As more women continue to show up for live sports — whether traveling for big games, attending solo, or turning game day into a weekend trip — the experience around the stadium matters just as much as what happens once the game starts.
Safety getting to and from the venue, how easy it is to move around on foot, and whether stadium areas feel organized and welcoming all shape whether game day feels smooth or stressful.
To understand how these factors vary across the country, The Action Network analyzed 50 U.S. cities with active major league teams, scoring each one based on crime levels, walkability around stadiums, and fan sentiment from stadium reviews. These metrics were combined into a Fan Experience Score (0–100) to determine the best and worst game day environments for female sports fans in 2026.
Key Findings
- San Diego ranks No. 1 with the highest Fan Experience Score (87.80 out of 100), driven by low crime, exceptional walkability, and strong stadium sentiment.
- Boston (82.42/100) and Pittsburgh (71.87/100) complete the top three, showing how compact, walkable stadium districts create smoother and more predictable game day experiences.
- Mid-tier cities cluster in the mid-50s, with Charlotte (58.18/100) and San Jose (58.45/100) demonstrating how strong sentiment and moderate walkability can offset mixed safety levels.
- Bottom-tier markets like Philadelphia (34.60/100) and Miami (35.86/100) score low due to limited pedestrian access and difficult-to-navigate stadium areas.
- Raleigh ranks last with the study’s lowest score (23.43 out of 100), driven by very low walkability and weaker stadium sentiment.
Taken together, these findings show why some cities make game day feel straightforward, while others demand more planning from fans.
Below is the complete ranking of all 50 cities included in the study, listed from best to worst based on Fan Experience Score.
Top 10 Cities Where Game Day Feels the Smoothest
The cities at the top of the rankings share a common trait: they reduce friction. Crime levels are generally lower, stadium districts are easier to navigate on foot, and fan reviews consistently point to security, cleanliness, and predictable game day flow.
In these markets, attending a game feels familiar rather than stressful.
1. San Diego, CA
San Diego checks every box. Low crime (39.72 Crime Index), excellent walkability (96 Walk Score), and near-perfect stadium sentiment (98.4% positive reviews) make it the most balanced city in the study. Getting in and out rarely feels stressful, even at night or during packed events.
Fan Experience Score: 87.80
2. Boston, MA
Compact streets, strong public transit, and infrastructure built for crowds carry Boston near the top. One of the lowest crime indices (39.67) in the dataset paired with exceptional walkability (98 Walk Score) creates one of the easiest game day environments in the country.
Fan Experience Score: 82.42
3. Pittsburgh, PA
A smaller footprint delivers a big payoff. Pittsburgh’s stadiums sit close together, backed by a low Crime Index (38.61) and strong stadium sentiment (96% positive reviews), helping maintain order and minimizing game-day chaos.
Fan Experience Score: 71.87
4. Arlington, TX
A standout among sprawling markets. Arlington’s purpose-built stadium zones, manageable crime levels (48.79 Crime Index), and consistently strong stadium sentiment (97.4%) push it ahead of other Texas cities.
Fan Experience Score: 70.68
5. New York, NY
Busy but navigable. Higher crime levels (51.06 Crime Index) are balanced by strong walkability (81.5 Walk Score) and reliable stadium sentiment (96.4%). Once fans understand the system, game days feel manageable.
Fan Experience Score: 67.98
6. Minneapolis, MN
Orderly and efficient. Minneapolis benefits from high walkability (90.6 Walk Score) and strong stadium sentiment (96.2%), even with moderately higher crime levels than the top few cities.
Fan Experience Score: 67.14
7. Orlando, FL
Tourism infrastructure shows up where it counts. Good walkability (88 Walk Score), solid safety metrics (47.98 Crime Index), and consistently positive fan reviews (94.5% sentiment) combine to create a smoother game day experience.
Fan Experience Score: 66.79
8. Dallas, TX
Well-designed venues and strong pedestrian access (92 Walk Score) help offset less favorable crime indicators (51.68 Crime Index). Stadium sentiment (94.9%) remains reliably high.
