The analysis used data from ESPN, NCAA, Forbes, team websites and social media accounts
Los Angeles ranked sixth among more than 250 U.S. cities in WalletHub’s 2026 Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans report, placing behind Pittsburgh, Dallas, Green Bay, San Francisco and Boston.
The ranking evaluated cities with at least one college or professional football team across 21 metrics, including number of NFL and college teams, team performance, franchise value, average ticket prices, stadium capacity, fan engagement and attendance.
Los Angeles scored 49.77 out of 100, driven by its two NFL teams — the Rams and Chargers — and multiple college programs. The city tied for high marks in franchise value and attendance but ranked lower in some fan engagement and performance metrics compared to top cities.
Pittsburgh led with a score of 63.52, followed by Dallas at 57.51 and Green Bay at 55.02. At the bottom were smaller college towns such as DeLand, Florida (244th), Greeley, Colorado (245th) and Edinburg, Texas (246th).
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the top cities stand out due to winning teams, loyal fan bases, reasonable ticket prices and strong traditions. Green Bay ranked highest in fan engagement per capita, while Nashville had the lowest average NFL ticket price.
The report noted Kansas City’s team performance was 2.9 times better than Carolina’s, and Green Bay’s fan engagement was 68.6 times higher than New York’s.
The analysis used data from ESPN, NCAA, Forbes, team websites and social media accounts as of Jan. 5, 2026.
