Major League Stars by City - NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL Athletes Born Where You Live

Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player

The US is blessed with an incredibly rich history in sports. We have been graced with some fantastic teams, some dramatic games, and some iconic players. It takes so much hard work to make it into one of the major leagues, so much that it fills your heart with pride if a player makes it out of your hometown.

We all have different ways of showing that pride, whether you buy their jersey, bet on their success on US betting sites, or visit the stadium to cheer them on.

With so many players in the major leagues’ history, we wanted to know which city has produced the most athletes. We’ve looked at US-born athletes in football, basketball, baseball, and hockey to find out which cities are supplying the most talent.

Chicago has produced over 1,000 major league athletes, more than any other city

Chicago

We’ve looked at every US-born player to play in the four major leagues, and looked at the city they were born in to reveal which city has produced the most athletes.

Rank	City	State	NFL Athletes	NBA Athletes	MLB Athletes	NHL Athletes	Total Number of Athletes born in City
1	Chicago	Illinois	494	155	387	25	1,061
2	Los Angeles	California	460	113	240	5	818
3	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	216	122	372	7	717
5	New York	New York	169	104	262	11	546
6	Houston	Texas	340	43	143	2	528
7	Detroit	Michigan	275	71	126	41	513
8	Brooklyn	New York	102	107	248	1	458
9	Dallas	Texas	258	48	95	*	401
10	Cincinnati	Ohio	175	20	204	1	400
11	Miami	Florida	314	15	69	*	398
12	Cleveland	Ohio	220	27	137	11	395
13	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	212	23	139	14	388
14	New Orleans	Louisiana	235	30	99	*	364
15	Baltimore	Maryland	123	44	178	*	345
16	Atlanta	Georgia	175	49	107	2	333
17	San Francisco	California	125	25	180	1	331
18	San Diego	California	151	19	134	2	306
19	Birmingham	Alabama	147	27	87	*	261
20	Boston	Massachusetts	85	15	100	35	235
21	Columbus	Ohio	137	23	55	4	219
21	Louisville	Kentucky	95	37	87	*	219
23	Oakland	California	93	25	92	2	212
24	Minneapolis	Minnesota	103	23	41	38	205
26	Jacksonville	Florida	132	11	56	1	200
28	Indianapolis	Indiana	95	34	56	3	188
30	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	89	33	58	4	184
31	Long Beach	California	78	17	80	6	181
32	Sacramento	California	81	10	88	*	179
33	San Antonio	Texas	106	11	49	*	166
34	Buffalo	New York	60	17	65	22	164
35	Seattle	Washington	72	30	59	1	162
36	Portland	Oregon	73	22	63	3	161
37	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	107	25	28	*	160
38	Denver	Colorado	88	8	42	13	151
39	Mobile	Alabama	88	10	52	*	150
40	Fort Worth	Texas	101	8	35	*	144
41	Kansas City	Missouri	71	12	59	1	143
42	Shreveport	Louisiana	90	10	39	*	139
43	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	76	12	47	3	138
44	Dayton	Ohio	78	22	37	*	137
46	Richmond	Virginia	74	13	44	1	132
47	Newark	New Jersey	68	23	40	*	131
49	Phoenix	Arizona	76	10	37	4	127
51	Omaha	Nebraska	65	8	39	4	116
52	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	87	2	25	1	115
53	Charlotte	North Carolina	57	19	36	1	113
54	Orlando	Florida	61	11	32	3	107
55	Austin	Texas	53	1	50	*	104
55	Fresno	California	57	10	37	*	104
55	Montgomery	Alabama	61	8	35	*	104

*means no players born here

Chicago - 1,061 major league athletes produced

Taking the top spot is Chicago in Illinois producing over 1,000 major league athletes. Chicago produced the most NFL, NBA, and MLB athletes, and the fifth-highest number of NHL athletes. Chicago is home to five teams in the major leagues and is one of ten cities to have at least one sports team in each of the four leagues.

