With the NBA playoffs kicking off on April 19 and the average NBA franchise being worth $4.4 billion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans, as well as expert commentary.
To find the best cities for professional- and college-basketball fans, WalletHub compared more than 290 of the largest cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.
| Best Cities for Basketball Fans | Worst Cities for Basketball Fans | ||
| 1. Los Angeles, CA | 288. Wichita, KS | ||
| 2. Boston, MA | 289. Hampton, VA | ||
| 3. San Francisco, CA | 290. Green Bay, WI | ||
| 4. Salt Lake City, UT | 291. Austin, TX | ||
| 5. Philadelphia, PA | 292. Edinburg, TX | ||
| 6. Miami, FL | 293. Stockton, CA | ||
| 7. New York, NY | 294. Huntsville, AL | ||
| 8. Cleveland, OH | 295. Dover, DE | ||
| 9. Houston, TX | 296. Pocatello, ID | ||
| 10. Oklahoma City, OK | 297. Daytona Beach, FL | ||
Best vs. Worst
- Portland, Oregon, has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, which is eight times less expensive than in San Francisco, the city with the highest.
- The Boston Celtics have the highest performance level among NBA teams, which is 3.2 times better than that of the Detroit Pistons, the team with the lowest.
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs have the highest performance level among college basketball teams, which is 9.6 times better than that of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, the team with the lowest.
- Miami has the highest fan engagement for NBA teams, which is 28.5 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest.
Detroit ranked 25th for the best city for basketball fans. I personally thought we would be in the top 10 ranking. How about you Michigan basketball fans?
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/