Sample data. These scores are illustrative placeholders, not real measurements — live scores arrive when the data pipeline runs.
Where Newark 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 Newark sits.
Pro sports in Newark
The five major US leagues anchor a city’s sports identity — home stadiums, season-long event flow, drive-time fanbases. Newark hosts 2 major-league teams across 2 leagues.
- MLS New York Red Bulls
- NHL New Jersey Devils
How the Fun Score adds up
The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make Newark 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.
Newark's strongest factors are Transit Quality, Star Power and Walkability. Its heaviest drawbacks are Economic Strain, Traffic and Going-Out Cost.
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.
-
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.
-
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).
-
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.
-
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).
-
Recent particulate matter and ozone levels — a trailing-week air-quality average.
Measured from EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average).
-
Exposure to natural hazards and severe events.
Measured from FEMA National Risk Index.
-
Punishing heat, cold and storm extremes.
Measured from NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data.
-
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.
-
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.
Couldn’t load the full breakdown. Please refresh to try again.
Cities like Newark
The Newark read Free
A written read on Newark, grounded in the data
A plain-English analysis of why Newark 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.
Newark, NJ earns a Fun Score of 37, placing it in the "Some Fun" category, and stands out nationally for its exceptional public transit.
Why it scores high
Newark shines in several key areas, particularly its urban infrastructure and cultural offerings. The city boasts an outstanding score for Transit Quality at 91, ranking it tied for 5th nationally out of 134 cities. This means residents and visitors can expect highly efficient and accessible public transportation, making it easy to navigate the city without a car. Complementing this, Newark is highly Walkable, scoring 81 and ranking 26th nationally. This combination of excellent transit and walkability suggests a city where daily errands and exploring can be done conveniently on foot or by public transport.
Beyond getting around, Newark offers a vibrant Culture scene, scoring 73 and ranking 37th nationally. This indicates a rich array of museums, galleries, and theaters, providing ample opportunities for cultural engagement. The city also performs well in attracting notable figures and hosting significant events. Its Star Power score of 82 (ranking 25th nationally) suggests a city that draws prominent individuals and performances. Furthermore, the city's Events score of 72, ranking 38th nationally, points to a frequent schedule of festivals, fairs, and ticketed happenings, ensuring there's often something exciting to do.
Where it falls short
While strong in certain aspects, Newark faces challenges in other areas that impact its overall fun score. The city struggles with providing diverse recreational options, particularly in Unique Hangouts, where it scores a very low 3 and ranks tied for 125th nationally. This suggests a limited number of unconventional entertainment venues like escape rooms or arcades. Similarly, opportunities for enjoying the Outdoors are scarce, with a score of 5, placing it tied for 127th nationally. This indicates a relative lack of parks, nature reserves, and other natural spaces for recreation.
Economically, Newark experiences significant Economic Strain, scoring just 8 and ranking tied for 131st nationally. This suggests challenges related to unemployment, housing affordability, and income levels, which can impact the overall quality of life and access to leisure activities for residents. Additionally, the city's Traffic score is low at 9, ranking tied for 128th nationally, indicating that commuters likely face significant delays and congestion.
Who it's for
Newark is ideal for individuals who prioritize excellent public transportation and walkability, appreciate a strong cultural scene, and enjoy attending various events and performances. It's less suited for those seeking abundant outdoor activities, unique recreational venues, or a low-stress economic environment.
Cities like it
- Bridgeport, CT also offers a strong cultural scene and good transit options.
- Jersey City, NJ shares Newark's strengths in walkability and public transit.
- Long Beach, CA is another city with a similar profile in terms of urban amenities and challenges.
Sources
- OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues
- SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended)
- OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities
- OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged)
- NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days
- GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share
- EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city)
- NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data
- OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog
- FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals
- US Census commute-time data (ACS)
- EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data
- 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
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
Newark’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 Newark, NJ: 36/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/newark-nj
Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.