Author
Christopher Boan is a writer with BetTexas.com, covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
America’s Most Boring Cities: Houston, Dallas Rank in Top 10
The country’s second-most populous state is known for many things, from the Lone Star State’s blue bonnet clad hills to its white sand beaches on the Gulf Coast. But that doesn’t insulate its largest cities from claims of being boring.
That’s because two of Texas’ largest cities (Dallas and Houston) made it onto a list of America’s most boring cities. The Space City ranked fourth nationally and Dallas was in a tie with Jacksonville for sixth. There isn’t any legal Texas sports betting to keep folks entertained, either.
While neither beat out the nation’s preeminent metropolises in malaise (Indianapolis, San Jose and Phoenix), the two Texas cities did rank near the top of the list, which illustrates how many see the Lone Star State’s shining cities as lacking in substance.
BetTexas.com set out to find the answer by surveying 600 U.S. residents via Reddit.com’s /AskReddit subreddit to utilize their commented answers from the question, “What is the most boring major US city?” – including only cities within the Top 50 in population in the United States.
At least the Major League Baseball teams in Houston and the Dallas Metroplex are good. You can’t legally wager on them for a lack of Texas sportsbook apps. But online wagering is available in more than 30 states and one of the biggest operators, DraftKings Sportsbook, has the Astros at +850 odds to win the 2024 World Series, with the defending champion Texas Rangers at +1500 odds.
America’s Most Boring Cities: Survey Results
Where Houston, Dallas Rank Among Dull Towns
Houston has some of the most diverse food in America (as does Harris County by extension), with more than 100 James Beard Award semifinalists and winners. But that wasn’t enough to help the city escape the country’s Most Boring Cities list.
Up Interstate 45, the DFW metroplex was also not spared, with 22 votes as the country’s most boring city, just behind Houston’s 24. Raleigh, North Carolina, is between the two Texas cities, with 23 votes.
Whether it’s because of Dallas’ flatland vibes or a general malaise surrounding the third-most populous city in the state, there’s no denying that the DFW region got the short end of the stick when it came to national respect. This is despite the area having teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, plus a Major League Soccer franchise that has existed since the league began play in 1996.
Houston has even more of a bone to pick with said designation, as it also has a diverse, wide-ranging sports scene. And the city is huge, from the shores of the Gulf to the higher ground of the western city limits.
Regardless, Dallas and Houston are bonded at the hip when it comes to the nation’s apathy towards both areas, according to Reddit users around the country. It’s not clear when the diversion of sports wagering and Texas sportsbook promo codes will become available, but come back to BetTexas.com for updates.
USA Today photo by Jerome Miron
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