Fan Experience Score: 66.62
9. Sacramento, CA
Quietly effective. Sacramento blends strong walkability (96 Walk Score) with positive stadium sentiment (93.7%) and a manageable Crime Index (49.29), creating an underrated game day environment.
Fan Experience Score: 66.17
10. Indianapolis, IN
Built for major events. Highly walkable stadium districts (72.5 Walk Score) and excellent stadium reviews (98.7%) outweigh higher crime indicators (60.33 Crime Index), keeping Indianapolis firmly in the top ten.
Fan Experience Score: 64.83
Bottom 10 Cities Where Game Day Needs More Planning
Lower-ranked cities tend to require more logistics. Higher crime levels, limited pedestrian access, and inconsistent walkability increase the margin for friction, especially for visiting fans or those attending alone.
Here, preparation matters more.
41. Las Vegas, NV
Designed for nightlife rather than neighborhood access. A low Walk Score (38.5) and higher Crime Index (55.5) mean stadium trips require careful planning around crowds and timing.
Fan Experience Score: 46.38
42. San Antonio, TX
Sprawl defines the experience. Low walkability (35 Walk Score) pushes most fans into a drive-in, drive-out routine, limiting flexibility before or after games.
Fan Experience Score: 45.89
43. Miami Gardens, FL
Strong in-stadium sentiment (95.5%) contrasts with very low walkability (29 Walk Score), making transportation decisions especially important.
Fan Experience Score: 45.79
44. Houston, TX
Long distances and mixed safety indicators (63.23 Crime Index) weigh down the experience, even though stadium sentiment (93.9%) remains strong once fans are inside.
Fan Experience Score: 45.47
45. Kansas City, MO
Great tailgates but limited pedestrian access (23 Walk Score). Higher crime levels (58.60 Crime Index) make planning ahead essential to avoid congestion and bottlenecks.
Fan Experience Score: 41.63
46. New Orleans, LA
High energy meets uneven surroundings. Crime levels vary widely (67.13 Crime Index) and walkability is inconsistent (57.7 Walk Score) from block to block.
Fan Experience Score: 39.46
47. Miami, FL
Lower stadium sentiment (89.8%) and uneven walkability (52.5 Walk Score) drag down what might otherwise be a marquee destination.
Fan Experience Score: 35.86
48. Philadelphia, PA
Higher crime (65.27 Crime Index) and limited walkability (35.6 Walk Score) make game days energetic but not always comfortable or predictable.
Fan Experience Score: 34.60
49. Jacksonville, FL
Very low walkability (28 Walk Score) limits flexibility for fans without a car, regardless of otherwise strong stadium sentiment (91.6%).
Fan Experience Score: 31.59
50. Raleigh, NC
The lowest score in the study. Extremely low walkability (13 Walk Score) and weaker sentiment (89%) make game day heavily dependent on planning.
Fan Experience Score: 23.43
Whether your city sits at the top or bottom of the list, dedicated fans still show up on game day. Our goal was to highlight how safety, walkability, and overall fan experience can shape the trip. And if you are traveling for a game and plan to place a bet while you are there, our guide to the Best Betting Sites is a good place to start, with details on major sportsbooks and current offers such as the FanDuel Promo Code.
Methodology
To rank the Best U.S. Cities for Female Sports Fans, The Action Network analyzed 50 U.S. cities with at least one active major league stadium across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS.
Each city was evaluated using three publicly available metrics:
- City Crime Index (40%) Source: Numbeo
Lower raw values indicate safer cities. - Stadium Walk Score (30%) Source: WalkScore
Higher scores reflect easier pedestrian access to stadiums and nearby amenities. - Stadium Sentiment Percentage (30%) Source: Google Reviews
Based on the share of positive four and five-star reviews versus negative one and two-star reviews from up to 200 recent reviews per stadium, averaged by city.
All metrics were normalized to a 0 to 100 scale, weighted, and combined into a single Fan Experience Score. Cities were ranked from highest to lowest.
Higher Fan Experience Scores indicate better overall game day environments for female sports fans.
