America’s Favorite Cities
For our eighth annual (and sometimes controversial) survey, we tallied more than 50,000 votes, ranking 38 cities in dozens of categories. Find out the results, including which cities are rudest, best for pizza, and most stylish.
Top Cities Overall
1. Providence
2. Houston
3. Kansas City
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. Los Angeles
5 Reasons to Visit Providence Now »
See the winners in each category:
Culture | Shopping | Quality of Life | People | Nightlife | Food + Drink | Type of Trip | Methodology
CULTURE
Art Scene
1. New York City
2. Providence
3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Kansas City
5. Houston
Christmas Lights
1. Kansas City
2. New York City
3. Salt Lake City
4. Albuquerque
5. Cleveland
Concerts
1. Nashville
2. Austin
3. Los Angeles
4. Minneapolis
5. Houston
Festivals
1. New Orleans
2. Austin
3. Nashville
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. Louisville
Free Attractions
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Minneapolis/St. Paul
3. Kansas City
4. Houston
5. New Orleans
Galleries
1. New York City
2. Houston
3. Providence
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Kansas City
Check out T+L's Guide to New York City's Top Galleries »
Historical Sites
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Philadelphia
3. Charleston
4. Boston
5. New Orleans
Museums
1. Washington, D.C.
2. New York City
3. Houston
4. Cleveland
5. Chicago
Music Scene
1. Nashville
2. Austin
3. New Orleans
4. Cleveland
5. Minneapolis/St. Paul
Theater
1. New York City
2. Minneapolis/St. Paul
3. Houston
4. Cleveland
5. Providence
SHOPPING
Antiques Stores
1. New Orleans
2. Charleston
3. Houston
4. Kansas City
5. Atlanta
Bookstores
1. Portland, OR
2. Houston
3. New York City
4. Seattle
5. Minneapolis/St. Paul
Check out T+L's Guide to Shopping for Rare Books in Portland, OR »
Boutiques
1. Houston
2. New York City
3. Los Angeles
4. Atlanta
5. Kansas City
Flea Markets
1. Kansas City
2. Albuquerque
3. Houston
4. Cleveland
5. Louisville
Home Décor/Design Stores
1. Houston
2. Atlanta
3. Los Angeles
4. Kansas City
5. Dallas
Luxury Stores
1. New York City
2. Los Angeles
3. Houston
4. Chicago
5. Atlanta
Specialty Food Markets/Food Halls
1. Houston
2. Seattle
3. New York City
4. Cleveland
5. Los Angeles
QUALITY OF LIFE
Affordability
1. Kansas City
2. Oklahoma City
3. Cleveland
4. Pittsburgh
5. Houston
Architecture/Cool Buildings
1. Charleston
2. New Orleans
3. Chicago
4. Washington, DC
5. Providence
Cleanliness
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Salt Lake City
3. Kansas City
4. Charleston
5. Tampa
Good Drivers
1. Kansas City
2. Minneapolis/St. Paul
3. Portland, ME
4. Cleveland
5. Portland, OR
Peace and Quiet
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Kansas City
3. Charleston
4. Salt Lake City
5. Albuquerque
People-watching
1. New Orleans
2. New York City
3. Las Vegas
4. Nashville
5. San Francisco
Public Parks/Gardens
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Washington, DC
3. Portland, OR
4. Charleston
5. Boston
Public Transportation/Pedestrian-Friendliness
1. Portland, OR
2. Washington, DC
3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Boston
5. Chicago
Safety
1. Salt Lake City
2. Portland, ME
3. Minneapolis
4. Charleston
5. Nashville
Weather
1. San Diego
2. Honolulu
3. Los Angeles
4. Albuquerque
5. Tampa
Check out T+L's Guide to Exploring the Outdoors in San Diego »
PEOPLE
Athletic/Active
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. San Diego
3. Portland, OR
4. Denver
5. Austin
Attractive
1. Miami
2. San Diego
3. Charleston
4. Los Angeles
5. Providence
Check out T+L's Guide to America's Most and Least Attractive People »
Friendly
1. Nashville
2. Salt Lake City
3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Kansas City
5. Oklahoma City
Geeky
1. Providence
2. Portland, OR
3. Seattle
4. Austin
5. Kansas City
Hip/Cool
1. Austin
2. Providence
3. Los Angeles
4. Nashville
5. Miami
Intelligent
