With March Madness just under a week away, the personal-finance website WalletHub just released its report on 2019’s Best Cities for College Basketball Fans.
To find 2019’s top spots for NCAA hoops, the site analyzed data from over 280 cities using nine key metrics, ranging from the number of teams per city, to the winning percentage of each to stadium capacity, to social media engagement. You can find some highlights from both the report and the infographic below.
The Queen City ranked as the 2nd worst large city in America, just behind Tampa and just ahead of Minneapolis, MN;
| Rank (1=Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA (55.36) |
1 | Durham, NC (56.99) |
1 | Lawrence, KS (59.03) |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA (51.30) |
2 | Ann Arbor, MI (42.33) |
2 | East Lansing, MI (53.79) |
| 3 | Lexington, KY (51.16) |
3 | South Bend, IN (38.06) |
3 | Chapel Hill, NC (52.94) |
| 4 | Washington, DC (44.00) |
4 | Norman, OK (37.44) |
4 | Storrs, CT (51.78) |
| 5 | New York, NY (42.86) |
5 | Cincinnati, OH (34.50) |
5 | Fayette, MS (47.07) |
| 6 | Boston, MA (41.67) |
6 | Salt Lake City, UT (33.99) |
6 | Loretto, PA (46.35) |
| 7 | Houston, TX (33.84) |
7 | Provo, UT (32.62) |
7 | College Park, MD (45.81) |
| 8 | Tulsa, OK (32.87) |
8 | Syracuse, NY (32.13) |
8 | Morgantown, WV (44.65) |
| 9 | Louisville, KY (32.16) |
9 | Columbia, SC (30.32) |
9 | Bloomington, IN (43.86) |
| 10 | Long Beach, CA (31.42) |
10 | Providence, RI (29.15) |
10 | Kingston, RI (43.42) |
| 11 | Nashville, TN (30.54) |
11 | Eugene, OR (29.14) |
11 | West Point, NY (42.20) |
| 12 | Chicago, IL (29.98) |
12 | College Station, TX (27.38) |
12 | Charlottesville, VA (38.51) |
| 13 | Omaha, NE (29.53) |
13 | Dayton, OH (27.31) |
13 | Fayetteville, AR (38.15) |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD (28.20) |
14 | Gainesville, FL (27.06) |
14 | Ames, IA (37.26) |
| 15 | Tucson, AZ (28.01) |
15 | Murfreesboro, TN (26.55) |
15 | Lewiston, NY (36.91) |
| 16 | Memphis, TN (27.96) |
16 | Spokane, WA (26.54) |
16 | Buies Creek, NC (35.84) |
| 17 | Seattle, WA (27.82) |
17 | Norfolk, VA (26.26) |
17 | Iowa City, IA (35.25) |
| 18 | Miami, FL (27.48) |
18 | Lafayette, LA (26.12) |
18 | West Lafayette, IN (34.78) |
| 19 | Columbus, OH (27.40) |
19 | Akron, OH (26.03) |
19 | Stillwater, OK (34.36) |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ (27.15) |
20 | Baton Rouge, LA (25.91) |
20 | Itta Bena, MS (34.24) |
| 21 | Dallas, TX (26.95) |
21 | Waco, TX (25.78) |
21 | Spartanburg, SC (32.67) |
| 22 | San Francisco, CA (26.52) |
22 | Madison, WI (25.74) |
22 | Emmitsburg, MD (32.09) |
| 23 | Milwaukee, WI (26.17) |
23 | Toledo, OH (25.35) |
23 | Champaign, IL (31.62) |
| 24 | Pittsburgh, PA (25.76) |
24 | Lincoln, NE (25.31) |
24 | Murray, KY (31.37) |
| 25 | Arlington, TX (25.32) |
25 | Tallahassee, FL (25.28) |
25 | Princeton, NJ (31.35) |
| 26 | Jacksonville, FL (24.74) |
26 | Boulder, CO (25.28) |
26 | Clemson, SC (31.11) |
| 27 | San Diego, CA (24.39) |
27 | Savannah, GA (25.28) |
27 | Lewisburg, PA (30.90) |
| 28 | Corpus Christi, TX (24.07) |
28 | Greensboro, NC (25.24) |
28 | Orangeburg, SC (30.49) |
| 29 | San Antonio, TX (24.04) |
29 | New Haven, CT (25.08) |
29 | Troy, AL (30.46) |
| 30 | New Orleans, LA (23.80) |
30 | Fargo, ND (25.01) |
30 | Highland Heights, KY (30.07) |
| 31 | El Paso, TX (23.77) |
31 | Reno, NV (24.98) |
31 | Olean, NY (30.06) |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA (23.64) |
32 | Buffalo, NY (24.91) |
32 | Pullman, WA (29.24) |
| 33 | Portland, OR (23.63) |
33 | Lubbock, TX (24.73) |
33 | Ogden, UT (28.76) |
| 34 | Austin, TX (23.55) |
34 | Hampton, VA (24.54) |
34 | Stanford, CA (28.63) |
| 35 | Indianapolis, IN (22.98) |
35 | Irvine, CA (24.50) |
35 | Hamilton, NY (28.62) |
| 36 | Raleigh, NC (22.97) |
36 | Tempe, AZ (24.49) |
36 | Nacogdoches, TX (28.56) |
| 37 | Atlanta, GA (22.94) |
37 | Newark, NJ (24.40) |
37 | Athens, OH (28.51) |
| 38 | Fresno, CA (22.93) |
38 | Jackson, MS (24.39) |
38 | Cheney, WA (28.50) |
| 39 | Sacramento, CA (22.55) |
39 | Abilene, TX (24.35) |
39 | Carbondale, IL (28.42) |
| 40 | Las Vegas, NV (22.35) |
40 | High Point, NC (24.28) |
40 | Huntsville, TX (28.36) |
| 41 | Denver, CO (22.31) |
41 | Charleston, SC (24.28) |
41 | Cullowhee, NC (28.23) |
| 42 | Detroit, MI (22.01) |
42 | Boise, ID (24.13) |
42 | Williamsburg, VA (28.21) |
| 43 | Kansas City, MO (21.44) |
43 | Chattanooga, TN (23.79) |
43 | Laramie, WY (28.16) |
| 44 | Colorado Springs, CO (21.40) |
44 | Macon, GA (23.57) |
44 | Oxford, MS (28.15) |
| 45 | St. Louis, MO (21.24) |
45 | Lowell, MA (23.03) |
45 | Princess Anne, MD (27.87) |
| 46 | Riverside, CA (21.08) |
46 | Clarksville, TN (23.01) |
46 | Brookings, SD (27.60) |
| 47 | Albuquerque, NM (21.06) |
47 | Fort Wayne, IN (22.80) |
46 | Thibodaux, LA (27.60) |
| 48 | Cleveland, OH (19.98) |
