The Best U.S. Cities for Karaoke

You can’t say you know a person until you’ve seen them hit the karaoke machine after one too many drinks. From karaoke bars to company Christmas parties and nights at home with family and friends, many people across the nation muster up the courage to belt out their favorite songs in front of their loved ones and total strangers every weekend.

 While the art of karaoke and karaoke machines originate in Asia, specifically Japan and the Philippines, there are many cities across the U.S. that share an affinity for this pastime. So, whether you’re looking for the perfect venue to serenade your significant other or need more things to do with your friends on a Friday evening, the aspiring crooners at Shane Co. rounded up the best U.S. cities for karaoke night to point you in the right direction.

Drop the Mic: The 20 Best U.S. Cities for Karaoke

Atlanta, Georgia, comes in first as the best city for karaoke in the country. ATL is known as the “New York City of the South” for many reasons. In the case of karaoke, Atlanta has a strong balance of bars, events, and accessibility. Atlanta is home to many nightlife venues and karaoke night events and has low Uber costs on average, making it a paradise for karaoke fans all over Georgia.

Las Vegas, Nevada, has the highest concentration of karaoke lovers. Vegas has many vibrant karaoke spots on and off the Strip for Nevada natives and visitors alike. Roughly 75 people per every 100,000 search for “karaoke near me” on Google — more than any other city on our list. We guess that since “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” many people go on vacation to let their vocal cords cut loose in Sin City’s many bars.

If the only thing standing between you and mastering a crowd favorite like “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a little bit of liquid courage, a city in Wisconsin has the answer. Milwaukee’s bars have the lowest cost of cocktails on average and tie for fourth place when it comes to beer. Next time you visit America’s Dairyland, remember that eight-dollar old fashioned could help you land your next big break.

Karaoke Bar Capitals Around the Country

If you’re looking for bars where karaoke covers of your favorite classics are encouraged, you’ll feel right at home in Ohio. Cleveland has the highest number of karaoke bars (per 100,000 residents) in the U.S. by a large margin, at nearly 31 for every 100,000 people. On the other hand, there aren’t as many karaoke night events annually in Cleveland, probably because it’s such a regular occurrence across bars in the city.

St. Louis, Missouri, and Riverside, California, come in second and third places, respectively, with roughly 11 karaoke bars per 100,000 residents. St. Louis has a bustling nightlife scene and features the most nightlife businesses per 100,000 residents at 231 venues. The Mound City also has a decent number of karaoke night events, averaging 80 annually, meaning there are no excuses not to get out and sing!

Riverside, California, has the third-highest number of karaoke bars and karaoke night events per 100,000 residents. On average, there are 580 karaoke night events to choose from in the Southern California city. The Sunshine State actually made our top 10 list twice; Sacramento came just shy of eight karaoke bars per capita, putting it squarely in 10th place. After all, if you’re that close to legendary labels like Capitol Records, it’s probably a good idea to get some practice in before marching in with your demo.

Full Data

Interested in diving deeper into the numbers for the top 20 cities, or wanting to see how your city stacks up if it’s not listed within the above charts? 

We’ve compiled our full data study for all 50 U.S. cities analyzed into this interactive data table. Search for the city you call home or click on the heading of each column to sort by that category!

Closing Thoughts

We know karaoke is a lot harder than it looks, so it’s critical to find an environment forgiving enough to let you (poorly) belt out your favorite tunes without getting tomatoes or shoes thrown at you. In some cities, it’s easier to muster up the courage to get up on stage and kill it than in others. Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot to serenade your lover or just trying to find new places to hang out with your friends, we hope this information steers you in the right direction. 

Shane Co. can’t help you face your fears of singing on stage or give you vocal lessons, but we can help you eliminate any anxieties about proposing to your partner. Our beautiful engagement rings make it easy for anyone to gain the confidence they need to pop the big question.

Methodology

We assigned 50 U.S. cities with a score of 0 to 5 for each factor, with a score of 5 representing the most favorable conditions. We determined each city’s total score from the total of its individual factor scores, which were weighted according to their impact on the karaoke experience. Individual factor scores were then added together to give each city a final score from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate cities are better for karaoke lovers.