Tampa Among Nation's Best for Recreation, Study Says

When it comes to recreational opportunities, Tampa ranks among the nation’s best cities to live and visit.

That’s according to an analysis just released by WalletHub. The study was conducted in honor of July’s National Park and Recreation Month and in light of the fact that America’s largest cities spent more than $6.4 billion on parks and recreation last year, an email from the personal finance website stated.

“To highlight the benefit of public spaces and recreational activities to consumers and the local economy, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 27 key metrics,” the email said. Those metrics included such points as parkland acreage, number of attractions and average movie cost.

When the numbers were crunched, Tampa ranked No. 4 overall, coming in just behind Cincinnati, Omaha and Scottsdale, which earned first through third places, respectively.

Other Florida towns ranked in the Top 50 included:

• Orlando – No. 6
• St. Petersburg – No. 33
• Miami – No. 37

Some of the worst cities in the country for recreation included Jersey City, Newark, Irving, Laredo and Hialeah. Jersey City came in dead last at 100.

To check out the full study, visit WalletHub online.