California trumps Florida as the most ‘fun’ state in America. Here’s why

Published: August 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State turned out to be the second-most “fun” state in the nation, according to WalletHub’s most recent ranking.

But one other state managed to come out on top: California.

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WHAT DOES “FUN” MEAN?

WalletHub compared all 50 states using 26 indicators related to entertainment, recreation and affordability, including:

Restaurants, amusement parks and arcades per capita
Music festivals and nightlife options
Marinas and shoreline access
Movie theaters and fitness centers
Access to national parks
State and local spending on parks and recreation
Variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments

WHY DID FLORIDA RANK SO HIGH?

Florida ranked first nationally for the number of restaurants, amusement parks, arcades and music festivals per capita. It also ranked fourth for total attractions and seventh for the variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments.

The state’s outdoor amenities helped strengthen its overall ranking. Florida has more marinas per capita than any other state and ranks second for shoreline mileage, giving residents and visitors numerous opportunities for boating, fishing and other water-based activities.

Florida also ranked 12th for overall weather, despite its hot summers. State government spending on parks and recreation ranked 18th nationally, while the average Floridian spends nearly $2,300 per year on recreation—also 18th-highest in the country.

CALIFORNIA TAKES NO. 1

California took the top spot overall, while Illinois, Nevada and New York rounded out the top five.

“California is the most fun state in 2026, with an especially large number of restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, and fitness centers per capita. It also boasts the second-most attractions per capita overall.
For those who enjoy nightlife, the Golden State has a very high number of performing-arts establishments and music festivals per capita, along with the ninth-best access to bars. And even though California is one of the most expensive states for beer, it’s the least expensive for wine – likely due to the abundance produced locally.
When it comes to the outdoors, California has the most scenic byways per capita and the sixth-longest ones in the country. It also has the best beach access in the country and the fourth-best weather (at least, when it’s not too hot to go out)."
WalletHub, "Most Fun States in America (2026)"

FULL RANKING

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Entertainment & Recreation Rank	Nightlife Rank
1	California	67.35	1	4
2	Florida	64.14	2	7
3	Illinois	59.87	3	2
4	Nevada	58.76	7	1
5	New York	58.40	4	3
6	Colorado	56.15	5	10
7	Washington	55.75	6	8
8	Texas	53.67	8	12
9	Minnesota	49.48	10	9
10	Arizona	48.01	9	21
11	Oregon	47.45	12	15
12	Louisiana	47.24	18	6
13	Pennsylvania	47.22	14	11
14	North Carolina	46.67	11	19
15	Ohio	46.50	16	13
16	Wisconsin	45.49	23	5
17	Missouri	44.42	22	14
18	Maryland	43.24	13	30
19	Michigan	43.18	21	17
20	Georgia	42.31	15	37
21	South Carolina	41.82	17	32
22	Hawaii	39.65	19	44
23	Tennessee	39.48	27	22
24	New Mexico	39.37	24	29
25	Utah	38.44	20	48
26	Virginia	38.24	25	39
27	South Dakota	37.52	29	20
28	Montana	37.30	32	16
29	Massachusetts	37.23	28	27
30	Idaho	37.12	26	40
31	Oklahoma	36.88	30	23
32	Iowa	34.41	36	18
33	Wyoming	33.42	31	42
34	Nebraska	33.22	34	28
35	Alaska	32.92	33	41
36	Indiana	31.76	39	25
37	New Jersey	31.58	35	38
38	Kentucky	30.08	38	33
39	Kansas	29.93	40	34
40	North Dakota	28.91	42	31
41	Maine	28.87	37	45
42	Alabama	28.13	42	34
43	New Hampshire	27.33	41	47
44	Connecticut	26.67	43	49
45	Rhode Island	24.79	48	26
46	Delaware	24.57	45	50
47	Arkansas	24.00	46	46
48	Vermont	23.97	47	36
49	Mississippi	21.62	50	24
50	West Virginia	20.57	49	43