Sample data. These scores are illustrative placeholders, not real measurements — live scores arrive when the data pipeline runs.
Where Arlington lands on the scale
Every city is graded on the same 0–100 Fun Score, split into five bands from quiet to exceptional — here is where Arlington sits.
Pro sports in Arlington
The five major US leagues anchor a city’s sports identity — home stadiums, season-long event flow, drive-time fanbases. Arlington hosts 2 major-league teams across 2 leagues.
- MLB Texas Rangers
- NFL Dallas Cowboys
How the Fun Score adds up
The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make Arlington fun, minus 7 that wear it down. Here is the arithmetic.
16 things that lift the score, blended onto 0–100
7 things that wear it down, blended onto 0–100
- Fun factors lift it
- –
- Drawbacks pull it down
- –
- Raw composite
- –
- Fun Score placed on the published 0–100 scale
- –
Only 40% of the drawback total is subtracted — even a great city can carry a few flaws. Every factor below spells its contribution out as an equation — score times weight. Those 23 contributions are the building blocks behind the two totals above (each is rounded for display).
The Fun breakdown
Every factor is scored 0–100 against the other cities in the index.
Arlington's strongest factors are Higher Education, City Vibe and Events. Its heaviest drawbacks are Air Quality, Weather Extremes and Traffic.
On every bar, the marker shows the typical city — the median score across the whole index.
What lifts the score
- Eats –
Restaurants, food halls and the depth of the dining scene.
Measured from OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Drinks –
Bars, breweries, cocktail rooms and the nightlife spread.
Measured from OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Coffee –
Cafés and the strength of the third-place coffee culture.
Measured from OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
-
Music venues and how often live shows actually happen.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues.
-
Notable people the city is known for, plus headliner acts that tour through.
Measured from SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended).
- Outdoors –
Parks, beaches and easy access to nature.
Measured from OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities.
- Culture –
Museums, theatres, galleries and arts institutions.
Measured from OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Events –
Festivals, fairs and a packed year-round events calendar.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events.
- Sports –
Pro and college teams and the game-day energy around them.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres.
-
Escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke spots.
Measured from OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
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How much the city is talked about and searched for — news and search attention.
Measured from GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged).
- Climate –
How often the weather is good enough to get outside.
Measured from NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days.
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How well a person without a car can move around the city.
Measured from GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share.
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Density of fun within walking distance — sidewalks, intersections, mixed-use blocks.
Measured from EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city).
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Density of college and university students — the engine behind a college town.
Measured from NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data.
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Protected bike lanes and a working public bikeshare system.
Measured from OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog.
What weighs it down
- Crime –
Reported violent and property crime rates.
Measured from FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals.
- Traffic –
Congestion and the time lost to commuting.
Measured from US Census commute-time data (ACS).
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Recent particulate matter and ozone levels — a trailing-week air-quality average.
Measured from EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average).
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Exposure to natural hazards and severe events.
Measured from FEMA National Risk Index.
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Punishing heat, cold and storm extremes.
Measured from NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data.
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Cost of living and housing pressure on residents.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate.
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What a typical night out actually costs in this metro.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services.
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Cities like Arlington
The Arlington read Free
A written read on Arlington, grounded in the data
A plain-English analysis of why Arlington scores the way it does — its standout strengths, where it falls short, who it suits best, and the cities most like it. Every figure is drawn from the same 23 factors on this page: it narrates the measured data, it never invents a number.
Arlington, TX: A Quiet City with a Strong Event and Education Scene
Arlington, TX earns a Fun Score of 17, categorizing it as a "Quiet" city, yet it stands out nationally for its robust event and higher education offerings.
Why it scores high
Arlington shines in several key areas, particularly in its vibrant event scene and strong educational opportunities. The city boasts an impressive score of 71 for Events, tying for the 39th national rank out of 134 cities. This indicates a consistent availability of festivals, fairs, and ticketed events, providing residents with ample entertainment options (Ticketmaster and SeatGeek). Complementing this, Arlington also scores highly for Sports at 68, tying for the 43rd national rank (Ticketmaster and SeatGeek, OpenStreetMap). This suggests a thriving environment for both professional and collegiate sports, along with accessible sports and fitness facilities.
The city also demonstrates a strong commitment to education, with a Higher Education score of 74, tying for the 35th national rank. This indicates a significant presence of postsecondary institutions and a substantial student population, contributing to a dynamic intellectual atmosphere (NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), US Census ACS). Furthermore, Arlington's City Vibe scores 74, tying for the 35th national rank, suggesting a generally positive public perception and high local interest (GDELT, Google Trends). This combination of strong events, sports, and higher education makes Arlington an engaging place for those seeking an active and intellectually stimulating environment.
Where it falls short
Despite its strengths, Arlington faces challenges in several areas that impact daily life and overall appeal. The city's public transportation infrastructure is notably weak, with a Transit Quality score of just 5, tying for the 127th national rank out of 134 cities (GTFS, Federal Transit Administration, US Census ACS). This low score suggests limited public transit options, likely necessitating reliance on personal vehicles for most residents. Similarly, Walkability is also low, scoring 8 and tying for the 123rd national rank, indicating that many areas are not easily navigable on foot (EPA National Walkability Index).
Beyond transportation, Arlington's cultural and entertainment offerings, outside of major events and sports, are less developed. The Live Music scene scores a modest 6, ranking 126th nationally, suggesting limited options for live performances (Ticketmaster and SeatGeek, OpenStreetMap). The city's Culture score is also low at 7, ranking 125th nationally, indicating a scarcity of museums, galleries, and theaters (OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia, Google Places). Additionally, the city experiences poor Air Quality, with a score of 8, tying for the 130th national rank, which could be a concern for residents' health and outdoor activities (EPA AirNow, OpenAQ).
Who it's for
Arlington is best suited for individuals and families who prioritize access to major sporting events, large-scale entertainment, and higher education opportunities, and who are comfortable relying on personal transportation. It's a good fit for those who enjoy a strong community vibe and don't mind a quieter daily pace outside of major attractions.
Cities like it
- Fort Worth, TX is another Texas city with a similar profile, offering a blend of urban amenities and a more relaxed atmosphere.
- Plano, TX shares Arlington's focus on suburban living with access to events and educational institutions.
- El Paso, TX also presents a comparable environment for those seeking a city with a strong local identity and specific attractions.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- EPA AirNow
- EPA National Walkability Index
- FBI Crime Data Explorer
- Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database
- FEMA National Risk Index
- GDELT news tone
- Google Places
- Google Trends
- GTFS schedules via Transit.land
- HUD Fair Market Rent
- MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog
- NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- NOAA climate normals
- NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data
- OpenAQ pollution readings
- OpenStreetMap
- SeatGeek
- Ticketmaster
- US Census ACS
- US Census Bureau
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia
This narrative is generated by AI from CityFunIndex's measured data. The Fun Scores, ranks and raw values are computed deterministically; the wording around them is the model's. Verify any figure against the linked city page.
Go deeper
Use the data
Arlington’s Fun Score and every factor score are available through the licensed CityFunIndex API — clean JSON, metered one call per city record, behind a paid key.
Cite this page
Paste-ready credit line for journalists, researchers and bloggers. Carries the score, the algorithm version and the canonical URL so readers can verify it themselves.
CityFunIndex Fun Score for Arlington, TX: 17/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/arlington-tx
Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.