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Americans Spend $3.6K Annually on Fun, See Which Cities Top the List

December 12, 2024

3 min Read

Written by J. Arky

Edited by Rebekah Evans

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In these divided times, one thing that remains true in the U.S.: Americans like to have fun and are willing to pay money for it. From theme parks, to resorts, to destinations across the country, Americans tend to go all out for pure pleasure. Some cities are more affordable than others when looking to have fun, either as a single person, a couple or as a family or group.

A new study conducted by GrowthScribe analyzed which cities in the U.S. spend the most and least on entertainment. The research looked at the spending habits of Americans on entertainment in 22 of the largest cities in the U.S., using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Surveys. To allow for fair comparisons between cities, the analysis includes both the total annual entertainment spending per household and the percentage this represents of each city’s average annual household expenditure.

The data found that spending on entertainment by the average U.S. household rose by 5%, increasing from $3,458 in 2022 to $3,635 in 2023.

“This increase aligns with a broader rise in overall annual household expenditures, which grew by approximately 6%, from $72,967 in 2022 to $77,280 in 2023,” the study noted. “Of the $3,635 spent on entertainment, the largest share, 27%, went to electronics and streaming services, followed by 26% on events and admissions, 24% on pets, 5% on toys and hobbies and 18% on other leisure-related items and activities.”

These are the top five American cities that made the list for the most amount of money spent on a good time — with No. 1 being the highest.

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