Which are the best sports cities in America, and why are they the best?

Which are the best sports cities in America, and why are they the best?

Steve Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM

Professional sports in America are at an all-time high, with the sector said to be worth billions. The country is home to many professional sports franchises across its 50 states. Here is a list of the top 10 sports cities in America.

Ranking the best sports cities in America
Soldier Field in Chicago is one of the oldest stadiums in the country. Photo by Jonathan Daniel
Source: Getty Images

All the best sports cities have teams in America's 'Big Four' major sports leagues in America. These are the National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Basketball Association (NBA).

1. Los Angeles

LA is undoubtedly America's most stacked city in terms of teams. It is home to a total of 12 major professional teams.

Sport

Team

Basketball

Los Angeles Lakers

Basketball

Los Angeles Clippers

Soccer

LAFC

Soccer

LA Galaxy

Ice hockey

Los Angeles Kings

American football

LA Chargers

American football

LA Rams

Baseball

Los Angeles Dodgers

Baseball

Los Angeles Angels

Women's Basketball

Los Angeles Sparks

Women's Soccer

Angel City FC

Ice Hockey

Anaheim Ducks

The Greater Los Angeles area also has several high-level sporting schools, such as the USC Trojans and UCLA.

LA is one of the best sports cities in 2023
The historic LA Coliseum arena has been in existence for over a century. Photo by Jeff Gross
Source: Getty Images

Many fans consider LA one of the best sports cities in the world since it is also an entertainment hub with many tourist attractions.

2. Boston

Boston is a historic sporting area. It is home to 17-time NBA champions, the Boston Celtics as well as 6-time Superbowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Sport

Team

Basketball

Boston Celtics

Soccer

New England Revolution

American football

New England Patriots

Ice hockey

Boston Bruins

Baseball

Boston Red Sox

The city is undoubtedly one of the best sports cities in America. The success of their teams gives the citizens a sense of identity.

Boston is one of the best sports cities of all time.
Boston is home to 9 times World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox. Photo by Billie Weiss
Source: Getty Images

3. New York

Nicknamed 'The Big Apple', New York is one of the best sports cities in the country. New York and its surrounding towns are home to 13 major professional teams.

Sport

Team

Women's Basketball

New York Liberty

Rugby

Rugby New York

Lacrosse

New York Riptide

Soccer

New York City FC

Soccer

New York Red Bulls

Ice hockey

New York Rangers

Ice hockey

New York Islanders

Basketball

Brooklyn Nets

Basketball

New York Knicks

Baseball

New York Yankees

Baseball

New York Mets

American football

New York Giants

American football

New York Jets

New York Knicks' home stadium, the Madison Square Garden, is also used for boxing matches and music events. This confirms New York's status as one of the best sports cities of all time.

New York is one of the best sports cities in the world.
The New York Knicks is one of the most popular franchises in the NBA. Photo by Brian Fluharty
Source: Getty Images

4. Philadelphia

When ranking the best sports cities in terms of fans and atmosphere, Philadelphia is up there with the best. The city is highly passionate about its sports teams earning them the title 'Meanest sports fans in America'.

Sport

Team

Basketball

Philadelphia 76ers

Soccer

Philadelphia Union

American football

Philadelphia Eagles

Ice Hockey

Philadelphia Flyers

Baseball

Philadelphia Phillies

Known by fans as 'Philly', Philadelphia is one of the best sports cities in the country.

Philadelphia has some of the best fans in the country.
The 76ers are one of the most successful teams in the NBA. Photo by Brian Rothmuller
Source: Getty Images

5. Dallas

Dallas is one of the best sports cities to live in. It has seven major professional teams in 6 sports.

Sport

Team

Baseball

Texas Rangers

American football

Dallas Cowboys

Ice hockey

Dallas Stars

Basketball

Dallas Mavericks

Football

FC Dallas

Lacrosse

Panther City LC

Rugby

Dallas Jackals

Dallas rivals other Texas state cities, Houston and San Antonio, as a sports hub though the rest have fewer teams.

Dallas is one of the best sports cities to live in
Dallas is home to the Cowboys, who have 5 Superbowl titles. Photo by Tom Pennington
Source: Getty Images

6. Chicago

Chicago achieved global fame in the 90s when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won 6 NBA titles in 8 years. The team is home to 8 major professional teams from different sports.

Sport

Team

Basketball

Chicago Bulls

Women's basketball

Chicago Sky

American football

Chicago Bears

Soccer

Chicago Fire

Baseball

Chicago Cubs

Baseball

Chicago White Sox

Ice hockey

Chicago Blackhawks

Women's soccer

Chicago Red Stars

Chicago remains one of the best sports cities of all time. Most of their teams have been active for decades and have won many titles.

What cities have the most fans?
Chicago is best known for the Bulls. Photo by Kevork Djansezian
Source: Getty Images

7. Denver

Denver is the biggest city in the state of Colorado. It is home to several major sports franchises.

Sport

Team

Basketball

Denver Nuggets

American football

Denver Broncos

Ice hockey

Colorado Avalanche

Soccer

Colorado Rapids

Lacrosse

Colorado Mammoth

Baseball

Colorado Rockies

The Denver Nuggets is home to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Denver is one of the most popular sports cities in America.
Denver is home to NBA Franchise, Denver Nuggets. Photo by Matthew Stockman
Source: Getty Images

8. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is known for its three major professional teams. Chief among them is the NFL side Pittsburgh Steelers, with 6 Superbowl titles. The others are the baseball franchise Pittsburgh Pirates and the ice hockey team Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pittsburgh is one of the best sports cities in 2023
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-time Superbowl champions. Photo by Jason O. Watson
Source: Getty Images

9. Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the headquarters of the state of Indiana. It is known for its two leading sports franchises; NBA side Indiana Pacers and NFL side Indianapolis Colts.

Indiana is one of the best sports cities in the world.
The Colts won the Superbowl in 2006. Photo by Tasos Katopodis
Source: Getty Images

10. Seattle

Seattle has a long and illustrious history when it comes to sports. The area is home to 6 major professional leagues.

Sport

Team

Soccer

Seattle Sounders FC

American football

Seattle Seahawks

Baseball

Seattle Mariners

Ice hockey

Seattle Kraken

Women's basketball

Seattle Storm

Rugby

Seattle Seawolves

The city is on the Pacific West Coast, and aside from the sports, visitors are entertained by the area's great musical culture and tourist attractions.

Which cities have the best sports?
The Seahawks won the Superbowl in 2014. Photo by Otto Greule Jr
Source: Getty Images

Which are the best sports cities in 2023?

The year 2023 has seen some cities host major sporting events. Glendale, Arizona, hosted the Superbowl, while the 2023 NBA finals will be in Miami, Florida.

The best sports cities have adequate infrastructure like stadiums, fan parks and hotels. Another critical factor is the area's sporting history and culture.

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Authors
Steve Njuguna photo
Steve Njuguna
Steve Njuguna is a media professional with close to a decade of experience in the sports media industry. He has previously worked as a sports journalist with Bamba Sports TV, Vybez Radio and The Nairobian newspaper.
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