INDIANAPOLIS — Basketball may be the second most popular sport in the U.S. right behind football but Indianapolis is a little further down on the totem poll when it comes to fans at #27 out of 296 total.
A new WalletHub study dives into the 2023 best and worst cities for basketball fans. In 2022 the NBA brought in $10 billion in revenue resurging from the disappointing numbers it experienced during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Basketball may be popular across the country but a big question for this study is what makes one city better than others for the sport? Top-performing teams, revenues and traditions are all part of the equation but of course there’s no game without the fans. The city also should encourage attendance and engagement by making stadiums accessible and keeping ticket costs affordable.
Metrics used for the nationwide study
WalletHub put all the data and numbers together to find the best spots across America to enjoy one of the top sports. They compared more than 290 of the largest cities based on 21 key metrics ranging from performance level to ticket prices and stadium accessibility of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 teams.
Top 30 Best Cities for Basketball Fans ranked
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | NBA | NCAA |
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | 62.3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | 57.38 | 2 | 19 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 47.06 | 3 | 134 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | 46.97 | 10 | 4 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | 46.45 | 5 | 75 |
| 6 | Miami, FL | 46.17 | 4 | 90 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | 42.06 | 13 | 20 |
| 8 | New York, NY | 40.72 | 17 | 12 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | 40.29 | 7 | 177 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | 40.2 | 8 | 166 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | 39.99 | 12 | 69 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | 39.76 | 6 | 296 |
| 13 | Milwaukee, WI | 39.55 | 9 | 185 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | 37.89 | 11 | 215 |
| 15 | Dallas, TX | 36.99 | 15 | 103 |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | 36.99 | 14 | 121 |
| 17 | Memphis, TN | 36.16 | 18 | 130 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | 35.81 | 26 | 29 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | 34.88 | 16 | 231 |
| 20 | Charlotte, NC | 34.13 | 22 | 149 |
| 21 | Orlando, FL | 34.02 | 20 | 175 |
| 22 | Minneapolis, MN | 33.93 | 19 | 266 |
| 23 | Phoenix, AZ | 33.1 | 25 | 138 |
| 24 | Detroit, MI | 33.04 | 23 | 227 |
| 25 | Sacramento, CA | 32.67 | 21 | 260 |
| 26 | Denver, CO | 31.58 | 24 | 283 |
| 27 | Indianapolis, IN | 31.21 | 27 | 267 |
| 28 | Durham, NC | 30.18 | 28 | 2 |
| 29 | Storrs, CT | 29.8 | 28 | 3 |
| 30 | Lawrence, KS | 28.56 | 28 | 5 |
Indianapolis also placed at #26 followed by Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati and Tulsa in rankings by city size.
Methodology
To determine the best and worst cities for professional and college fans WalletHub compared 296 of the most populated across both NBA and NCAA categories.
21 relevant metrics were used which are listed below with their corresponding weights and graded on a 100-point scale representing the most favorable conditions. They chose cities with at least one college basketball or NBA team. We also ranked the cities based on population size, using the following groupings:
- Large Cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize Cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small Cities: Fewer than 100,000 people
NBA: Total Points = 70
- Number of NBA Team(s): Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
- Performance Level of NBA Team(s): Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Number of Wins” by “Total Games Played” and using the past three seasons’ averages. - Number of NBA Championships Wins: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
- Number of NBA Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Franchise Value (Team Estimated Value in $ Billion): Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Average Ticket Price for NBA Game: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
Note: The price includes one general admission ticket, two beers, a hot dog and parking. - NBA Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by adding “Number of Twitter Followers” and “Number of Facebook ‘Likes’ per Capita.” - Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2013–2014 to 2022–2023. - NBA Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Stadium Capacity” by “City Population.” - NBA Attendance: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Average Home-Fan Attendance” by “Stadium Capacity” for NBA teams only. - NBA Popularity Ranking: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
NCAA Basketball: Total Points = 30
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Performance Level of College Basketball (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Number of Wins” by “Total Games Played” and using the past three seasons’ averages. - Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Championship Wins: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Conference Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
- Minimum Season Ticket Price for College Basketball (Division 1) Games: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- College-Basketball Fan Engagement: Full-Weight (~4.29 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by adding “Number of Twitter Followers” and “Number of Facebook ‘Likes’ per Capita.” - Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2013–2014 to 2022–2023. - College-Basketball Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Stadium Capacity” by “City Population.”
For more information on WalletHub’s full study of the best and worst cities for basketball fans you can head to their website.
