What are the best cities for gamers?
Nearly half of all American adults play video games - and 10% consider themselves to be "gamers." So if video gaming is a big part of your life, where might be the best place to live?
Personal finance site WalletHub crunched the numbers of 100 American cities based on 20 different metrics to arrive at what the best cities to game in are. Those metrics include internet speed, number of game retailers per capita, and esports tournaments. You can read the full methodology they used here. So what cities are at the top?
The top 5
Holly Warfield/ForbesIn what may be a surprise, Orlando takes the cake as the best city for gaming. Seattle, Austin, New York and Atlanta round out the top five. Ranking dead last for gamers among major American cities is Detroit. Interestingly, Orlando is at the top despite only ranking 53/100 for internet quality and coverage.
Internet speeds
Holly Warfield/ForbesSpeaking of internet, if what matters to you are download times, head over to Steelers country. Pittsburgh has the highest average download speed at 14.62 Mbps. Honolulu fares worst with average download speeds of 4.70 Mbps. Best average internet speeds (upload and download) are found in Virginia Beach, VA.
Internet cost
Holly Warfield/ForbesIf the speed of the internet is less important to you than how much it costs, then consider Durham, North Carolina your destination. Average monthly cost for internet there is $40, plus they have a great minor league baseball team. Anchorage, Alaska is at the bottom of the list for cost of the internet - with a whopping $101.36 per month.
Most stores per capita
Holly Warfield/ForbesIf internet access is less important to you than just getting your hands on physical media, it's time to head down to Vegas. The Nevada City has the most retail video game stores per capita of any U.S. city. Kansas City and Memphis have the fewest retail game stores, but they make up for it with barbecue.
Here's some other interesting tidbits from WalletHub's study:
- Las Vegas also has the most arcades per capita, while Long Beach, California has the least.
- Anchorage not only has the highest monthly internet cost, it has the lowest average internet speed (upload/download).
- Gilbert, Arizona has the highest percentage of households with a computer.
You can read the whole report for yourself here.
