Pittsburgh Among Best Cities For St. Patrick's Day Fun: Study

PITTSBURGH, PA - With the nation's second-largest St. Patrick's Day Parade, Pittsburgh obviously is among the country's best cities when it comes to celebrating the one day a year when everyone is Irish. But that high ranking has been officially bestowed by personal finance website WalletHub, which rates Pittsburgh the fourth-best city for St. Patrick's Day festivities.

For anyone who has gone to a keg and eggs event before the parade or had a few green beers afterward, that ranking might seem a little low. But WalletHub has us ranked behind Chicago (hmmm), Boston (OK, they have a basketball team nicknamed the Celtics) and Philadelphia (what?).

WalletHub compared 200 of the largest cities in 17 different areas, including Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to the lowers price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick's Day to weather conditions. Here's how Pittsburgh ranked in several key metrics:

• 1st: Access to bars

• 2nd: Percent of Irish population.

• 13th: Weather

• 20th: Irish pubs and restaurants per capita.

• 21st: Average prices of St. Patrick's Day party ticket.

• 22nd: St. Patrick's Day parties and festivals per capita.

• 55th: Safety and accessibility.

• 82nd: DUI fatalities per capita.

Rounding out the top 10 cities for St. Patrick's Day celebrations:

5. Tampa, FL

6. Napersville, IL

7. New York City

8. Buffalo, NY

9. Cleveland, OH

10. Cedar Rapids, IA

You can see the entire study here.