The city of Orlando is once again making a splash in the countries sports scene. According to an extensive research process done by WalletHub.com, Orlando is the number two city for soccer, just behind Kansas City, Missouri.
The study done by Wallet Hub takes into account multiple factors when calculating the best sports cities. According to Indiana University senior lecturer Kimberly Donahue, the factors include, "The ability of a city to attract, sustain and deliver on high-quality sporting events, the availability of hotel rooms, the ease of navigation within the city, the number of other attractions within the city, the overall hospitality and culture of the city, as well as the ability to develop a large team of local volunteers are all important to being able to host these events. In addition, obviously, is the support of the local and state government, as well as the corporate community."
The city of Orlando is categorized as a “Midsize City” meaning the population falls between 100,000 to 300,000 people. Orlando’s population, according to the most recent U.S. Census, falls just below the threshold of a large city, with 277,173.
In that midsize city category, Orlando ranks fourth overall for all sports and first in soccer. Including all 420 cities in the report, Orlando sits at 32nd, but ranks top 10 in both basketball and soccer.
It’s no surprise that Orlando is considered one of the top soccer cities in the U.S., especially with the growth of the game over the last five years. Including Orlando City and Orlando Pride and the new downtown soccer stadium, the city has made tremendous strides for soccer in and around the downtown area.
Mix the soccer landscape alongside one of the fastest growing, top food destination and one of the most fun cities in the U.S., all according to WalletHub, and the concoction makes for an incredible destination for anyone wanting to visit the City Beautiful.
