San Diego ranked luckiest town in U.S.

Oct 14, 2011, 8:54 am (30 comments)

Insider Buzz

San Diego, which has been touted as having one of the best climates in the United States, is also the luckiest, according to a new ranking.

The sunny southern California city won the top spot in the Men's Health magazine list of America's 100 luckiest towns, with Baltimore, Phoenix, Wilmington in Delaware and Richmond, Virginia not far behind.

"Luck is basically our modern world's magic," said David Zinczenko, editor in chief of the magazine. "People need to believe in luck because it allows them to give a name to the randomness of life, and when you name something, you have more power over it."

To determine the most charmed towns the magazine analyzed data about cities with the most lottery and sweepstake winners, the most hole-in-ones on the golf course, the fewest lighting strikes, the least deaths from falling objects, and the lowest debt due to playing the lottery and race betting.

"San Diego's multiple jackpot winners, its low lightning strike count, and its low number of lightning-related injuries and deaths helped push it to the top," Zinczenko said.

Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the country, and another betting hub, Reno, Nevada, also landed in the top 10.

"It is in the top 10," Zinczenko said about Las Vegas. "And you have to remember that there would be no Vegas if all of the gamblers were lucky all of the time."

At the opposite end of the spectrum Lady Luck was shinning the least on Charleston in West Virginia. It was the town with the highest rate of deaths from falling objects, with four times as many as San Diego, and had no lottery or sweepstake winners.

Tampa in Florida, Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis were also among the least lucky cities.

The Full List

According to Men's Health magazine, the full list of 100 cities can be found below, with the luckiest cities shown at the top.  The magazine defines good luck as follows: the most winners of Powerball, Mega Millions, and Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes; most hole-in-ones (PGA); fewest lightning strikes (including the fatal kind) and deaths from falling objects (Vaisala Inc., National Climatic Data Center, CDC); and least money lost on lottery tickets and race betting (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

1. San Diego, CA   A+
2. Baltimore, MD   A+
3. Phoenix, AZ   A
4. Wilmington, DE   A
5. Richmond, VA   A-
6. San Francisco, CA   A-
7. Las Vegas, NV   A-
8. Philadelphia, PA   A-
9. Louisville, KY   A-
10. Reno, NV   B+

11. San Jose, CA   B+
12. New York, NY   B+
13. Boise, ID   B+
14. Baton Rouge, LA   B+
15. Fort Worth, TX   B+
16. Omaha, NE   B+
17. Indianapolis, IN   B
18. Fresno, CA   B
19. Dallas, TX   B
20. Lincoln, NE   B

21. St. Louis, MO   B
22. Cincinnati, OH   B
23. Los Angeles, CA   B
24. Santa Ana, CA   B-
25. Portland, OR   B-
26. Pittsburgh, PA   B-
27. Tulsa, OK   B-
28. Seattle, WA   B-
29. Denver, CO   B-
30. Fort Wayne, IN   B-

31. Charlotte, NC   B-
32. Milwaukee, WI   C+
33. Houston, TX   C+
34. Kansas City, MO   C+
35. Wichita, KS   C+
36. Chicago, IL   C+
37. Toledo, OH   C+
38. Greensboro, NC   C+
39. Columbus, OH   C+
40. Providence, RI   C+

41. Riverside, CA   C+
42. Bakersfield, CA   C+
43. Oakland, CA   C
44. El Paso, TX   C
45. Minneapolis, MN   C
46. Tucson, AZ   C
47. Sacramento, CA   C
48. Plano, TX   C
49. Honolulu, HI   C
50. Albuquerque, NM   C

51. Virginia Beach, VA   C
52. Washington, DC   C
53. Manchester, NH   C
54. Durham, NC   C-
55. Norfolk, VA   C-
56. Columbia, SC   C-
57. Oklahoma City, OK   C-
58. Cleveland, OH   C-
59. Lexington, KY   C-
60. New Orleans, LA   C-

