With the NBA playoffs kicking off on April 15 and the average NBA franchise being worth $2.86 billion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans, as well as expert commentary.
To find the best cities for professional- and college-basketball fans, WalletHub compared more than 290 of the largest cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.
| Best Cities for Basketball Fans | Worst Cities for Basketball Fans | |
| 1. Los Angeles, CA | 287. Wichita, KS | |
| 2. Boston, MA | 288. Austin, TX | |
| 3. San Francisco, CA | 289. Berkeley, CA | |
| 4. Philadelphia, PA | 290. Dover, DE | |
| 5. Salt Lake City, UT | 291. Bethlehem, PA | |
| 6. Miami, FL | 292. Commerce, TX | |
| 7. Washington, DC | 293. Pocatello, ID | |
| 8. New York, NY | 294. Daytona Beach, FL | |
| 9. San Antonio, TX | 295. Easton, MA | |
| 10. Atlanta, GA | 296. New Britain, CT | |
Best vs. Worst
- Charlotte, North Carolina, has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, $32.82, which is 4.3 times less expensive than in San Francisco, the city with the highest at $139.49.
- The Milwaukee Bucks have the highest performance level among NBA teams, 67.60 percent, which is 2.4 times better than that of the Detroit Pistons, the team with the lowest at 28.71 percent.
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs have the highest performance level among college basketball teams, 92.77 percent, which is 10.9 times better than that of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, the team with the lowest at 8.49 percent.
- Miami has the highest fan engagement for NBA teams, 43.96, which is 29.9 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at 1.47.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-basketball-fans/11034
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