Orlando has moved into the number-two spot nationwide in WalletHub’s annual ranking of the best U.S. cities for recreation.
On Monday, July 13, the personal finance website released its 2026 Best & Worst Cities for Recreation, naming Orlando as the second-best large city in America. Ranked ahead of Orlando was Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The best cities for recreation have a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities that can help people of all ages stay entertained and active,” said a financial writer for WalletHub.
In its latest rankings 2026 Best & Worst Cities for Recreation list, the company evaluated the 100 largest U.S. cities to determine which locations offer the best balance of recreational facilities, high-quality parks, and accessibility to entertainment venues.
WalletHub analyzed dozens of key metrics across major categories, including living costs, quality of parks, entertainment options, recreational facilities, and weather.
Orlando ranked second for its availability of entertainment and recreational facilities. Those facilities include Camping World Stadium, Kia Center, Exploria Stadium, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, to name a few.
The City Beautiful ranked 47th for its cost of living, 55th for its quality of parks, and 28th for its weather.
WalletHub highlighted Orlando’s amusement parks such as Disney World and Universal Studios, along with the city’s numerous water parks, boat tours, water sports opportunities, zoos, aquariums, and pool halls per capita.
In addition, WalletHub pointed out that Orlando has many great places for outdoor activities, ranking at the top of the country for sports venue per capita and 11th for the availability of recreation centers. Orlando also has the 12th-highest percentage of city land that is designated as parkland.
Orlando diners have an abundance of affordable restaurants to choose from as well, with many rated at least 4.5 stars, along with the most food festivals and numerous ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita.
The City Beautiful joined five other Florida cities that made WalletHub’s latest list, including Tampa (#5), St. Petersburg (#26), Jacksonville (#40), Miami (#62), and Hialeah (#94).
For more information, or to view the complete list of cities that were ranked, visit WalletHub’s 2026 Best & Worst Cities for Recreation webpage.