61. Winston-Salem, NC   C-
62. Detroit, MI   C-
63. Portland, ME   C-
64. Laredo, TX   C-
65. Chesapeake, VA   C-
66. Cheyenne, WY   C-
67. Jersey City, NJ   C-
68. Lubbock, TX   C-
69. Jacksonville, FL   C-
70. Austin, TX   C-

71. Madison, WI   D+
72. Stockton, CA   D+
73. Aurora, CO   D+
74. Birmingham, AL   D+
75. Raleigh, NC   D+
76. San Antonio, TX   D+
77. Atlanta, GA   D+
78. Corpus Christi, TX   D
79. Orlando, FL   D
80. St. Paul, MN   D

81. Buffalo, NY   D
82. Boston, MA   D
83. Salt Lake City, UT   D
84. Colorado Springs, CO   D
85. Des Moines, IA   D
86. Newark, NJ   D-
87. Burlington, VT   D-
88. Little Rock, AR   D-
89. Anchorage, AK   D-
90. Nashville, TN   D-

91. Fargo, ND   F
92. Miami, FL   F
93. Bridgeport, CT   F
94. St. Petersburg, FL   F
95. Billings, MT   F
96. Sioux Falls, SD   F
97. Memphis, TN   F
98. Jackson, MS   F
99. Tampa, FL   F
100. Charleston, WV   F

Reuters, Men's Health, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I live near Pittsburgh, oh nooooooo! Crazy

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Oct 14, 2011

I live near Pittsburgh, oh nooooooo! Crazy

Pittsburgh is actually pretty high up - #26.

freeobama's avatarfreeobama

Richmond VA #5 for a lucky place and i have bad luck here wow.No Nod

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Two TN cities rated in the Lucky Cities List, Wooooooooo Hooooooooo!

Let's see:

Nashville - #90  Grade,  D-

Memphis - #97  Grade,  F

I take back the Woooooo Hooooooo.

And please folks, when visiting TN, watch out for lightning and falling objects.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Oct 14, 2011

Two TN cities rated in the Lucky Cities List, Wooooooooo Hooooooooo!

Let's see:

Nashville - #90  Grade,  D-

Memphis - #97  Grade,  F

I take back the Woooooo Hooooooo.

And please folks, when visiting TN, watch out for lightning and falling objects.

Maybe this news story was right?

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Oct 14, 2011

Maybe this news story was right?

LOL, yep, now that ranking is more accurate. Tennessee dead last.

And it's very timely, being done right after The Dragon Lady enacted all her changes.

I'm glad I don't have to walk under any coconut trees when I go outside.

I am  waiting for a tree to fall on my house as we speak though.

ressuccess's avatarressuccess

I didn't know why San Diego is lucky according to this ranking.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by ressuccess on Oct 14, 2011

I didn't know why San Diego is lucky according to this ranking.

Oddly enough, there's a story about that very thing at the top of this page.

Check it out.

sully16's avatarsully16

Detroit number 62, yikes.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Oct 14, 2011

Detroit number 62, yikes.

Did you have to mention that DETROIT is way the hell luckier than anywhere in Tennessee? DETROIT?!?!

Now I'm really bummed out.

I bet somehow, someway, a coconut falls on my head today.

sully16's avatarsully16

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Oct 14, 2011

Did you have to mention that DETROIT is way the hell luckier than anywhere in Tennessee? DETROIT?!?!

Now I'm really bummed out.

I bet somehow, someway, a coconut falls on my head today.

LMAO, I didn't want to rub it in.

PS, DON'T LOOK UP.

Nino224's avatarNino224

Well, if they ever make a list of the best places to be a lottery player it would be Massachusetts. No contest. The number of people winning big jackpots from scratch-offs is staggering. And now that they converted their Mass Cash game from twice a week to daily, the money seems to be growing on trees over there.