48 | Orlando, FL (22.59) |
48 | Durham, NH (27.57) |
| 49 | Wichita, KS (19.87) |
49 | Beaumont, TX (22.24) |
49 | Boiling Springs, NC (27.08) |
| 50 | Honolulu, HI (19.81) |
50 | North Charleston, SC (22.01) |
50 | Johnson City, TN (26.88) |
| 51 | Stockton, CA (19.68) |
51 | Birmingham, AL (21.92) |
51 | Albany, NY (26.80) |
| 52 | Fort Worth, TX (18.88) |
52 | Worcester, MA (21.90) |
52 | Moraga, CA (26.77) |
| 53 | San Jose, CA (18.77) |
53 | Little Rock, AR (21.68) |
53 | Kent, OH (26.65) |
| 54 | Tampa, FL (18.65) |
54 | Mobile, AL (21.59) |
54 | Cedar Falls, IA (26.58) |
| 55 | Charlotte, NC (17.53) |
55 | Columbia, MO (21.45) |
55 | Radford, VA (26.56) |
| 56 | Minneapolis, MN (13.62) |
56 | Springfield, MO (21.38) |
56 | Prairie View, TX (26.55) |
| 57 | Fort Collins, CO (21.36) |
57 | Ruston, LA (26.34) |
||
| 58 | Cambridge, MA (21.32) |
58 | Lexington, VA (26.34) |
||
| 59 | Hartford, CT (21.29) |
59 | Grambling, LA (26.30) |
||
| 60 | Athens, GA (21.28) |
60 | Mount Pleasant, MI (26.29) |
||
| 61 | Denton, TX (21.27) |
61 | Normal, IL (26.24) |
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| 62 | Las Cruces, NM (21.27) |
62 | Long Branch, NJ (26.14) |
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| 63 | Evansville, IN (21.25) |
63 | Rock Hill, SC (26.12) |
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| 64 | Greeley, CO (21.13) |
64 | Amherst, MA (26.11) |
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| 65 | Green Bay, WI (21.06) |
65 | Moscow, ID (26.02) |
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| 66 | Santa Clara, CA (21.04) |
66 | Morehead, KY (26.00) |
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| 67 | Winston-Salem, NC (20.97) |
67 | Ypsilanti, MI (25.99) |
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| 68 | Peoria, IL (20.89) |
68 | State College, PA (25.91) |
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| 69 | Wilmington, NC (20.38) |
69 | Corvallis, OR (25.89) |
||
| 70 | Fullerton, CA (19.96) |
70 | Stony Brook, NY (25.70) |
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| 71 | Richmond, VA (19.58) |
71 | Hammond, LA (25.55) |
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| 72 | Berkeley, CA (19.06) |
72 | Davidson, NC (25.37) |
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| 73 | Knoxville, TN (18.70) |
73 | Bowling Green, KY (25.29) |
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| 74 | Des Moines, IA (17.94) |
74 | Muncie, IN (25.17) |
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| 75 | Huntsville, AL (16.32) |
75 | Valparaiso, IN (25.10) |
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| 76 | Jersey City, NJ (13.86) |
76 | Annapolis, MD (25.08) |
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| 77 | Montgomery, AL (12.61) |
77 | Fairfield, CT (25.07) |
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| 78 | Statesboro, GA (24.99) |
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| 79 | Conway, SC (24.92) |
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| 80 | Boone, NC (24.89) |
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| 81 | Jacksonville, AL (24.86) |
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| 82 | Elon, NC (24.76) |
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| 83 | Lynchburg, VA (24.76) |
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| 84 | Terre Haute, IN (24.72) |
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| 85 | New Rochelle, NY (24.70) |
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| 86 | Grand Forks, ND (24.63) |
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| 87 | Martin, TN (24.53) |
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| 88 | Easton, PA (24.51) |
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| 89 | Huntington, WV (24.44) |
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| 90 | DeKalb, IL (24.36) |
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| 91 | Greenville, SC (24.27) |
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| 92 | Starkville, MS (24.23) |
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| 93 | Towson, MD (24.19) |
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| 94 | Richmond, KY (24.09) |
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| 95 | Trenton, NJ (24.06) |
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| 96 | Davis, CA (24.05) |
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| 97 | San Marcos, TX (23.98) |
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| 98 | Asheville, NC (23.79) |
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| 99 | Charleston, IL (23.70) |
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| 100 | Hanover, NH (23.68) |
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| 101 | Harrisonburg, VA (23.37) |
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| 102 | Kalamazoo, MI (23.23) |
