The U.S. Cities With the Most Vibrant Nightlife

Factors like rent, job growth, and walkability should all be taken into consideration when choosing a city to call home. But for some people, a vibrant social scene is just as important.

To compile their list of the biggest party hubs in the country, the ground travel booking site Wanderu tallied up the number of fun-friendly establishments in 20 major metropolises using the Yelp API. New York City comes out on top, with nearly double the bars as the party city runner-up, Los Angeles. LA does manage to dominate in a few areas, including dance clubs, music venues, and karaoke bars. San Francisco ranks third on list, with Chicago and San Diego occupying the fourth and fifth slots.

Houston comes in sixth place and Dallas in ninth, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the two Texas cities can't be beat when it comes to number of country dance halls. For urbanites looking for plenty of places to watch the game, New York is once again the place to be: the city is home to a whopping 601 sport bars. You can view the full list, which further breaks down categories like piano bars, pool halls, and beer gardens, on Wanderu’s website.

Before moving to a city that lives up to your nightlife expectations, don’t forget to figure out how entertainment costs will factor into your budget. Check out our story from last month for an idea of what it takes to live comfortably in five major cities.

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