Go to their site and click on Winners.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by Nino224 on Oct 14, 2011

Well, if they ever make a list of the best places to be a lottery player it would be Massachusetts. No contest. The number of people winning big jackpots from scratch-offs is staggering. And now that they converted their Mass Cash game from twice a week to daily, the money seems to be growing on trees over there.

Go to their site and click on Winners.

Massachusetts also ranks #2 nationwide in lottery sales, behind only New York, with $4.4 billion in sales in Fiscal 2011.

C0w Pi3

Wilmington,Delaware Ranked #4 wohoo! lol

KSplayer's avatarKSplayer

WAHOOO Kansas made the list!!!!!

I live close to Wichita so hope some of the luck rubs off on me!

 

 

 

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!Blue Angel

Harve$t Moon's avatarHarve$t Moon

Okay... so now when I play any games of chance

(location is no longer relevant), I will invoke that

"I was born in Baltimore! Give Me Power over

the randomness of the games! It is done!

So Be It"  That will do it! Wink 

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Harve$t Moon on Oct 14, 2011

Okay... so now when I play any games of chance

(location is no longer relevant), I will invoke that

"I was born in Baltimore! Give Me Power over

the randomness of the games! It is done!

So Be It"  That will do it! Wink 

Baltimore?

And here all this time I thought you was a Southern Belle, Moon.

dearsha

                         iam feeling good #32 is not so bad thank God~ i think i'll  spend more money now  Lollllllllllllllllllllll  Smash dont give up  I thank God 4 the chance and opprotunity to play. it feel's good knowing you had a chance and opprotunity to play 4 your familyDisney  some day i scarpe a dollar or two together because i want a chance and i dont want to miss my chance for the mega millions or  the power ballGuitar    "i want to be rich" i want a brick house/ who else??????????????????????

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

91. Fargo, ND   

Ja?

Is there a 'you gotta be kidding me' emotie?

Scared

Harve$t Moon's avatarHarve$t Moon

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Oct 14, 2011

Baltimore?

And here all this time I thought you was a Southern Belle, Moon.

I was born south of the Mason-Dixon Line ...

               so I do declare  I am a Southern Belle! Sun Smiley

 

    

CLETU$

So,what about the thousands of towns that didn't make the list,are they all losers?Do we give them an "F",too?

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Oct 15, 2011

So,what about the thousands of towns that didn't make the list,are they all losers?Do we give them an "F",too?

I should have used the word "unlucky" instead of losers in the above post.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Oct 14, 2011

Pittsburgh is actually pretty high up - #26.

I didn't see Scottdale, PA on the list ???????? Crazy

Maybe tonite ..............

luckyshoes's avatarluckyshoes

I dreamed of San Diego a few nights ago. Played the zip code  92101..In for the win with 110 hitting in PA 10-15-11.

Nice to see it as a lucky place.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Harve$t Moon on Oct 14, 2011

I was born south of the Mason-Dixon Line ...

               so I do declare  I am a Southern Belle! Sun Smiley

 

    

Well, that's good enough for me, Miss Moon. Thumbs Up

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Oct 15, 2011

So,what about the thousands of towns that didn't make the list,are they all losers?Do we give them an "F",too?

Well, I'm no expert but I would consider Palookaville Kentucky (where tiggs is from) to be an official "loser" town.

But that could always change.

Depending on if tiggs ever moves.

grwurston's avatargrwurston

I live  30 minutes from the Baltimore city line so I guess this means I'll be cashing a Mega Millions or Power Ball check by the end of the week.

Nino224's avatarNino224

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Oct 14, 2011

Massachusetts also ranks #2 nationwide in lottery sales, behind only New York, with $4.4 billion in sales in Fiscal 2011.

Then consider that MA's population is about a third of NY's.

navypoole's avatarnavypoole

Oh cmon...I live in San Diego...its not very lucky...who makes this stuff up?? LOL

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