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| 103 | Cape Girardeau, MO (23.19) |
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| 104 | Ithaca, NY (23.17) |
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| 105 | Orem, UT (23.10) |
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| 106 | Blacksburg, VA (23.08) |
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| 107 | Natchitoches, LA (22.99) |
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| 108 | Santa Barbara, CA (22.98) |
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| 109 | Fort Myers, FL (22.98) |
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| 110 | Farmville, VA (22.90) |
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| 111 | Rochester Hills, MI (22.83) |
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| 112 | Bozeman, MT (22.81) |
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| 113 | Florence, AL (22.69) |
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| 114 | Monroe, LA (22.67) |
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| 115 | Hempstead, NY (22.62) |
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| 116 | Pine Bluff, AR (22.53) |
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| 117 | Fairfax, VA (22.53) |
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| 118 | Evanston, IL (22.51) |
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| 119 | Macomb, IL (22.49) |
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| 120 | Auburn, AL (22.48) |
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| 121 | San Luis Obispo, CA (22.44) |
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| 122 | Tuscaloosa, AL (22.13) |
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| 123 | Oxford, OH (21.98) |
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| 124 | Manhattan, KS (21.96) |
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| 125 | Vermillion, SD (21.80) |
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| 126 | Clinton, SC (21.80) |
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| 127 | Orono, ME (21.53) |
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| 128 | Edwardsville, IL (21.47) |
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| 129 | Lake Charles, LA (21.34) |
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| 130 | Jonesboro, AR (21.27) |
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| 131 | Bowling Green, OH (21.27) |
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| 132 | Youngstown, OH (21.18) |
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| 133 | DeLand, FL (20.95) |
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| 134 | Kennesaw, GA (20.92) |
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| 135 | Logan, UT (20.80) |
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| 136 | Newark, DE (20.78) |
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| 137 | Hattiesburg, MS (20.49) |
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| 138 | Binghamton, NY (20.28) |
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| 139 | Greenville, NC (20.07) |
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| 140 | Conway, AR (19.67) |
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| 141 | Cedar City, UT (19.32) |
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| 142 | Malibu, CA (18.97) |
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| 143 | Boca Raton, FL (18.74) |
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| 144 | Poughkeepsie, NY (18.64) |
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| 145 | Edinburg, TX (18.62) |
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| 146 | Dover, DE (18.50) |
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| 147 | Flagstaff, AZ (18.34) |
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| 148 | Burlington, VT (18.33) |
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| 149 | New Brunswick, NJ (17.50) |
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| 150 | Missoula, MT (17.18) |
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| 151 | Bethlehem, PA (16.40) |
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| 152 | Cookeville, TN (15.55) |
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| 153 | Hackensack, NJ (12.91) |
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| 154 | Daytona Beach, FL (11.57) |
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| 155 | Pocatello, ID (11.07) |
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| 156 | New Britain, CT (10.21) |
Out of 289 total cities analyzed, Charlotte ranked 277th overall and;
- 251st – Winning Percentage
- 139th – Conference Championships
- 284th – Social-Media Engagement
- 272nd – Stadium Capacity
What are your thoughts on Charlotte’s college basketball scene?