Best Cities for Gamers

A new study from WalletHub shows which cities are best for gamers. WalletHub compared 100 of the largest cities in the United States across nearly two dozen key indicators that WalletHub considers important for traveling gamers. Indicators included average internet speeds, broadband connections, low internet costs, video game stores per capita, arcades per capita, smartphone ownership, computer ownership and high percentages of millennial residents.

According to WalletHub, Seattle is the best city for gamers to visit or live in, followed by Irvine, Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, New York City, San Jose, San Francisco, Austin and Raleigh. Some of the worst cities for gamers to visit or live in, according to the study, are Detroit, Memphis, Cleveland and Toledo.

The city with the highest average internet speed is Washington, D.C.; the lowest internet cost is found in Santa Ana, California. The most video game stores per capita can be found in six different cities that tie for the ranking — Las Vegas, Seattle, San Diego, Irvine, Louisville and Indianapolis. Similarly, five cities tied for most arcades per capita, including Las Vegas, Seattle, Irvine, San Francisco and San Diego.

The top contender, Seattle, also boasts the third-highest population aged 18 to 49. The lowest populations aged 18 to 49 were found in Mesa, Arizona; Hialeah, Florida; St. Petersburg, Florida; Henderson, Nevada; and Scottsdale, Arizona. Hialeah also has the lowest percentage of households owning a computer and the lowest percentage of households with a broadband connection.