The Best Gaming Cities in the US
The skyrocketing growth of the gaming industry in America is no secret, with the video game market projected to soar to $363.19B by 2027 (56% increase) and the board game industry following with $1.87B (29% increase). It’s crystal clear that our nation is filled with gaming enthusiasts. So, whether you’re a PC gaming pro, joystick wizard, dice-rolling hotshot, or a seasoned blackjack player, rest assured – there’s a gaming haven out there for all players!
From retro arcades to adrenaline-pumping esports competitions, we went on the quest to unveil the top gaming cities in the US. Plugging the following factors into our weighted index – gaming facilities, events and conventions, and convenience essentials – we mapped out the ultimate gaming hubs that’ll have you shouting, ‘Game On’!
Key Findings:
- Las Vegas leads the scoreboard as the ‘Gaming Capital’ with an epic score of 96.4/100
- Orlando levels up into 2nd with a score of 94.5, with Daytona Beach following closely behind in 3rd (92.5)
- New York City lands itself at the bottom of the scoreboard, with a ‘Game Over’ score of 1.5 points
- With 3 of Florida’s gaming cities ranked in the top 5, Florida names itself as the ‘Ultimate Gaming State’
Game on: The ultimate gaming cities
To discover the ultimate gaming cities, we dove into the heart of each cities’ downtown gaming scene: lightning-fast Wi-Fi speeds, abundance of real money casinos, arcades, and VR experiences, 24-hour takeout spots, Best Buy locations, video game conferences, fan cons, and gaming social meetups. With that said, here are the cities where gaming thrives (per capita)!
Las Vegas, the epitome of entertainment, leads the scoreboard with 96.4 points, securing the ‘Gaming Capital’ title! Home to 169 casinos, 9 VR experiences, and 16 arcades, Vegas deals the winning hand nationwide in gaming facilities per capita. Gaming enthusiasts will be thrilled with the abundance of events, including 1 major video game conference, 8 fan cons, and 32 social meetups lined up for the rest of 2024! Sin City also hits the jackpot with the most 24-hour takeout spots per capita (56) and 5 convenient Best Buy locations – ensuring gamers are never without sustenance or gaming gear. The ‘Entertainment and Gaming Capital’ awaits, where every roll of the dice is a chance to level up your gaming experience!
In the Sunshine State’s magical hub that is Orlando, their gaming scene shines bright – securing 2nd place with a dazzling score of 94.5 points! With high-speed Wi-Fi of 171 Mbps (2nd nationwide), O-Town ranks 1st in the most fan cons (12) and social meetups (14) per capita – along with 3 exciting video game conferences planned for 2024. While casinos may be absent, Orlando levels up with 16 arcades (2nd nationwide) and a thrilling VR experience. Fear not, gamers, as the city boasts the 2nd highest concentration of Best Buy locations per capita, conveniently located right downtown for all your gaming needs!
Just an hour’s drive north from Orlando, Daytona Beach revs up to 3rd place in our best gaming cities rankings – zooming in with a score of 92.5 points! With lightning-fast Wi-Fi speeds clocking in at 173.8 Mbps (1st nationwide), the city ensures seamless streaming for all types of gaming adventures. Ranking 2nd in fan cons and 5th in social meetups, gamers can ride the waves of friendship here on the coast! If you’re craving a bit of casino action, don’t fret – Daytona Beach has one in the cards, along with 6 retro arcades in this gaming paradise!
Completing the top 5 gaming scoreboard, St. Louis secures 4th place with 52.9 points, closely followed by Miami in 5th – with 52.3 points. With another Florida city making its mark, it’s clear that Florida is the ultimate gaming state of America!
It’s ‘Game Over’ for New York City (and others)
In the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, unfortunately, the gaming dream seems to be on pause as NYC finds itself at the bottom of the scoreboard with…1.5 points. Despite a trio of casinos, 2 VR experiences, and 11 arcades, it’s evident that it’s not enough for the city’s massive population – let alone, its gaming community! With a shortage of 91 takeout places offering 24-hour delivery, 2 fan cons, and 96 social meetups for its substantial population, NYC’s gaming scene falls short for gamers of all kinds.
Other major metropolitan cities with vast populations seem to join NYC at the bottom 5 of our scoreboard as well:
#24 New York City – 1.5 points
#23 Los Angeles – 1.9 points
#22 Chicago – 5.3 points
#21 Philadelphia – 8.2 points
#20 Detroit – 8.7 points
Noteworthy highlights beyond the scoreboard
Now that we’ve wrapped up the ultimate gaming cities, we wanted to showcase the cities that are making waves in the gaming scene! Here are the cities that ranked 1st in each of the factors used in our index:
Fastest Wi-Fi speed: Daytona Beach zooms ahead in Wi-Fi speed, boasting an internet connection of 173.8 Mbps, setting the pace across our gaming cities scoreboard.
Casinos and VR abundance: Las Vegas continues to top the scoreboard. Not only is the casino capital home to 169 establishments, but it’s also the VR capital, offering users 9 immersive experiences!
Arcade all-stars: Orlando and Las Vegas tied for 1st in arcade abundance, each flaunting 16 arcade locations to ensure gaming fun for downtown visitors and residents alike.
Midnight munchies and social meetups: Despite NYC’s shortage struggles, as mentioned earlier, they still lead the nation with a whopping 91 24-hour takeout spots, ready for your gaming munchies delivery orders! Additionally, the Big Apple offers 96 social meetups, perfect for meeting like-minded gamers.
Video game conference hub: All the way in Boston, The Hub is quite literally the video game conference ‘hub’ – as they’re hosting 5 exciting events right downtown!
Fan con hotspot: Orlando takes the top spot for fan conventions, with 14 upcoming events planned for the remainder of the year!
Best Buy convenience: Tied for 1st nationwide, Las Vegas and Miami both have 5 Best Buys located right downtown. Gamers in both cities will never be short of gaming equipment!
Final Level (Conclusion)
Although our data highlights the ultimate gaming cities, it’s evident that America’s love for games knows no bounds – from conquering board game dungeons, immersing oneself in VR worlds, or mastering the poker table. There’s a game and gaming city out there awaiting every player!
Methodology
In April 2024, we looked at the US cities with the most video game sets for our seed list, then created an index analyzing and weighing a multitude of factors. Please note that we only looked at the following factors that are based right downtown as our city parameter:
- Wi-Fi speed (HighSpeedInternet.com) – 20%
- Download Mbps
- Total # of casinos (World Casino Directory) – 20%
- Total # of arcades + VR experiences (Google Maps) – 20%
- Upcoming 2024 video game conventions (Video Game Conventions) – 10%
- Upcoming 2024 fan conventions (Fan Cons) – 10%
- Upcoming gaming social meetups (Meetup) – 10%
- Total # of 24-hour takeout spots with delivery (Yelp) – 5%
- Within 5 mile city radius for speedy delivery
- Total # of Best Buy locations (Best Buy) – 5%
Each city was then scored and ranked to discover which US cities are the best gaming cities nationwide.
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