WalletHub is at it again, this time compiling a list of the most fun states to visit across the country. After declaring us the 6th least stressed state, the group is back and telling us that Wisconsin is the 15th most fun state to visit. While we scoff at the notion that there are 14 states that are more fun than Wisconsin, we went ahead and looked at the ratings to see where they went wrong.
Night time is the right time
WalletHub compiled data from 26 sub-categories into two main rankings, one for "Entertainment & Recreation" and another for "Nightlife." In a State that embraces the unofficial motto of "Drink Wisconsinbly," it is unsurprising that our national ranking for nightlife was #2, behind only Nevada. We'll grudgingly allow a second place finish when the winner is home to The Entertainment Capital of the World.
Where did we go wrong?
Wisconsin's excellent rating for nightlife was dampened by a middling performance in the category of "Entertainment & Recreation." Wisconsin finished a mediocre 22nd, nestled between Massachusetts and Georgia. By comparison, our neighbors in Minnesota finished 10th and Illinois finished an eyebrow-raising 4th. California edged out New York for the top spot in both E&R and the overall ranking of Most Fun State To Visit.
Category juice
Fun means different things to different people. Things like "golf courses and country clubs per capita," an area in which Wisconsin did very well, might not play any part in your fun if you don't care to tee it up. Likewise, nature lovers might still find things to love about Wisconsin despite our poor showing in "access to national parks." Some factors, like "ideal weather," depend entirely on whether your fun comes on a snowmobile or a beach. Categorizing fun is an exercise fraught with ambiguity, so there is no reason to bemoan our final ranking.
That said, anyone wanting to learn more about the fun ranking or how WalletHub arrived at their results should feel free to check out the breakdown in its entirety.