Best Cities for Soccer Fans
Soccer is fast becoming a top sport in America and if attendance figures and franchise values keep rising — and they show no indication of slowing down, the passion that unites the world may really be felt in the USA.
Not all soccer cities are created equal. Kansas City is a city immersed in the passion and culture of the world’s most beloved game and if you ever have the opportunity to attend a game at Children’s Mercy Park and watch Sporting Kansas City play, you might find yourself transported to a European-like, soccer infused environment rivalling some of the top venues abroad.
And the analysts at WalletHub agree — they compared nearly 300 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional soccer team across six divisions and examined each based on 63 key metrics. Their data set ranges from the minimum season-ticket price for a game to stadium accessibility to the number of championships won.
| Rank | City | Total Score | MLS | NWL | USL | DI Men’s College Soccer | DI Women’s College Soccer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City, MO | 46.22 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 112 | 149 | |
| 2 | Orlando, FL | 44.85 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 83 | 58 | |
| 3 | LA, CA | 42.94 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 21 | |
| 4 | NY, NY | 42.09 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 7 | |
| 5 | Portland, OR | 40.9 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 137 | 92 | |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | 39.6 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 69 | 45 | |
| 7 | Washington, DC | 35.99 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 11 | 4 | |
| 8 | Boston, MA | 33.41 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 12 | 10 | |
| 9 | Houston, TX | 28.76 | 11 | 8 | 28 | 64 | 50 | |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | 28.15 | 10 | 11 | 27 | 172 | 53 | |
| 11 | Denver, CO | 27.56 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 80 | 129 | |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | 23.92 | 18 | 9 | 28 | 66 | 48 | |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | 22.88 | 12 | 11 | 28 | 38 | 54 | |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | 21.38 | 14 | 11 | 28 | 82 | 70 | |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | 20.49 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 8 | 6 |
Sporting Kansas City agreed with this analysis. Read: Kansas City hailed as Soccer City USA by WalletHub
While 2018 March Madness can’t compare with any soccer stats in the USA yet, at least not financially, if soccer’s popularity keeps rising — maybe one day a homegrown MLS rookie could earn what an NBA rookie gets paid.
Check out these Stats & Facts:
- $8.98 Million: 2018 salary for college basketball’s highest-paid coach, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (vs. $1.4M combined for Duke’s president and the state’s governor)
- $6.3 Billion: Corporate losses due to unproductive workers during March Madness
- $10.4 Billion: Amount wagered on the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball tournament ($10.1B illegally)
- 18X: Difference between the average NBA rookie’s salary ($2.36M) and a D1 men’s basketball scholarship for a year ($130K)
And did you know the average single-game ticket costs about $212? And, roughly 1.3 million extra barrels of beer are produced to keep up with the increased demand of sports fans during March Madness!
Top Image Credit: USA Today – March 4, 2018
