3 Ohio Cities Among Best For Soccer Fans

CLEVELAND — Americans have trailed behind the rest of the world in fully embracing soccer. But with the incredible success of the U.S. Women’s National Team in the past two World Cup tournaments, and the upward trajectory of Major League Soccer, it looks like the United States has finally gained substantial admiration in recent years for the beautiful game.

If you consider yourself an avid soccer fan, or just someone who enjoys watching a match from time to time, we have some potentially good news — a new study by WalletHub ranked three Ohio cities among the best in the U.S. for soccer fans.

Cincinnati ranked 12th overall for soccer fans. The Queen City was ranked 9th for MLS fans, 10th for NWSL fans, 36th for USL fans, 63rd for Division Men's Soccer fans and 104th for Division 1 Women's Soccer.

Columbus (home of the MLS' Columbus Crew) ranked 15th overall. The city was the 13th best for MLS fans, 10th for National Women Soccer League fans, 36th for USL Championship fans, and 93rd for Division 1 Men's Soccer and 43rd for Division 1 Women's Soccer.

Cleveland ranked 20th in the MLS, 10th in the NWSL, 36th in the USL, 81st in Division 1 Men’s Soccer, and 123rd in Division 1 Women’s Soccer. The city ranked 40th overall out of 288 ranked cities.

To determine the most accurate soccer fan-friendly cities in America, WalletHub compared the 288 locations based on the presence of Major League Soccer, National Women’s Soccer League, United Soccer League, Division 1 Men’s College Soccer, and Division 1 Women’s College Soccer teams. To be included, cities had to have at least one college or professional soccer team.

WalletHub then drilled down further using 52 relevant metrics, including factors such as number of championships won, stadium capacity, minimum season ticket prices, attendance and franchise value.

In 2018, the average MLS team was worth $240 million — up 7.6 percent from 2017, according to the study’s author.

Los Angeles ranked as the best soccer city in America for fans, while Pine Bluff, Arizona, ranked in the 288th spot, as the least friendly city for soccer fans.

These are the cities that made the top ten of WalletHub’s rankings:

1. Los Angeles, California
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Salt Lake City, Utah
4. Portland, Oregon
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Kansas City, Missouri
8. New York, New York
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Cary, North Carolina

Here are the cities that placed in the bottom five of the rankings:

284. Youngstown, Ohio
285. Hampton, Virginia
286. Las Cruces, New Mexico
287. Dover, Delaware
288. Pine Bluff, Arkansas

The 2019 best cities for soccer fans came out on Aug. 14.