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Chicago named top U.S. city for movie lovers, study reveals.
Chicago is the 12th best city in America for film fans, with a cinephile score of 4.92
Los Angeles takes first place as the best city for movie lovers with a cinephile score of 7.06 out of 10
Texas and Arizona dominate the ranking, with several cities from each state appearing in the top 20
A new study has revealed the best cities in the U.S. for movie enthusiasts, with Chicago coming in 12th. The research, conducted by social casino website McLuck, analyzed the 100 most populated U.S. cities to determine which offer the best experience for film fans. Each city received a score based on factors such as the number of movie theaters, indie venues, theater ratings and ticket prices.
Chicago’s findings
Chicago, with a score of 4.92, has come 12th. The city has 235 theaters, 84 of which are indies, with an average rating of 3.67 out of 5. Ticket prices are $18.00 on average, which is the second-highest price in the country.
The best U.S. cities for movie lovers
Los Angeles in California claimed the top spot with a cinephile score of 7.06 out of 10, with 696 movie theaters, including 223 independent cinemas and 9 drive-in theaters. The average ticket price of $18.00 is higher than most other cities, but LA theaters received an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, which is among the highest in the country.
Phoenix in Arizona secured second place with a cinephile score of 7.03. The city is home to 193 movie theaters, including 62 indie venues and 3 drive-in theaters. Phoenix cinema tickets cost an average of $12.75, which is the 9th cheapest in America.
Despite having the most movie theaters in the country at 949 (including 310 independent cinemas), New York City ranked third with a score of 6.44. The relatively high cost of tickets at $20.00 on average pushed the Big Apple down the rankings. The overall rating of NYC theaters comes to 3.99 out of 5 on TripAdvisor.
The Texan city of Austin took fourth place with a score of 6.40, offering 103 movie theaters, including 43 indie venues. The average price of a movie ticket is $14.00, and the average rating of theaters in the city is 4 out of 5.
Portland in Oregon completed the top five with a score of 5.60. The average movie ticket in this city costs $13.00, with theaters receiving an average rating of 4.29 out of 5. Portland is home to 67 movie theaters, 27 of which are independent.
Arizona had a strong showing in the rankings, with Tucson in sixth place (5.41), and Mesa (5.39) in seventh. Tucson has 56 theaters, 10 of which are independents, with an average rating of 4.34 and a ticket costing $13.00 on average. Mesa is home to 93 theaters, including 28 indies, receiving an average rating of 4.27 and tickets costing $12.75 on average.
San Antonio, another Texan city, ranks eighth with a cinephile score of 5.31. The city has 95 theaters, including 13 indies, which receive an average rating of 4.15 out of 5. Movie lovers can expect to pay an average of $14.00 for a movie ticket.
Columbus in Ohio scored 5.29 in the study, putting the city in ninth place. It has 93 theaters, 26 are indies, which are rated 4.17 on TripAdvisor. Tickets cost an average of $12.00 in this city.
Denver in Colorado rounds out the top 10 with a cinephile score of 5.23. You can expect to pay an average of $15.00 for a movie ticket across Denver’s 111 theaters, 41 of which are independent. Theaters in the city received an average rating of 4.07.
Minneapolis, which scored 5.09, comes in 11th place. Chicago, with a score of 4.92, has come 12th. Atlanta ranks next in 13th, with a cinephile score of 4.83. Buffalo in New York is 14th with a score of 4.79, and Washington completes the top 15 with a score of 4.74.
Texas and Arizona have dominated the ranking, with another two Texas cities, Dallas scoring 4.70 and El Paso scoring 4.63, taking 16th and 17th place. Coming in 18th is Chandler in Arizona, which scored 4.62. In 19th place is Houston, with a score of 4.53. Finishing the top 20 is Glendale with a score of 4.51, also in Arizona.
Joerg Nottebaum, a spokesperson from McLuck, commented on the findings: “This research shows that the best cities for movie lovers offer a mix of mainstream, independent, and specialty cinema experiences. Los Angeles stands out not just for its connection to the film industry, but for the incredible variety of viewing options available to residents.
“What’s interesting is that while large cities like Los Angeles and New York have the most theaters overall, mid-sized cities like Phoenix and Austin performed extremely well when considering factors like affordability and theater quality.
“The study also found that cities with strong film industries tend to offer more theater options. According to research from Westchester County, areas with active film production can see significant economic benefits, too. Active film scenes create jobs, from film crew to creative talent, and support local businesses from hospitality to construction, adding to the cultural fabric of a community.”
Methodology
This study ranks the 100 most populated US cities, by which are the best for movie lovers. Each city was given a score based on the following equally weighted factors:
The number of movie theaters within the city, sourced from our internal geo tool.
The number of indie movie theaters within the city, sourced from our internal geo tool.
The number of drive-in theaters within the city, sourced from our internal geo tool.
The number of movie theaters within the city on Tripadvisor, sourced from tripadvisor.com.
The average movie theater rating on Tripadvisor, sourced from tripadvisor.com.
The average price for a cinema ticket, sourced from numbeo.com.
How many hours the average resident would have to work to afford a cinema ticket, sourced from numbeo.com and bls.gov.