Los Angeles - 818 major league athletes produced

Los Angeles is the city that has produced the second highest number of major league athletes, with 818. Over half of this total made it to the NFL, with over 100 making it to the NBA, and over 200 making it to the MLB. Los Angeles has the second-highest number of sports teams with eight, just behind New York with nine.

Philadelphia - 717 major league athletes produced

In third place is Philadelphia, where 717 major league athletes have been born. The Pennsylvania city proved to be a hotspot for MLB athletes, accounting for over half of Philadelphia’s total. Philly isn’t short of sports teams either, with one team in each major league in the US.

Almost 500 NFL athletes were born in Chicago, the most of any US city

NFL athletes Chicago

Rank	City	State	Number of athletes born in city
1	Chicago	Illinois	494
2	Los Angeles	California	460
3	Houston	Texas	340
4	Miami	Florida	314
5	Detroit	Michigan	275
6	Dallas	Texas	258
7	New Orleans	Louisiana	235
8	Cleveland	Ohio	220
9	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	216
10	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	212
11	Washington	Columbia	203
12	St. Louis	Missouri	187
13	Atlanta	Georgia	175
13	Cincinnati	Ohio	175
15	New York	New York	169
16	San Diego	California	151
17	Birmingham	Alabama	147
18	Columbus	Ohio	137
19	Jacksonville	Florida	132
20	San Francisco	California	125
21	Baltimore	Maryland	123
22	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	107
23	San Antonio	Texas	106
24	Minneapolis	Minnesota	103
25	Brooklyn	New York	102
25	Tampa	Florida	102
27	Fort Worth	Texas	101
28	Indianapolis	Indiana	95
28	Louisville	Kentucky	95
30	Oakland	California	93
31	Shreveport	Louisiana	90
32	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	89
33	Denver	Colorado	88
33	Mobile	Alabama	88
35	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	87
36	Boston	Massachusetts	85
37	Sacramento	California	81
38	Dayton	Ohio	78
38	Long Beach	California	78
38	Toledo	Ohio	78
41	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	76
41	Phoenix	Arizona	76
43	Richmond	Virginia	74
44	Portland	Oregon	73
45	Seattle	Washington	72
45	Youngstown	Ohio	72
47	Honolulu	Hawaii	71
47	Kansas City	Missouri	71
49	Newark	New Jersey	68
50	Akron	Ohio	65

Chicago - 494 NFL athletes produced

Out of all the US-born players to play in the NFL, almost 500 of them were born in Chicago, which gives them the top spot. Two of the NFL’s best, Dick Butkus and Charles Tillman, were not only born in Chicago but spent the majority of their careers playing for the Chicago Bears.

Los Angeles - 460 NFL athletes produced

Following closely behind with 460 athletes produced, is Los Angeles which takes second place. Los Angeles is the birthplace of some great NFL players, including Bobby Wagner, Tyron Smith, and David Long.

Houston - 340 NFL athletes produced

Houston completes our top three producing 340 NFL athletes. Vince Young, Payton Turner, and Jalen Hurts are some of the best players to be born in Houston and play in the NFL. The Houston Texans are Houston’s very own NFL team. Despite struggling during the early 2000s, the Texans experienced some success in 2011 winning a division championship.

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155 NBA players were born in Chicago, more than any other US city

155 NBA players were born in Chicago

After looking at the birthplaces of all US-born NBA athletes, we can reveal the most common city that NBA athletes are born in.

