Taking Your Family Out to the Ball Game Costs $140 in 2024

Taking the family to a Major League Baseball (MLB) game is a beloved American tradition. Yet, the price tag associated with this pastime may come as a surprise — on average, $140 for a family of four. MoneyGeek analyzed budget ticket prices for the remainder of the 2023 season, along with parking and concessions, to determine the average cost of attending a baseball game for a family of four for each team. Additionally, we calculated the average ticket price for each team and found that certain teams tended to either increase or decrease the cost of their game's tickets.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are the most costly team to see, costing $219 for a family of four. The Miami Marlins are the least expensive team at $83.

• The most affordable Boston Red Sox tickets cost $35.90, on average. That's double the overall MLB average cheap ticket price of $17.67.

• When the New York Yankees are on the road, ticket prices for the competing home team have the largest increase of any other visiting team.

• Attending a game between "natural rivals," such as a Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox, costs families an average of $48 more.

• Seeing a game on a weekday rather than a weekend (Fri-Sun) can save families $25, on average.

While MoneyGeek found that the average price is $140, the cost of a family day out at an MLB game can vary significantly depending on the team. For example, attending a Los Angeles Dodgers game costs $218 when factoring in the cost of four tickets, parking, four hot dogs, two beers and two sodas. At the other end of the spectrum, a trip to a Miami Marlins game totals $83 for the same expenses.

To account for the variation in the cost of living across the nation, we compared these expenses with the median weekly household earnings in each team's metropolitan area. Even with this percentage of weekly income adjustment, the Dodgers remain the priciest option. Interestingly, the Houston Astros rise as the second most expensive MLB team outing when accounting for cost of living.

For the everyday fan seeking the most affordable ticket options, MoneyGeek found the average ticket price is $17.67. This cost was calculated using the cheapest ticket prices for each team's home games scheduled from July onwards, as listed on seatgeek.com on June 29, 2023.

In addition to calculating the average price for a cheap ticket across the U.S., we also calculated the average price for each team in their home stadium. Tickets to watch the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park will set you back an average of $35.90, double the average across all teams. In contrast, fans can enjoy a Miami Marlins game for $7.43, reflecting one of the best value-for-money experiences considering their current competitive power ranking published by the MLB. Notably, there isn't a direct correlation between ticket prices and a team's performance, allowing fans to enjoy games affordably regardless of their team's current standing.

Nothing fuels the excitement of a baseball game like a heated rivalry. However, the catch is that ticket prices increase for popular matchups. Our analysis looked into how natural rivalry series, such as when the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the Los Angeles Angels, impact prices. We also looked into which teams — regardless of matchup — drove the largest increases in prices.

2023 saw the MLB expand the number of interleague games, pitting National against American league teams more often. While this ramps up the excitement with natural rivalry games, like the Chicago Cubs vs. the Chicago White Sox, it also means higher prices. In fact, we found that tickets for these natural rivalry games cost, on average, an extra $12 per ticket or an additional $48 for a family of four.

Additionally, some teams seem to naturally drive ticket prices. Is it because of a love of the visiting team or a deep desire to watch the visiting team lose? This year, the Yankees are the most love-hated team in baseball. On average, a visit from the Yankees spikes the home team's ticket prices by $11.87, a 67% increase from the average ticket price. For example, Marlins' ticket prices leap from an average of $7.43 to a hefty $32 when the Yankees come to play. This reflects a $24.57 premium for just one ticket or about $100 more for a family.

Certain MLB teams don't seem to spark the same interest and corresponding price hikes when they visit. This doesn't reflect their performance or their own fan base but rather the home fan’s ambivalence. MoneyGeek found that the Arizona Diamondbacks have the least buzz in baseball, selling at a $3.43 discount or a 19% decrease compared to the average national cheap ticket. However, the D-backs were ranked fifth in the MLB power rankings as of this analysis.

Taking the family out to the ballgame costs $140, on average. While an MLB game can be a fairly expensive affair for the average family, it’s possible to balance frugality with your loved one's enjoyment by doing the following.

To analyze ticket prices, MoneyGeek gathered data on the least expensive tickets for all regular-season games occurring after July 1, 2023, from seatgeek.com. The reported ticket price for each team represents the average of all collected home game prices. A linear regression model was utilized to discern premiums and discounts associated with different factors.

To calculate the cost of taking a family to the game, we used a hypothetical family of four parking at the game buying four tickets and hot dogs, two beers and two sodas.

The Toronto Bluejays were excluded from the analysis due to limitations in scope to the United States. Bluejays away games were included in the price analysis for other teams.

Parking costs and food policies were obtained from official team pages on mlb.com. We selected parking prices either from official team parking areas or locations in close proximity to the stadiums and represented the lowest prices observed.

Information about concession prices was sourced from several places, with a May 9, 2023, article by USA Today article being the primary reference.