Most Literate Cities Ranked
Thursday January 1, 2009
Researchers have developed yet another ranking list of U.S. cities. This list is a list of the "most literate" cities in the United States based on book purchases, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, library use, and other data. According to the research, the most literate cities are: 1) Minneapolis and Seattle (tied), 3) Washington, D.C., 4) St. Paul, Minnesota, and 5) San Francisco.
Comments
When I saw Wasington DC ranked near the top I thought this data must actually refer to metropolitan areas, not cities per se. But the linked article doesn’t tell us. Sure, politicians and a zillion federal bureaucrats would subscribe to newspapers and magazines – it’s like tools of their trade. They also want to know what what the newpapers back in the district are saying. But these folks mosly live outside the city limits of Washington. The literacy of those educated in the Washington Public Schools ranks abysmally low.
I question whether this study has much to do with literacy.
I live near Nashville Tennessee and we have a wonderful library system and great bookstores which are always packed. I am a writer and teacher and wonder if you looked at some smaller metropolitan areas like Nashville.
Smaller metro areas like Nashville??? The Saint Paul metro area, not to be confused with the Minneapolis metro area, or the ominous “Twin Cities metro area,” which Saint Paulites hate, is about 835,000. Nashville’s 1.4M. Nashville didn’t make the list because it isn’t all that literate in relation to Minneapolis, Seattle, Saint Paul, and Portland. I visit Nashville often. Beautiful city, but nowhere NEAR as literate as those on this list. There’s a very different feel in those miserable weather cities about books and reading.