Three Texas Cities Rank Among Most Boring in the U.S., Study Says

From world-famous BBQ joints and major league sports to rich history and nonstop festivals, Texas cities are anything but boring — or so we thought.

Houston’s global food scene, Austin’s live music, San Antonio’s historic landmarks, and Dallas’ iconic skyline all bring something bold to the table. The Lone Star State’s biggest cities are big, diverse, and full of character — hardly what most would call dull.

So why did a recent study called "Bored in the USA," conducted by FinanceBuzz, rank three Texas cities among the most boring in the country?

Is it because outsiders don’t get Texas? Because we drive everywhere? Because it’s too hot to go outside?

Not quite. The answer, it turns out, is all in the numbers.

What is the most boring city in Texas?

Sure, Texas has plenty of sleepy towns, dusty ranchland and quiet downtowns that rarely see a crowd. But those places didn’t make the list.

Instead, the cities labeled “most boring” are some of Texas’ largest and most well-known.

FinanceBuzz evaluated more than a dozen data points to rank the 75 most populated U.S. cities. According to the study, these Texas cities rank among the most boring in the country:

No. 3: Corpus Christi

Ranking No. 3 among the most boring cities in America, Corpus Christi takes the title of the most boring city in Texas, according to the study.

The city offers little in the way of culinary variety — a definite downside for food lovers seeking new and exciting options, according to the study. Corpus Christi also ranks near the bottom in activities, landing in the bottom 15 for the number of sports teams and in the bottom 10 for must-do attractions per capita.

No. 6: San Antonio

Coming as the second-most boring city in Texas, San Antonio claims No. 6 overall for most boring cities in the U.S.

"San Antonio has some truly top-tier tourist attractions, such as the Alamo and the city's famous River Walk," the study explained, "And while a relatively high percentage of the city's population is young adults, there aren't many places for them to get out and mingle. San Antonio ranks in the bottom 10 for every single data point relating to nightlife and celebrations: nightclubs per capita, annual celebrations and events per capita, and concert venues per capita."

No. 18: Houston

While the study didn’t detail why Houston made the list, it ranked the city as the 18th most boring in the U.S., just barely making the cut for the top 20. Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, ranked slightly better on the boredom scale.

How did study pick the most boring cities?

According to FinanceBuzz, data for five major categories related to fun and excitement were collected for each city using various sources, including the Census Bureau and Yellow Pages.

• Population makeup: Percent of the population aged 65 and older, percent aged 20-34 years old, and number of international visitors per capita.
• Culinary scene: Number of Yelp's top 100 restaurants in the country, number of Michelin-honored restaurants per capita, number of James Beard-honored restaurants per capita, percent of restaurants that are chains.
• Outdoor activities: Parks, climate, number of hiking trails per capita and walkability.
• Nightlife and celebrations: Number of nightclubs, concert venues, annual celebrations and events per capita.
• Things to do: Number of sports teams, number of amusement places and arcades per capita, number of Traveler's Choice attractions per capita.