Florida Metros Featured Among WalletHub’s 2025 Most Fun Cities

Having fun is a major boost to our lives, whether it’s enjoying favorite activities or new adventures. And when it’s time for fun beyond our new custom Florida homes, WalletHub has some recommendations.

Several Florida metro areas rank in the top 20 of the financial website’s 2025 list of Most Fun Cities in America, with Orlando at No. 2, and followed by No. 3 Miami, No. 11 Fort Lauderdale and No. 17 Tampa .

Two other Florida cities made the top 50, including Tampa’s bayside neighbor St. Petersburg (No. 28) and Jacksonville (No. 35).

Curious who’s No. 1? Las Vegas, Nevada (surprise!). The rest of WalletHub’s top 10 Most Fun Cities in America is Atlanta, Georgia (No. 4), New Orleans, Louisiana (No. 5), Austin, Texas (No. 6), San Francisco, California (No. 7), Chicago, Illinois (No. 8), Houston, Texas (No. 9) and New York (No. 10).

Since we at ICI Homes have built new custom Florida homes all over the state for more than four decades, we’re happy to spotlight the “fun meter” for some of these Sunshine State cities.

Here’s more on those Florida metros featured in WalletHub’s 2025 Most Fun Cities.

The criteria

WalletHub researchers used 65 metrics to compile each city’s score, using the nation’s 150 most populated cities, plus a minimum of two of each state’s most populated cities; a final total of 182  were examined. Researchers focused on three core categories — entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and costs.

The results prioritized year-round fun and cost-consciousness in everything from restaurants, to parks and playgrounds, to fitness centers, easy-access bars, dance clubs, movie costs, average beer prices  — and 59 more metrics.

Orlando

Start with the City Beautiful’s world-renowned attractions. WalletHub also ranked Orlando as the fifth-best city for soccer fans, No. 22 for its average pizza prices, and No. 24 for the lowest average wine price.

Orlando also scored well for its numerous fitness centers, athletic and performing arts venues, arcades, pool halls and spas.

Tampa and St. Petersburg

These sister cities headline the Tampa Bay area and together offer many museums, performing arts venues and other opportunities to have fun.

Tampa achieved WalletHub’s ninth-highest entertainment and recreational ranking. It’s also home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and the University of South Florida.

St. Petersburg, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, ranked No. 26 for its cost factor, meaning fun also can be affordable here.

Both are surrounded by outdoor recreational options, including boating and glistening Gulf of Mexico beaches just to their west.

Jacksonville

Fun Jacksonville ranked 37th out of 182 WalletHub-ranked cities for its plentiful entertainment and recreational activities. This city, which is bisected by one of Florida’s signature rivers, the St. Johns, boast the nation’s largest urban park network with more than 80,000 acres of local, state and national parkland within its city limits and surrounding areas.

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.