Just as not all football teams are equal, some cities offer football fans a better experience than others. Fan culture varies in each city with a professional or college football team — and one Texas city boasts the second-best fan experience in the U.S.
Football games are overwhelmingly watched more than other sports in America. In 2024, 72 of the 100 most-watched sporting events were NFL games, according to SportsPro. Last year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched telecast in American history.
A WalletHub analysis published Monday gathered 21 key data points across 250 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team. Cities were compared in terms of number of teams, stadium capacity, fan engagement and more.
“Living in one of the best football cities means much more than attending games and watching your hometown team on TV every weekend in the fall,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “Faithfully following your team on social media, spending big on tickets and merchandise, and taking part in local traditions are just some of the factors that make the best football cities stand out. Having a football team with a winning culture and multiple championships doesn’t hurt, either.”
How does the football experience in Texas cities compare to others throughout the country? One city scored especially high, and it wasn’t Houston or Austin.
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Saddle up, Cowboys: Dallas is no. 2 city for football fans this year
As it turns out, the home of “America’s team” truly offers a great experience for football fans. Ranking second overall and in the pro football category, Dallas was only surpassed by Pittsburgh. The Texas city also comes in second for the best-performing NFL team, behind — you guessed it — Kansas City.
- Overall rank: 2
- Total score: 57.95
- Pro football rank: 2
- College football rank: 241
Dallas’ ranking makes a lot of sense, considering it’s the home of the most valuable sports franchise in the world. The Dallas Cowboys are worth an impressive $10.1 billion. The team is tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the second-most Super Bowl titles, at five. The Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots each have six wins.
The Dallas Cowboys also claim the most NFC East division championships, with 26. Although the team hasn’t played in a Super Bowl since winning it in the 1995-96 season, it remains among the most popular in ticket sales and fan engagement.
LIST: 5 best cities for football fans in 2025
| Rank | City | Total score | Pro football rank | College football rank |
| 1 | Pittsburg, PA | 61.12 | 1 | 12 |
| 2 | Dallas, TX | 57.95 | 2 | 241 |
| 3 | Green Bay, WI | 53.87 | 3 | 241 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | 51.01 | 4 | 207 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | 48.28 | 5 | 241 |
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Texas cities rank in football fan experience
Unfortunately, not all cities in the Lone Star State can be as great as Dallas.
Houston ranked third-worst in the U.S. for team performance, only above Chicago, IL, and Charlotte, NC. H-Town also had the third-least accessible NFL stadium, only better than those in Chicago and New York. The Houston Texans also have the fourth-least engaged fans in the country.
College Station had the second-highest minimum season ticket prices for college football, which were only cheaper than in Gainesville, FL.
Here’s how all 20 Texas cities placed in WalletHub’s rankings:
Dallas
- Overall rank: 2
- Total score: 57.95
- Pro football rank: 2
- College football rank: 241
Houston
- Overall rank: 26
- Total score: 29.66
- Pro football rank: 29
- College football rank: 35
San Antonio
- Overall rank: 94
- Total score: 16.79
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 70
University Park
- Overall rank: 96
- Total score: 16.72
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 72
Huntsville
- Overall rank: 98
- Total score: 16.57
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 74
Prairie View
- Overall rank: 112
- Total score: 15.71
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 88
Stephenville
- Overall rank: 116
- Total score: 15.54
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 92
Nacogdoches
- Overall rank: 134
- Total score: 15.05
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 110
Commerce
- Overall rank: 151
- Total score: 14.62
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 128
Denton
- Overall rank: 162
- Total score: 14.15
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 141
Abilene
- Overall rank: 170
- Total score: 13.92
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 151
Carrollton
- Overall rank: 183
- Total score: 13.36
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 135
Lubbock
- Overall rank: 192
- Total score: 13.05
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 175
El Paso
- Overall rank: 201
- Total score: 12.99
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 184
Austin
- Overall rank: 210
- Total score: 12.72
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 193
San Marcos
- Overall rank: 213
- Total score: 12.64
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 196
Fort Worth
- Overall rank: 216
- Total score: 12.52
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 199
Beaumont
- Overall rank: 235
- Total score: 11.17
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 222
Waco
- Overall rank: 244
- Total score: 10.48
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 234
College Station
- Overall rank: 246
- Total score: 10.33
- Pro football rank: 31
- College football rank: 236
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