Where Do SD, Minnesota, Iowa Rank Among ‘Most Fun’ States?

There is a ton to do regardless of season in our area when it comes to getting out and having a good time. Do you ever wonder where states in our area rank in terms of most fun places to be in the country?

A recent article from FarAndWide ranked all 50 states based on where residents and visitors are having the most fun, and we'll take a look at where our area states ended up.

Just to avoid questions regarding how this is measured/weighed, here's a bit from the article that explains the reasoning:

A whole host of factors were taken into consideration, including number of attractions, weather, shoreline miles, beach quality, access to national parks, and variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments. All told, the analysis accounted for 26 metrics, then weighted them based on a state's population and size, so small states like Rhode Island could be compared to large states like Texas.

South Dakota comes in at #31 on the list, finishing ahead of Iowa, North Dakota, and Nebraska among area states. Here's a brief summary of the article's findings:

South Dakota touts better attractions and nightlife than its neighboring rival, North Dakota, landing it a few spots above a state it's too often confused with. Still, South Dakota has fewer restaurants per capita than most, and, with a lack of lakes and seas, fewer marinas. 

North Dakota came in at #35 and Nebraska finished close by at #36 as well.

Iowa is also smack dab in the middle of the rankings at #32, with the article giving the golf scene some love:

Iowa has the second-most golf courses and country clubs per capita than any other state and more movie theaters than most. But golf and movies aren't enough to earn Iowa coveted "fun" status.

It's a top 10 finish for Minnesota, as our neighbors come in at #9:

Minnesota's residents spend the second-most on recreation — these are people that like to have a good time. Minnesota also has one of the highest concentrations of performing arts theaters per capita in the country.

Here are the top 5 and bottom 5 in terms of most and least fun states across the country:

Most Fun - California, Florida, Nevada, New York, Illinois

Least Fun - West Virginia, Mississippi, Delaware, Arkansas, Rhode Island

Many would argue the definition of fun has to include who you're with, but regardless, it's nice to know our area has plenty of great options for a good time regardless of what time of year it is!

Source: FarAndWide

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