The 10 Best Cities For Partying in the USA

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The 10 Best Cities For Partying in the USA

An *extremely* scientific study.

What makes a city fun to party in? The answer, of course, is complicated—there is no straightforward formula that determines what makes one metropolis more lit than another. However, there are factors—like local drinking laws, public transport, and number of nightclubs—that have a huge impact on a city's nightlife, helping to determine whether it flourishes or flounders.

In this *extremely* scientific study, we crunched the numbers for dozens of cities in America, based on factors that we think significantly shapes local party scenes. Below is our ranking of the top ten best cities for partying in the USA, along with the criteria we used to judge them. Feel free to boast or bitch in the comments. —Michelle Lhooq

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1. New York City

Raw score: 6.6
Last call: 4 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 24 HRS
# of dance parties on an average Friday**: 22
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 1291
Population: 8,426,743
Clubs per capita: 0.00015
% of people between 21 and 34: 11.75
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 24 HRS
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: Royal House (Todd Terry) - "Can You Party"

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2. New Orleans

Raw score: 4.7
Last call: 24 HRS
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 24 HRS
# of dance parties on an average Friday**: 3
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 51
Population: 376, 738
Clubs per capita: 0.00013
% of people between 21 and 34:
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: 12.2%
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 24 HRS
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: NO
Classic track: Big Freedia - "N.O. Bounce"

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3. Los Angeles

Raw score: 4.4
Last call: 2 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 2 AM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 19
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 622
Population: 3,900,794
Clubs per capita: 0.00015
% of people between 21 and 34: 12.05
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 3 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: Flying Lotus - "Do the Astral Plane"

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4. Chicago

Raw score: 4
Last call: 4 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 24 HRS
# of parties on an average Friday**: 8
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 270
Population: 2,717,534
Clubs per capita: 0.00009
% of people between 21 and 34: 12.95
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 24 HRS
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic Track: Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle - "Baby Wants to Ride"

5. Philadephia

Raw score: 3.2
Last call: 3 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 10 PM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 4
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 112
Population: 1,555,072
Clubs per capita: 0.00007
% of people between 21 and 34: 9.1
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 24 HRS
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: DJ DWizz - "Get Em"

6. Miami

Raw score: 2.6
Last call: 5AM / 24 HRS
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 24 HRS
# of parties on an average Friday**: 9
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 359
Population: 424, 632
Clubs per capita: 0.00084
% of people between 21 and 34: 10.8
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 12 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: NO
Classic track: 2 Live Crew - "We Want Some Pussy"

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7. San Francisco

Raw score: 2.3
Last call: 2 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 2 AM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 9
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 328
Population: 840,763
Clubs per capita: 0.00039
% of people between 21 and 34: 14.2
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 1 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: Sylvester - "Do Ya Wanna Funk"

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8. Houston

Raw score: 1.9
Last call: 2 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 12 AM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 5
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 87
Population: 2,217,708
Clubs per capita: 0.00003
% of people between 21 and 34: 12.3
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 3 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: NO
Classic track: DJ Screw - "June 27"

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9. Denver

Raw score: 1.7
Last call: 2 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 12 AM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 3
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 79
Population: 649,654
Clubs per capita: 0.00012
% of people between 21 and 34: 13.9
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: YES
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 3.30 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: Pretty Lights - "Finally Moving Remix"

10. Austin

Raw score: 1.5
Last call: 2 AM
How late you can buy beer on Friday night: 12 AM
# of parties on an average Friday**: 5
# of bars, music venues, and clubs*: 89
Population: 448,901
Clubs per capita: 0.00017
% of people between 21 and 34: 14.25
Uber/Lyft or taxi-style app?: NO
When public transportation ends on Friday night: 12:30 AM
Gender-neutral bathroom policy+: YES
Classic track: S U R V I V E - "To Light Alone I Bow"

*Per Resident Advisor

**Per Resident Advisor and/or local event listings (Eventbrite, Time Out)

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+ Single-use stalls, excluding city halls and schools

Runners up:

11. Detroit

12. Boston

13. Atlanta

14. Portland

15. Baltimore