Every bookworm has their favorite places to cozy down and read, whether that’s a breathtaking library or their own personal reading nook. But when it comes to finding the right city of bibliophiles to settle down in, finding the right locale can be a daunting task.
In order to help us out, Amazon released their annual list of the top 20 most well-read cities across the US (AKA where we’re Googling apartments to rent RN). Compiling sales data from cities with more than 500,000 residents on a per capita basis, Amazon analyzed the purchases of all books, magazines and newspapers in both Kindle and print from April 2015 to April 2016 to find the most well-read cities across America. Scroll through to see if your hometown made the list.
Most Well-Read Cities in the US
1. Seattle, Washington: It’s no surprise to see this bookish city grace the top of the list for the second year in a row. With literary hubs all over the city — from Amazon’s headquarters to a slew of indie book publishers — Seattle is well-known for its literary crowd.
2. Portland, Oregon: Anyone who loves books dreams of hitting up Powell’s City of Books in downtown Portland. The largest new and used bookstore in the world — seriously, they have over two million titles spread out across their five locations — isn’t enough for the bibliophiles in this hip city. Amazon’s print and ebook sales are so high, this book-friendly city ranks second place overall.
3. Washington, DC: The folks of Washington, DC loved their books, magazines and newspapers so much in 2015 that they moved up two spots from last year.
4. San Francisco, California: Residents of the city by the bay love a good read. Amazon orders in this sunny city have spiked recently, moving this sunny locale up three spots from last year.
5. Austin, Texas: Cookbook fans unite in the fine city of Austin as Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto($18) ranked among the top-selling Kindle and print titles from this BBQ-centric hub.
6. Las Vegas, Nevada: Although you probably thought Las Vegas was more of a gambler’s paradise than a literary den, this rock ‘n’ roll city is actually one of Amazon’s highest grossing spots when it comes to books. Yes, Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey As Told by Christian ($8) might be the top selling Kindle title in the city, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?
7. Tucson, Arizona: Although this literary-friendly city dropped a few spots from last year, it’s still one of the most popular places in America to build your book collection — especially if it includes the addicting psychological thriller The Girl on the Train($16) by Paula Hawkins, which was Tucson’s top literary purchase this past year.
8. Denver, Colorado: Denver loved buying creative books in 2015, with grown-up coloring books among the top-selling prints this past year.
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico: It seems like the literary folks in Albuquerque really jumped on the minimalist bandwagon this past year with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering($11) ranking as the most sold-out print title in the city.
10. San Diego, California: Indie bookstores and beautiful public libraries riddle this bookish city, making it a great place for book lovers to settle down — and order extensive book hauls on Amazon, of course.
11. Baltimore, Maryland: According to Amazon’s data, the 29th most populous city in the country certainly counts a fair few readers in its mix. But with a literary history including all-stars like Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Hamilton and Frederick Douglass, it’s really no wonder why the bibliophile tradition lives on here.
12. Charlotte, North Carolina: Dropping only a single spot from last year, this city packed to the brim with higher-education institutions is a great spot for book lovers of all fandoms.
13. Louisville, Kentucky: You may know Louisville as home to the Kentucky Derby, but this river city is actually a literary nucleus. From annual Shakespeare festivals to a budding indie scene, it’s definitely a place with some bookish charm.
14. San Jose, California: The third Californian city on this list, it’s clear that the book lovers on the west coast congregate in this sunny state. Sure, you may know this techy locale as the unofficial capital of Silicone Valley, but it’s also one of Amazon’s best book-buying customers.
15. Houston, Texas: Everything is bigger in Texas — including the size of their book hauls. With a slew of indie bookstores, tons of cozy cafes and libraries worthy of Beauty and the Beast-style fantasies, the fourth most populous city in the US is a reader’s paradise.
16. Nashville, Tennessee: From Davy Crockett to Lowell Cunningham’s Men in Black comics, the literary scene in Nashville is not to be missed.
17. Chicago, Illinois: Both Obama’s home turf and the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway, this historic city love a good read.
18. Indianapolis, Indiana: Bookworms abound in this literary city, most famous for authors like John Green and Susan Crandall.
19. Dallas, Texas: Although Dallas has a rich literary history, it’s often overlooked as a major literary congregation. Not according to Amazon, though — physical and digital book sales from the past year rank this fine city on the top 20 list for the first time.
20. San Antonio, Texas: The fourth Texan city in the top 20, San Antonio fell two spots from last year’s most well-read American cities list. Not to worry — there’s still plenty of time to splurge more on books this year to make up for it. Texas forever!
Did your hometown make the list? Let us know on Twitter by mentioning @BritandCo.
(Photos via Getty)
