Michigan's Most Fun Cities Aren't Exactly Fun, Study Says

Fun is about perspective, sure. Your grandparents had fun with sticks and pinecones, after all.

Of course, there are more than enough opportunities to have fun in Michigan. Take a look outside and jump in the snow, take a trip to Hell, enjoy the nature of the Upper Peninsula, or take in the Christmas spirit in Frankenmuth. Those are just a few suggestions to have fun in Michigan in the winter.

Regardless of your interests, Michigan has fun waiting around every corner, especially in the smaller cities.

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Unfortunately, the big cities leave a bit to be desired compared to others across the country.

WalletHub recently released a study on the most fun cities in America, ranking the 182 biggest cities by population nationwide. Only two Michigan cities qualify, Detroit and Grand Rapids, and neither performed particularly well.

The study analyzed what these large cities offered for entertainment and recreation and how strong their nightlife holds up. Those were factored compared to the costs to enjoy what the city may offer.

Both Detroit and Grand Rapids landed in the 'above average' range with middling scores across the board.

Grand Rapids scored a bit lower than the Motor City. Grand Rapids ranked No. 73 overall with the city's entertainment and recreation ranking at No. 79 and the nightlife offering at No. 78. At least it's a reasonable price tag as the No. 52 cheapest city on the list.

Grand Rapids draws in a considerable amount of concerts and live events, so it does well to draw in Michiganders on the west side. Between zoos, museums and gardens, there really is plenty to do in Grand Rapids without breaking the bank. Compared to cities closer to its size, it holds up in the rankings rather well.

Detroit was a few ticks higher at No. 65. Strangely, Detroit was ranked No. 85 for entertainment and recreation. Detroit has four professional sports teams, draws arena and stadium concerts and live events and has a wealth of culture to explore through museums and ventures into metro communities.

The nightlife score was much more reasonable at No. 53. Detroit has some notable clubs and bars, but there isn't anything going on that is particularly unique and drawing significant crowds compared to cities with similar populations.

The costs in Detroit are more bearable than most, ranking at No. 54 overall.

The list is pretty spot on, for the most part. Las Vegas took the top spot and cities like Chicago, New Orleans and Miami rank quite high as most would suspect.

However, as an Alabam-to-Michigan transplant, Mobile ranking above both Grand Rapids and Detroit at No. 59 overall is a questionable result. Mobile isn't the most fun city in the Alabama Gulf Coast region by a longshot, and it certainly doesn't stand up to what Grand Rapids and Detroit offer.