Chicago is one of the best cities in the nation for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, according to a new survey.
Personal finance company WalletHub compared 200 of the largest cities, using metrics such as St. Patrick’s Day traditions, costs, safety and accessibility, and weather to rank the best. While the Windy City is the sixth-best place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, according to WalletHub’s findings, Chicago finished first among all other Midwest entries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the nation’s third-largest city is known as one of the more popular destinations for the annual March holiday due to the dyeing of the Chicago River, the city’s rich Irish-American heritage, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the South Side Irish Parade, and more.
According to the report, Chicago ranked favorable amongst Irish pubs and restaurants per capitia and hotel and beer costs:
- Chicago’s overall rank: 6th:
- 100th – Percentage of Irish Population
- 7th – Irish Pubs & Restaurants per Capita
- 46th – Average Beer Price
- 46th – DUI Fatalities per Capita
- 6th – Lowest Price for Three-Star Hotel on St. Patrick’s Day
Though Chicago finished in the top 10 of the best cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it also ranked among the worst, 198th out of 200, when analysts factored weather into the festivities.
WalletHub’s survey featured several other Illinois cities that ranked among the best and worst for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, including Naperville, which finished second among all Illinois cities, 15 spots behind Chicago as the 21st best city for celebrating Irish-American heritage.
Naperville’s high ranking is due, in part, to its top position among the Irish population. The southwest suburb also finished as the best city to celebrate with the lowest crime rate.
Other Illinois cities featured on the list include Rockford, which WalletHub ranked as the 66th best city to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Joliet and Aurora finished No. 103 and No. 148 on the list, respectively.
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | St. Patrick’s Day Traditions Rank | Costs Rank | Safety & Accessibility Rank | St. Patrick’s Day Weather Rank |
| 1 | Boston, MA | 70.71 | 1 | 124 | 50 | 87 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | 69.41 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 42 |
| 3 | Savannah, GA | 63.82 | 26 | 22 | 10 | 69 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | 63.64 | 18 | 159 | 4 | 27 |
| 5 | Worcester, MA | 63.22 | 12 | 54 | 22 | 84 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | 61.02 | 5 | 62 | 28 | 198 |
| 7 | New York, NY | 60.95 | 3 | 126 | 25 | 170 |
| 8 | Henderson, NV | 60.83 | 48 | 114 | 29 | 1 |
| 9 | Buffalo, NY | 60.58 | 4 | 122 | 18 | 178 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | 60.22 | 7 |
Other Midwest entries include St. Paul, Minneapolis (No. 11); Overland Park, Kansas (No. 13); Des Moines, Iowa (No.14); and Minneapolis, Minnesota (No. 17).
Click here to read the entire survey.
WalletHub projects that Americans will spend more than $7 billion on festivities related to the Monday, March 17 holiday.
