Sample data. These scores are illustrative placeholders, not real measurements — live scores arrive when the data pipeline runs.
Where Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth sits.
How the Fun Score adds up
The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make Fort Worth 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.
Fort Worth's strongest factors are Star Power, City Vibe and Higher Education. Its heaviest drawbacks are Weather Extremes, Traffic and Disaster Risk.
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.
-
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 Fort Worth
The Fort Worth read Free
A written read on Fort Worth, grounded in the data
A plain-English analysis of why Fort Worth 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.
Fort Worth, TX: A Quiet City with Notable Star Power, Ranking 122nd Nationally
Fort Worth, TX earns a Fun Score of 19, placing it as a "Quiet" city, and is most nationally notable for its Star Power.
Why it scores high
Fort Worth shines brightest in its Star Power, scoring 63 and ranking 50th nationally out of 134 cities. This indicates a city with a significant presence of popular headliners and notable residents, suggesting a vibrant cultural landscape with recognizable figures and events. For residents, this means a higher likelihood of encountering well-known performers or individuals who have achieved prominence in various fields.
The city also boasts a strong City Vibe, with a score of 60 and a national rank of 54. This suggests a generally positive and engaging atmosphere, as reflected in news sentiment and public interest. A high City Vibe score often translates to a sense of community pride and a dynamic environment that keeps residents engaged.
Furthermore, Higher Education is a notable strength for Fort Worth, scoring 51 and ranking 66th nationally. This indicates a significant presence of colleges and universities, contributing to a youthful energy, intellectual stimulation, and a steady influx of new ideas and talent into the city. For students and academics, this means access to diverse educational opportunities, while for the wider community, it can foster a more educated and innovative workforce.
Where it falls short
Despite its strengths, Fort Worth faces challenges in several areas, particularly concerning its culinary and transportation offerings. The city's Eats scene scores a low 13, ranking 117th nationally. This suggests a limited number of high-quality dining options, which might make finding diverse and exciting culinary experiences a challenge for residents. Similarly, the Coffee scene also scores low at 14, tied for 115th nationally, indicating a scarcity of well-regarded cafes.
Transportation is another area where Fort Worth struggles. Its Transit Quality scores a mere 13, ranking 117th nationally. This suggests that public transportation options are limited or inefficient, making it difficult to get around the city without a personal vehicle. This is further compounded by a low Walkability score of 26, ranking 99th, and a Bike & Micromobility score of 23, tied for 103rd. These scores collectively indicate that active transportation options are not well-developed, potentially leading to a car-dependent lifestyle for most residents. The city also experiences significant Traffic, scoring 19 and ranking 109th, which can make commuting and navigating the city a frustrating experience.
Who it's for
Fort Worth is best suited for individuals who appreciate a city with a strong sense of identity and a notable presence of public figures and events, but who are not primarily seeking a vibrant culinary scene or extensive public transportation. It's a good fit for those who value a positive community atmosphere and access to higher education, and who are comfortable relying on personal vehicles for getting around.
Cities like it
Other cities that share similarities with Fort Worth include San Antonio, TX, which also offers a unique cultural experience, Oklahoma City, OK, known for its developing urban core, and El Paso, TX, which shares a similar regional context.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate
- Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services
- EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)
- EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city)
- FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals
- FEMA National Risk Index
- GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged)
- GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share
- NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data
- NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days
- NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data
- OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap caf\u00e9 counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities
- OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog
- OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended)
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues
- US Census commute-time data (ACS)
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
Fort Worth’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 Fort Worth, TX: 18/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/fort-worth-tx
Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.