Illinois Among Top 15 ‘Fun States To Visit’

By Steve Rensberry ,Editor

About a year ago I shared a report from an organization called WalletHub, which runs a personal finance website. The report cited Troy as one of the best places to raise a family in the state of Illinois. Troy, In fact, came in at No. 3, just behind Libertyville at No. 2 and Naperville at No. 1. Rankings were broken down into such such things as “Family Life and Fun,” “Education, Health & Safety,” “Affordability,’ and “Socio-Economics.” Edwardsville was at 18, Glen Carbon at 20, O’Fallon at 28, and Collinsville at 139, out of more than 222 cities compared across a total of 21 different indicators. While not a strict scientific study, the methodology used was relatively transparent and is available online for anyone looking to dig deeper. (see: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-families-in-illinois/18426/).

Another recent study by this same group looks to determine the “Most Fun States to Visit in America,” with Illinois ranking nearly in the top 10, at number 11.  Those who may be despairing over this fair state of ours surely can find some satisfaction knowing that the state does still deliver when it comes to FUN!

According to the study, Illinois ranks 5th in terms of the restaurants per capita, 11th in terms of movie theaters per capita, 10th in number of gold courses and country clubs per capita, 16th in the number of amusement parks per capita, 3rd in the number of performing arts theaters per capita, 8th in the number of fitness centers per capita, 30th in the number of casinos per capita, and 19th in the variety of arts, entertainment, and recreational establishments.

States ranking higher than Illinois on the fun index were California (1), Florida (2), New York (3), Washington (4), Colorado (5), Nevada (6), Minnesota (7), Pennsylvania (8), Oregon (9), and Texas (10). Missouri wasn’t far behind Illinois, at 12th. For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-fun-states/34665/