Debates about “best” and “worst” cities elicit strong feelings. It’s a tricky issue because such debates are largely subjective.
So Business Insider attempted to use data to definitively prove which are the most exciting and most boring cities in every state across America.
To do that, we took counts of the number of establishments for 66 different types of businesses – like breweries, art dealers, and museums – that can make a city more “interesting.” We sourced data from the Census Bureau’s 2015 County Business Patterns program and picked the metro areas with the highest and lowest count of these businesses for our interesting and boring cities.
For example, the New York City metro area has 62 breweries, 762 art dealers, and 305 museums, based on federal data. That ended up being the “most exciting” city in New York. Elmira, the “most boring” city in New York, has two breweries, zero art dealers, and four museums. Of course, this means that bigger cities tended to rank better as “exciting” cities, but that is a trend for most lists of this nature.
The list below breaks out cities by each of the 381 Metropolitan Statistical Areas recognized by the federal government. You will see that some of the metro areas span more than one state (e.g. New York City includes Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey). We have made it clear in the slides below which metro areas span more than one state.
And two states - Rhode Island and Vermont - are not included in the list because they don't have at least two metro areas as defined by the federal government.
Read below to see the most exciting and most boring city in every state in America.
Alabama
Most Exciting
Birmingham, Hoover, Alabama
Population: 1,144,857
Most Boring
Gadsden, Alabama
Population: 102,873
Alaska
Most Exciting
Anchorage, Alaska
Population: 399,432
Most Boring
Fairbanks, Alaska
Population: 99,639
Arizona
Most Exciting
Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Arizona
Population: 4,567,857
Most Boring
Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona
Population: 126,395
Arkansas
Most Exciting
Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Arkansas
Population: 731,542
Most Boring
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Population: 93,904
California
Most Exciting
Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim, California
Population: 13,268,828
Most Boring
Hanford, Corcoran, California
Population: 150,331
Colorado
Most Exciting
Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado
Population: 2,808,816
Most Boring
Pueblo, Colorado
Population: 163,117
Connecticut
Most Exciting
Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Connecticut
Population: 1,209,953
Most Boring
Norwich, New London, Connecticut
Population: 270,639
Delaware
Most Exciting
Wilmington, Delaware / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Camden, New Jersey
Population: 6,062,303
Most Boring
Dover, Delaware
Population: 173,533
Florida
Most Exciting
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, FL
Population: 6,001,717
Most Boring
The Villages, Florida
Population: 118,882
Georgia
Most Exciting
Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Georgia
Population: 5,699,050
Most Boring
Hinesville, Georgia
Population: 80,328
Hawaii
Most Exciting
Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina, Hawaii
Population: 164,357
Most Boring
Honolulu, Hawaii
Population: 993,166
Idaho
Most Exciting
Boise City, Idaho
Population: 675,777
Most Boring
Lewiston, Idaho
Population: 62,235
Illinois
Most Exciting
Chicago, Naperville, Elgin, Illinois
Population: 9,532,569
Most Boring
Danville, Illinois
Population: 78,990
Indiana
Most Exciting
Indianapolis, Carmel, Anderson, Indiana
Population: 1,986,542
Most Boring
Columbus, Indiana
Population: 81,011
Iowa
Most Exciting
Des Moines, West Des Moines, Iowa
Population: 622,580
Most Boring
Ames, Iowa
Population: 96,346
Kansas
Most Exciting
Wichita, Kansas
Population: 643,016
Most Boring
Manhattan, Kansas
Population: 98,506
Kentucky
Most Exciting
Louisville, Kentucky
Population: 1,277,583
Most Boring
Owensboro, Kentucky
Population: 117,539
Louisiana
Most Exciting
New Orleans, Metairie, Louisiana
Population: 1,262,071
Most Boring
Hammond, Louisiana
Population: 128,756
Maine
Most Exciting
Portland, South Portland, Maine
Population: 526,795
Most Boring
Lewiston, Auburn, Maine
Population: 107,245
Maryland
Most Exciting
Baltimore, Columbia, Towson, Maryland
