Pittsburgh is the best city in the U.S. for football fans, ranking says
Pittsburgh is the best city in the country for football fans, according to a new ranking from WalletHub.
Thanks mostly to the Steelers, Pittsburgh takes the top spot on the list of Best Football Cities for Fans. It's followed by Dallas, Texas, at No. 2 and Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the third spot.
"When it comes to the NFL specifically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some of the most engaged football fans in the country in terms of social media likes and followers per capita," WalletHub explained. "Pittsburgh has some of the most loyal fans, too, as evidenced by ticket revenues, social media engagement, and the home team's ability to outperform its roster's payroll."
The Pitt Panthers also play at Acrisure Stadium, giving Pittsburgh some extra points, but WalletHub notes the city doesn't have "quite the same rabid enthusiasm" for college football.
WalletHub said it compared over 250 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team. They were measured across 21 key metrics, ranging from the number of football teams to stadium capacity to fan engagement.
"Living in one of the best football cities means much more than attending games and watching your hometown team on TV every weekend in the fall," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report. "Faithfully following your team on social media, spending big on tickets and merchandise, and taking part in local traditions are just some of the factors that make the best football cities stand out. Having a football team with a winning culture and multiple championships doesn't hurt, either."
At the bottom of the list? Dover, Delaware; Easton, Massachusetts; and Lincoln, Nebraska.