To be honest, this one kind of throws me off. A new study has come out and it ranks the states from the most fun to the least fun. Why does it throw me off? Iowa and Illinois aren't really that different when it comes to fun stuff to do. The only thing is Chicago. But let's dive deeper into what makes Illinois one of the top 5 most fun states.

Our friends at WalletHub conducted a study where they compare and rank all 50 states to rank them from most fun to least fun. When this email came through my inbox and I saw Illinois towards the top, it had me really curious since Iowa and Illinois are fairly similar when it comes to fun things to do.

To rank each state from most fun to least fun, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key categories:

  • Entertainment & Recreation
  • Nightlife

WalletHub evaluated those categories using 26 relevant metrics Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 indicating the greatest number and variety of fun and cost-effective options.

After all of that math stuff that we radio people can't even do on our phone calculator, WalletHub came up with their list.

This study doesn't take into consideration any COVID-19 restrictions, including levels and lengths of restrictions, over the course of the pandemic.

Let's look and see how Iowa and Illinois did on WalletHub's most fun states list.

Source: WalletHub

As you read in the headline Illinois ranked as the 5th most fun state. Illinois received an overall score of 53.71. In 'Entertainment & Recreation' they also rank 5th, they ranked 3rd in 'Nightlife'. Illinois also has the 5th most restaurants per capita, the 4th most performing-arts theatres per capita, and the 5th highest state and local expenditures on parks and recreation per capita.

Iowa ranked as the 32nd most fun state. Iowa had an overall score of 30.05. In 'Entertainment & Recreation' they ranked 37th, they ranked 17th in 'Nightlife'. Iowa has the 4th most movie theaters per capita and the 2nd most golf courses and country clubs per capita.

If you're looking for fun, hit up Illinois!

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