Population: 2,793,837
Most Boring
California, Lexington Park, Maryland
Population: 111,628
Massachusetts
Most Exciting
Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts/Newton, New Hampshire
Population: 4,766,755
Most Boring
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Population: 127,671
Michigan
Most Exciting
Detroit, Warren, Dearborn, Michigan
Population: 4,297,538
Most Boring
Midland, Michigan
Population: 83,618
Minnesota
Most Exciting
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota / Bloomington, Wisconsin
Population: 3,518,252
Most Boring
Mankato, North Mankato, Minnesota
Population: 99,178
Mississippi
Most Exciting
Jackson, Mississippi
Population: 578,666
Most Boring
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Population: 148,716
Missouri
Most Exciting
St. Louis, Missouri
Population: 2,808,330
Most Boring
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Population: 97,514
Montana
Most Exciting
Billings, Montana
Population: 168,164
Most Boring
Great Falls, Montana
Population: 82,118
Nebraska
Most Exciting
Omaha, Nebraska / Council Bluffs, Iowa
Population: 914,268
Most Boring
Grand Island, Nebraska
Population: 84,773
Nevada
Most Exciting
Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise, Nevada
Population: 2,109,289
Most Boring
Carson City, Nevada
Population: 54,405
New Hampshire
Most Exciting
Newton, New Hampshire / Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Population: 4,766,755
Most Boring
Manchester, Nashua, New Hampshire
Population: 406,015
New Jersey
Most Exciting
Ocean City, New Jersey
Population: 94,843
Most Boring
Vineland, Bridgeton, New Jersey
Population: 155,241
New Mexico
Most Exciting
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Population: 905,174
Most Boring
Farmington, New Mexico
Population: 118,701
New York
Most Exciting
New York, New York / Newark, Jersey City, New Jersey
Population: 20,118,063
Most Boring
Elmira, New York
Population: 87,120
North Carolina
Most Exciting
Charlotte, Concord, North Carolina / Gastonia, South Carolina
Population: 2,424,643
Most Boring
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Population: 124,319
North Dakota
Most Exciting
Fargo, North Dakota
Population: 233,642
Most Boring
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Population: 102,226
Ohio
Most Exciting
Cleveland, Elyria, Ohio
Population: 2,059,929
Most Boring
Springfield, Ohio
Population: 135,815
Oklahoma
Most Exciting
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Population: 1,356,965
Most Boring
Lawton, Oklahoma
Population: 130,168
Oregon
Most Exciting
Portland, Oregon / Vancouver, Hillsboro, Washington
Population: 2,384,807
Most Boring
Grants Pass, Oregon
Population: 84,742
Pennsylvania
Most Exciting
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Camden, New Jersey / Wilmington, Delaware
Population: 6,062,303
Most Boring
Bloomsburg, Berwick, Pennsylvania
Population: 84,944
South Carolina
Most Exciting
Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina
Population: 744,603
Most Boring
Sumter, South Carolina
Population: 107,382
South Dakota
Most Exciting
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Population: 251,889
Most Boring
Rapid City, South Dakota
Population: 144,059
Tennessee
Most Exciting
Nashville, Davidson, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Tennessee
Population: 1,828,961
Most Boring
Morristown, Tennessee
Population: 116,702
Texas
Most Exciting
Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Texas
Population: 7,089,888
Most Boring
Victoria, Texas
Population: 99,763
Utah
Most Exciting
Salt Lake City, Utah
Population: 1,167,501
Most Boring
Logan, Utah
Population: 133,093
Virginia
Most Exciting
Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia
Population: 1,723,468
Most Boring
Staunton, Waynesboro, Virginia
Population: 120,463
Washington
Most Exciting
Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Washington
Population: 3,727,097
Most Boring
Walla Walla, Washington
Population: 64,087
West Virginia
Most Exciting
Charleston, West Virginia
Population: 220,375
Most Boring
Beckley, West Virginia
Population: 122,255
Wisconsin
Most Exciting
Milwaukee, Waukesha, West Allis, Wisconsin
Population: 1,574,349
Most Boring
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Population: 101,943
Wyoming
Most Exciting
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Population: 97,183
Most Boring
Casper, Wyoming
Population: 82,191