Cowtown Pride

Fort Worth trounces all of Texas to win title as most country-minded city in America

Fort Worth knows how to get in the country state of mind better than any other big city in America.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth CVB

Fort Worthians (Fort Worthers?) can add a point to their side of the Dallas-Fort Worth scoreboard as it appears that Cowtown is the most "country-minded" big city in America, while Dallas sits at the bottom of a lengthy list of Texas cities.

In a Facebook study by the real estate site Estately.com, Fort Worth ranked No. 1 among the 50 largest U.S. cities. The website looked at 10 topics it deemed "country" such as country music, fishing, hunting, NASCAR, firearms, barbecue, cowboy boots, pickup trucks, rodeos and sweet tea and then ranked the cities based on the percentage of Facebook users in those towns who liked them. Pretty straightforward.

Dallasites love pickups fourth most but ranked 37th for firearms, which put a big dent in being country. Is it really a pickup without a shotgun rack? Fort Worth knows it isn't.

Fort Worth took the top spot in pickup trucks, with top five finishes for firearms, barbecue, cowboy boots, rodeos and sweet tea. In fact, NASCAR was the only subject in which Fort Worth didn't place in the top 10.

But Fort Worth isn't the only country-minded city in Texas. In fact, San Antonio came in second, thanks to a top rodeo ranking, and El Paso landed at No. 5, with top spots for hunting and cowboy boots. The third and fourth spots went to Tulsa and Oklahoma City, respectively.

Arlington was the only other Texas city to earn the "real country" label reserved for the top 15. It ranked No. 11 due to a fondness for pickup trucks and cowboy boots.

The bigger, more "cosmopolitan" Texas cities did not fare as well. Houston and Austin took the 16 and 17 spots, respectively, while Dallas limped into last place among Texas towns at No. 26. However, it's all good enough for a "somewhat country" moniker.

It should be noted that Dallasites love pickups fourth most but ranked 37th for firearms, which put a big dent in being country. It's like, is it really a pickup without a shotgun rack? Fort Worth knows it isn't.

As for the least country-minded cities in America, it's a veritable collection of Yankees and California hippies. Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York City placed 46 through 49. In dead last is San Francisco, which ranked 50th or close to it in every category but rodeos. Apparently those Yankee eyes have never eyed the prize that some people call manly footwear.

Here is the complete list of the 15 most country-minded cities in America:

Fort Worth, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
El Paso, Texas
Wichita, Kansas
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Nashville, Tennessee
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jacksonville, Florida
Arlington, Texas
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Indianapolis, Indiana
Kansas City, Missouri

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

Topgolf Facebook

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub