The best USA states to live in if you love sports ?
Photo by Josh Hemsley on Unsplash
The dream for many sports fans is to be able to attend as many games as possible over the course of a season. Living on the East Coast makes this a lot easier for most sports as there is a concentration of teams from the four major leagues in the Northeast and Florida. Living in the same city where your favorite team is based is another dream come true.
There are many major cities all across the country that have one team from each of the major leagues, which is ideal for fans who want to be able to attend games year-round and aren’t wedded to a single sport.
Now that remote working has become more prevalent, people are able to make decisions about where to live based on more personal factors. Here are our picks for the top five states to live in if you love sports.
Pennsylvania
Although Pennsylvania has gorgeous countryside and fertile farmland, it’s the state’s two major cities that bring in the sports fans. Between them, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have eight major sports teams. Each city has a football team, a baseball team and a hockey team, and Philadelphia also has a soccer team and a basketball team. Fans of these teams have reputations for being some of the most vocal and dedicated fans in the country.
Besides having two of the most active and passionate sports cities in the entire country, Pennsylvania also has a fantastic betting culture and was one of the first states to embrace legal sports betting. Bettors in Pennsylvania have access to most of the top sportsbooks in the country and many of the best bonus offers too.
California
For sports fans that don’t want to deal with the miserable winter weather in the Northeast or the miserable humidity of Florida summers, California is the perfect alternative. While California is in the middle of a horrific water crisis, it still has a better climate than much of the country. It’s perfect weather, in fact, for tailgating and going to games.
Since California is such a big state with population centers in multiple locations, they can support a huge number of sports teams. Los Angeles is probably the top location for sports fans. It is the home of the Rams and the Chargers (NFL), the Kings (NHL), the Angels and the Dodgers (MLB), the Clippers and the Lakers (NBA), and the Galaxy and LAFC (MLS). That’s more sports teams in one city than in most states!
Arizona
If you love baseball, living in Arizona in the springtime is the ultimate dream. Arizona is the home of spring training, although half of the league now trains in Florida. Spring training is the baseball preseason, when teams from all over the country meet in Arizona for practices and exhibition games. It’s a time for rookie players to generate some early buzz and for the team to get back into peak condition.
Visiting the spring training grounds has long been a popular vacation for baseball fans. Each team has their own practice stadium, but they are all located in the vicinity of Phoenix. Part of the appeal is that it’s also the best weather that Arizona has all year, perfectly hot and sunny without being scorching.
Washington
Washington might not seem like an obvious choice since it’s fairly isolated as a sports city. The city where all their teams are located, Seattle, is also very well known for how much of the year it is rainy and grey. However, if you are a sports fan who likes to do more than just watch sports, Washington is a perfect choice.
Studies have shown that Washington is one of the most active states in the country. Seattle is nestled between the mountains and the ocean, providing tons of opportunities for outdoor recreation. If your dream life is to be able to go from kayaking on a lake to cheering for your favorite team, Washington just might be for you. Plus, when the weather’s bad, the roof on the stadium closes!
New York
New York is the ultimate state for sports fans. Many of the most storied teams in the country, such as the Yankees, are located in New York. While it’s true that some of the 12 major league teams in New York have actually moved across the river to New Jersey, the distance is minimal. If you can get over the frigid winters and scalding summers, New York is the place to be for sports fans.