Rank	City	State	Number of athletes born in city
1	Chicago	Illinois	155
2	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	122
3	Los Angeles	California	113
4	Brooklyn	New York	107
5	New York	New York	104
6	Washington	District of Columbia	76
7	Detroit	Michigan	71
8	Atlanta	Georgia	49
9	Dallas	Texas	48
10	Baltimore	Maryland	44
11	Houston	Texas	43
12	Memphis	Tennessee	40
13	Louisville	Kentucky	37
14	St. Louis	Missouri	35
15	Indianapolis	Indiana	34
16	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	33
17	New Orleans	Louisiana	30
17	Seattle	Washington	30
19	Birmingham	Alabama	27
19	Cleveland	Ohio	27
21	Bronx	New York	26
22	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	25
22	Oakland	California	25
22	San Francisco	California	25
25	Columbus	Ohio	23
25	Minneapolis	Minnesota	23
25	Newark	New Jersey	23
25	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	23
29	Dayton	Ohio	22
29	Portland	Oregon	22
31	Cincinnati	Ohio	20
31	Queens	New York	20
33	Charlotte	North Carolina	19
33	Nashville	Tennessee	19
33	San Diego	California	19
36	Gary	Indiana	18
36	Jackson	Mississippi	18
36	Toledo	Ohio	18
39	Buffalo	New York	17
39	Flint	Michigan	17
39	Long Beach	California	17
42	Boston	Massachusetts	15
42	Jersey City	New Jersey	15
42	Miami	Florida	15
45	Akron	Ohio	14
45	Fort Wayne	Indiana	14
45	Winston-Salem	North Carolina	14
48	Las Vegas	Nevada	13
48	Raleigh	North Carolina	13
48	Richmond	Virginia	13

Chicago - 155 NBA athletes produced

The city that produced the most NBA athletes is Chicago, with a total of 155 players, 30 more than any other city. Chicago has produced some fine talents, including Dwayne Wade, Reggie Jordan, and Terry Cummings. Chicago is, of course, home to the Chicago Bulls, where Michael Jordan spent most of his career.

Philadelphia - 122 NBA athletes produced

In second place is Philadelphia which has produced 122 NBA athletes. Kobe Bryant, Kyle Lowry, and Wilt Chamberlain are some of the top picks among the 122 athletes produced. Wilt Chamberlain also went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers for three seasons and was one of the star players during the 1966/67 season, a team that is considered one of the best the NBA has ever seen.

Los Angeles - 113 NBA athletes produced

Los Angeles completes our top three, producing 113 NBA athletes. Los Angeles is home to two NBA teams, the LA Clippers, and the LA Lakers. Among the 113 athletes born in LA, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, and Baron Davis are some of the best, with Leonard and Thomspon playing for the Clippers at some point in their career.

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Chicago is the main birthplace of MLB athletes, home to almost 400 athletes

400 MLB players were born in Chicago

We’ve looked at the birthplaces of US born MLB athletes to reveal the most common birthplaces.

Rank	City	State	Number of athletes born in city
1	Chicago	Illinois	387
2	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	372
3	St. Louis	Missouri	317
4	New York	New York	262
5	Brooklyn	New York	248
6	Los Angeles	California	240
7	Cincinnati	Ohio	204
8	San Francisco	California	180
9	Baltimore	Maryland	178
10	Houston	Texas	143
11	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	139
12	Cleveland	Ohio	137
13	San Diego	California	134
14	Detroit	Michigan	126
15	Washington	District of Columbia	111
16	Atlanta	Georgia	107
17	Boston	Massachusetts	100
18	New Orleans	Louisiana	99
19	Dallas	Texas	95
20	Oakland	California	92
21	Sacramento	California	88
22	Birmingham	Alabama	87
22	Louisville	Kentucky	87
24	Long Beach	California	80
25	Tampa	Florida	78
26	Miami	Florida	69
27	Buffalo	New York	65
28	Portland	Oregon	63
29	Memphis	Tennessee	60
29	Nashville	Tennessee	60
31	Kansas City	Missouri	59
31	Seattle	Washington	59
33	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	58
34	Indianapolis	Indiana	56
34	Jacksonville	Florida	56
36	Columbus	Ohio	55
37	Mobile	Alabama	52
38	Tulsa	Oklahoma	51
39	Austin	Texas	50
40	San Antonio	Texas	49
41	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	47
42	Richmond	Virginia	44
43	Denver	Colorado	42
43	Santa Monica	California	42
45	Minneapolis	Minnesota	41
46	Newark	New Jersey	40
47	Omaha	Nebraska	39
47	Shreveport	Louisiana	39
49	Dayton	Ohio	37
49	Fresno	California	37

Chicago - 387 MLB athletes produced

Chicago is once again in the top spot, producing a total of 387 MLB athletes. Jim Clancy, Phil Collins, and Freddie Lindstrom are three of a selection of great MLB players born in Houston. There are two baseball teams in Chicago, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago White Sox.