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Houston
3. Washington, DC
4. Providence
5. Boston
Passionate Sports Fans
1. Pittsburgh
2. Kansas City
3. Cleveland
4. Baltimore
5. Philadelphia
Quirky
1. New Orleans
2. Austin
3. Portland, OR
4. Providence
5. Albuquerque
Rude
1. New York City
2. Tampa
3. Miami
4. Los Angeles
5. Boston
Snobby
1. New York City
2. Miami
3. Los Angeles
4. Washington, DC
5. Boston
To see the full results, check out America's Snobbiest Cities »
Stylish
1. New York City
2. Los Angeles
3. Miami
4. Houston
5. Charleston
NIGHTLIFE
Cocktail Bars
1. New Orleans
2. Houston
3. Providence
4. Miami
5. Las Vegas
Dive Bars
1. New Orleans
2. Austin
3. Nashville
4. Kansas City
5. Baltimore
Live Music Scene
1. Nashville
2. New Orleans
3. Austin
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. Los Angeles
Nightclubs
1. Miami
2. Las Vegas
3. New Orleans
4. Los Angeles
5. New York City
Check out T+L's Guide to Miami's Nightlife Scene »
Singles Scene
1. Miami
2. Houston
3. New Orleans
4. Austin
5. Atlanta
To see the full results, check out America's Best Cities for Singles »
Wine Bars
1. Houston
2. San Francisco
3. New York City
4. Portland, OR
5. Los Angeles
FOOD + DRINK
Bakeries
1. Providence
2. Houston
3. New York City
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. New Orleans
Barbecue
1. Kansas City
2. Memphis
3. Austin
4. Houston
5. Nashville
Bars
1. New Orleans
2. Nashville
3. Austin
4. Houston
5. Providence
Brunch
1. Houston
2. New Orleans
3. Providence
4. Atlanta
5. Charleston
Coffee
1. Portland, OR
2. Seattle
3. Providence
4. Albuquerque
5. Houston
To see the full results, check out America's Best Coffee Cities »
Craft Beer
1. Portland, OR
2. Kansas City
3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Cleveland
5. Houston
Diners
1. Providence
2. Atlanta
3. Houston
4. Cleveland
5. Albuquerque
Hamburgers
1. Houston
2. Providence
3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Atlanta
5. Albuquerque
Notable Restaurants
1. New Orleans
2. Providence
3. New York City
4. Charleston
5. Kansas City
Check out T+L's Guide to New Orleans for Food Lovers »
Pizza
1. Chicago
2. Providence
3. New York City
4. Atlanta
5. Philadelphia
Sandwiches
1. New Orleans
2. Providence
3. Philadelphia
4. Houston
5. Albuquerque
Street Food/Food Trucks
1. Austin
2. Providence
3. Portland, OR
4. Cleveland
5. Minneapolis/St. Paul
Wine
1. San Francisco
2. Portland, OR
3. Houston
4. Providence
5. Los Angeles
TYPE OF TRIP
Adventure Vacation
1. Salt Lake City
2. Albuquerque
3. Honolulu
4. Tucson
5. Denver
Beach Getaway
1. Honolulu
2. Tampa
3. Miami
4. San Diego
5. Los Angeles
Family Vacation
1. Orlando
2. Tampa
3. Salt Lake City
4. Albuquerque
5. Minneapolis/St. Paul
Gay-friendly Vacation
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Providence
3. San Francisco
4. New Orleans
5. Atlanta
Girlfriend Getaway
1. Nashville
2. New Orleans
3. Kansas City
4. Charleston
5. Providence
Relaxing Weekend
1. Tucson
2. Charleston
3. Albuquerque
4. San Diego
5. Portland, ME
Romantic Escape
1. Charleston
2. Honolulu
3. San Francisco
4. New Orleans
5. San Diego
To see the full results, check out America's Most Romantic Cities »
Ski Trip
1. Salt Lake City
2. Denver
3. Albuquerque
4. Portland, OR
5. Seattle
Spa Vacation
1. San Diego
2. Miami
3. Los Angeles
4. Honolulu
5. Las Vegas
Wild Weekend
1. New Orleans
2. Las Vegas
3. Miami
4. Austin
5. Los Angeles
Methodology
The America's Favorite Places survey, developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, launched online on June 2, 2014. Respondents rated their choice of 1,209 destinations in up to 67 categories, using a scale of one to five (with five being the highest score). The final results reflect a subset of the survey data for 38 cities, based on votes cast through July 21, 2014. Surveyed cites are selected by Travel + Leisure editors based on reader feedback and tourism statistics.
Disagree with any of these results? Make your opinions heard by voting in the America's Favorite Places survey.