With the NBA playoffs kicking off on April 16 and the NBA projected to have $10 billion in revenue this season (which is higher than pre-pandemic revenue), the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
To find the best cities for professional- and college-basketball fans, WalletHub compared more than 290 of the largest cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.
| Best Cities for Basketball Fans | Worst Cities for Basketball Fans |
| 1. Los Angeles, CA | 284. Bethlehem, PA |
| 2. Boston, MA | 285. Evansville, IN |
| 3. Salt Lake City, UT | 286. Stephenville, TX |
| 4. San Francisco, CA | 287. Jersey City, NJ |
| 5. Philadelphia, PA | 288. St. George, UT |
| 6. Miami, FL | 289. Pocatello, ID |
| 7. San Antonio, TX | 290. Daytona Beach, FL |
| 8. Washington, DC | 291. Montgomery, AL |
| 9. Houston, TX | 292. St. Paul, MN |
| 10. Oklahoma City, OK | 293. New Britain, CT |
Best vs. Worst
- Charlotte, North Carolina, has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, $63.11, which is 3.2 times less expensive than in San Francisco, the city with the highest at $203.30.
- The Milwaukee Bucks have the highest performance level among NBA teams, 71.26 percent, which is 2.6 times better than that of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team with the lowest at 27.65 percent.
- The Gonzaga Bulldogs have the highest performance level among college basketball teams, 93.33 percent, which is 12.1 times better than that of the Chicago State Cougars, the team with the lowest at 7.72 percent.
- Miami has the highest fan engagement for NBA teams, 42.78, which is 28.9 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at 1.48.