Philadelphia - 372 MLB athletes produced

Philadelphia takes second place as the birthplace of 372 MLB athletes. Philadelphia has a great history of producing baseball legends, with Roy Campanella, Bucky Walters, and Rubén Amaro Jr. on that list. The Philadelphia Phillies, the local team, have won two World Series.

St. Louis - 317 MLB athletes produced

St. Louis completes our top three, with 317 MLB athletes born in the Gateway to the West. Bernard Gilkey, Ken Holtzman, and Pete Reiser are the best among the St. Louisans to make it to the MLB. St. Louis has just two teams competing in the major leagues. One of which is the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB.

More NHL players were born in Detroit than any other US city

NHL players Detroit

Rank	City	State	Number of athletes born in city
1	Detroit	Michigan	41
2	Minneapolis	Minnesota	38
3	Boston	Massachusetts	35
4	St. Paul	Minnesota	34
5	Chicago	Illinois	25
6	Buffalo	New York	22
7	Duluth	Minnesota	15
8	Edina	Minnesota	14
8	St. Louis	Missouri	14
8	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	14
8	Madison	Wisconsin	14
12	Denver	Colorado	13
13	Anchorage	Alaska	12
14	Hibbing	Minnesota	11
14	New York	New York	11
14	Cleveland	Ohio	11
17	Grand Rapids	Minnesota	10
17	Bloomington	Minnesota	10
19	Cambridge	Massachusetts	9
19	Eveleth	Minnesota	9
19	Roseau	Minnesota	9
19	Rochester	Minnesota	9
19	Rochester	New York	9
19	Syracuse	New York	9
25	New Haven	Connecticut	8
25	Melrose	Massachusetts	8
25	Livonia	Michigan	8
25	Ann Arbor	Michigan	8
25	Dearborn	Michigan	8
30	Winchester	Massachusetts	7
30	Lansing	Michigan	7
30	Burnsville	Minnesota	7
30	Grand Forks	North Dakota	7
30	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	7
30	Spokane	Washington	7
36	Long Beach	California	6
36	Hartford	Connecticut	6
36	Virginia	Minnesota	6
36	Lakeville	Minnesota	6
40	Los Angeles	California	5
40	Weymouth	Massachusetts	5
40	Waltham	Massachusetts	5
40	Springfield	Massachusetts	5
40	Trenton	Michigan	5
40	Moorhead	Minnesota	5
40	Minnetonka	Minnesota	5
40	Eden Prairie	Minnesota	5
40	Cranston	Rhode Island	5
49	Phoenix	Arizona	4
49	Park Ridge	Illinois	4

Detroit - 41 NHL athletes produced

Detroit was the birthplace of 41 NHL athletes, which is enough to give them the top spot in our list. Detroit is home to Mark Howe, Kevin Hatcher, and David Legwand, who are some of the best players to come out of the city in Michigan. Hockey has always been huge in Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings were one of the six teams to form the NHL.

Minneapolis - 38 NHL athletes produced

Falling just three athletes behind Detroit, is Minneapolis, where 38 NHL athletes were born. Zach Parise, Jake Gardiner, and Dustin Byfuglien are some of the best to come out of Minneapolis. Despite having some great talent come out of Minneapolis, Minnesota Wild have only won one division championship.

Boston - 35 NHL athletes produced

Just three athletes separate the places in our top three, with Boston producing 35 NHL athletes. Some of the top picks from Boston include Noah Hanifin, Colin White, and Jeremy Roenick. Not only has Boston produced some great players, but the Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup six times in their history.

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Methodology

For the NFL we used Pro Football Reference to get the birthplaces of each US-born player.

For the NBA we used Basketball Reference to get the birthplaces of each US-born player.

We used Baseball Reference for the birthplaces of each US-born player.

Finally, we used Hockey Reference for the birthplaces of each US-born player.

Players were removed from the data if no city was included. Only US-born players were included.

*represents 0 players born here.