Illinois Among 'Most Fun' States

ILLINOIS — The Land of Lincoln ranks among the most fun states in the nation, according to a new ranking by consumer finance site WalletHub. Illinois came in at No. 11 on the 2019 Most Fun States in America list.

While there might not be too much fun in the sun to be had in Illinois — at least not during most of the year — the state came in ahead of Missouri and just behind Texas when it came to more than two dozen different metrics of fun, according to WalletHub.

"With pure enjoyment in mind, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 26 key indicators of a jolly good time that won’t break the bank," the site said. "They range from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to casinos per capita."

Illinois came in at No. 11 overall, and ranked at No. 12 for recreation and entertainment and No. 3 when it came to nightlife.

The Prairie State also came in at No. 5 among states with the most restaurants per capita, trailing California, New York, Florida and Texas. Illinois was No. 3 for most performing arts theaters per capita and No. 5 for highest state and local expenditures on parks and recreation per capita.

California came in at No. 1, and West Virginia ranked dead last on WalletHub's list. Here are the top 10 most fun states, according to WalletHub:

1. California
2. Florida
3. New York
4. Washington
5. Colorado
6. Nevada
7. Minnesota
8. Pennsylvania
9. Oregon
10. Texas

Find the full rankings here.

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