There are many factors and reasons why people would want to move to specific cities and towns. How gamer friendly isn’t typically high on that list even for hardcore gamers, but with the explosion of growth for the industry in the past few decades, there are more reasons for one to think about those factors.
A new research study (via PrivacyJournal) saw research into some of the biggest cities in the United States to see what would be the best “gaming cities” for one to move into here in 2023.
Their primary factors were livability, internet structure, gaming community and retail access, and finally gaming career and education opportunities. They compiled a list of 100 cities, but here are the 5 best ones according to their research:
5. Orlando, FL
Staring off this list is Orlando, Florida. Home to major attractions such as Disney World and Universal Orlando, it’s also a great place for gamers to enjoy their hobbies outside of actually playing the games thanks to hosting numerous conventions.
What keeps it higher on the list are its livability ranking, which is a paltry 76th, and internet structure that is the worst among the top 5 cities. But those aiming for a career in the industry and want to meet up with fellow games should certainly consider this city.
4. Los Angeles, CA
Despite having the worst livability among the top 5, Los Angeles, California is 4th on our list for gamer cities. This is thanks to it ranking at the top for gaming career opportunities with it hosting the second most gaming companies at 59.
It isn’t just work that help either, as it’s home to universities such as USC and UCLA which offer robust education opportunities for the field. Just don’t expect the internet service to be much better than our previous entry so far.
3. Tampa, FL
Florida is quite the gamer state with its second entry on the top 5 with Tampa. What it holds over its not so distant relative is much better livability and internet structure that makes it much better for people in general to want to live in.
Gamers can still enjoy a great gaming community ranked in the top 10. Though their career prospects are the lowest compared to the rest of the list, it’s still fairly solid at 22nd.
2. Raleigh, NC
Perhaps many might be surprised to see Raleigh, North Carolina to be the runner up for a list like this. However it’s the most balanced among all cities when it came to the ranking criteria.
It ranks in the top 10 in 3 of the 4 categories, with the lone weak spot being opportunities in the industry. Which only just misses the top 10 by landing 11th. Gamers wanting a great place to live on top of being great for their hobby should considering this spot strongly.
1. New York City, NY
The best gamer city in the United States is the famous New York City. It has a great community and plenty of opportunities for those interested in entering the field with both taking 3rd. While livability and internet structure are on the weaker side, it’s much better than other entries such as LA and Orlando.
There’s plenty to do in New York as it’s one of the biggest cities not just in the US, but in the entire world. Any sociable gamer is sure to meet plenty of like-minded individuals and find work in the field.
Other honorable mentions go to San Francisco, which is home to the most gaming companies in the country with 78. However it dropped down on the list due to having one of the worst livability rankings at an atrocious 97th.
Seattle is surprisingly low on the list at 26th despite its relationship with Microsoft and Nintendo as well as holding conventions such as PAX West. It did score high in career opportunities, but scored poorly in every other metric.
Finally Miami is worth mention as having the best gaming community as it holds many conventions throughout the year. However it also has one of the worst internet scores, finding itself in the bottom 4. Perhaps people find it better to visit, rather than stay when it comes to gaming?
What do you think of this list? Do you agree with the methodology and results, or are there cities you think deserve the title as “best gamer city”?
