restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, fitness centers, performing-arts establishments, music festivals, beach access, and scenic byways per capita.
How did Florida perform?
Florida ranked second in 2025. The state leads in restaurants, amusement parks, arcades, and music festivals per capita, has the most marinas per capita, and the second-most miles of shoreline. Florida also ranks highly in attractions per capita and maintains substantial public and private investment in recreation.
Do these rankings measure quality of life?
The rankings focus on availability and density of entertainment and recreation options rather than directly measuring overall quality of life or health outcomes. The study notes that access to leisure can contribute positively to well-being, but it is one of many factors affecting residents’ lives.
How can I see city-level results?
City-level analyses were released separately earlier in the year, with cities such as Orlando and Miami appearing near the top for entertainment and nightlife measures. Those city rankings also factor in cost-related metrics that can affect final placement.
Simple visual: Top 5 states (relative ranking)
| State | Relative Rank |
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| California (1) |
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| Florida (2) |
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| Nevada (3) |
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| Illinois (4) |
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| New York (5) |
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Note: Bar lengths are a simple visual representation of relative ranking order and are not official numeric scores from the study.
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Additional Resources
- Click Orlando
- Google Search: most fun states 2025
- WTSP
- Encyclopedia Britannica: fun states
- Times of San Diego
- Google News: Florida fun states
- WFLA
- Google Scholar: California fun state
- Florida Today
- Wikipedia: recreation
Author: STAFF HERE ORLANDO WRITER
ORLANDO STAFF WRITER The ORLANDO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREOrlando.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Orlando, Orange County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, Megacon Orlando, and Central Florida Fair. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Orlando Economic Partnership and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro Orlando, plus leading businesses in leisure and hospitality that power the local economy such as Walt Disney World Resort, AdventHealth, and Universal Orlando. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREPetersburg.com, HERETallahassee.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
