01. Charleston
This South Carolina city bumped off
perennial winner Miami this year; have the good-looking people really
migrated north? Charlestonians also score high for friendliness, rank
second for their classic sense of style, and even make the top 10 for
intelligence. To see if it’s all true, just stroll the streets of this
quaint city, which also ranks No. 1 for its noteworthy neighborhoods.
What makes the people of one city so good-looking and the folks elsewhere…well, not so much? Do some cities become magnets for the Greek god and goddess types, or does the mere act of living in a certain area actually have a transformative effect? Whatever the reasons, in this year’s America’s Favorite Cities survey, voters told us that good weather and great shopping go hand-in-hand with attractiveness. San Diego and Miami, for example, did well in all three categories, ending up among the top five cities to find America’s most attractive people.
What makes the people of one city so good-looking and the folks elsewhere…well, not so much? Do some cities become magnets for the Greek god and goddess types, or does the mere act of living in a certain area actually have a transformative effect? Whatever the reasons, in this year’s America’s Favorite Cities survey, voters told us that good weather and great shopping go hand-in-hand with attractiveness. San Diego and Miami, for example, did well in all three categories, ending up among the top five cities to find America’s most attractive people.
02. San Diego
Maybe it’s all those sunny blondes in
this SoCal city, or just the fact that everyone looks good when the
forecast is perfect (its weather ranks No. 1), but San Diego maintains
its No. 2 ranking in this category from last year. Certainly the locals
take good care of themselves, jogging along the beaches: the city also
ranks No. 2 for its athletic citizens.
03. Savannah
This newcomer to the America’s
Favorite Cities survey makes a bold entrance into this category. The
Georgia city also racks up a huge number of No. 2 berths in the survey,
thanks in large part to its ever-so-appealing denizens.
04. Miami
Who cares if these Floridians don’t
come off as brainy or even terribly nice? AFC readers ranked them near
the bottom for both friendliness and smarts. But though they’ve lost
their grip on the No. 1 ranking in this category, Miamians are still
top-five material. Perhaps that’s because they seem to be out at the
gym (No. 10 for athletic) or just out shopping. Miami ranks No. 9 for
luxury boutiques and No. 3 for style.
05. Salt Lake City
Salt
Lake is a survey newbie, but that didn’t stop it from cracking the
upper echelon of this list. And the Utah natives rank about the same as
an overall package: they’re top 10 for being physically active,
friendly, and intelligent. They’re a pretty trustworthy bunch too—the
city ranks No. 1 for safety.
06. Honolulu
Those island breezes toss the hair in a
nice way—and no doubt all that hula dancing nicely tones the abs. The
locals in the Hawaiian capital rank sixth for staying fit. And if you
want to seize the moment, Honolulu is also the No. 1 city for romance.
07. San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is one of three newcomers to
the survey that cracked the top 10 in this popular category. The locals
here certainly know how to charm visitors in many ways: they also made
it into the top 10 for friendliness and for dressing to the nines (No.
6 for style).
08. Austin
People in the Texas capital are smart
(No. 5) and amiable (No. 8 for friendliness), and they stay in shape
too (No. 4 for being active). Luckily, it’s fun finding them, too:
Austin ranks No. 2 for both its live music and bar scene.
09. Denver
Even though the Mile High City ranks
second for its microbrews, there’s no need to pack your beer goggles
when coming for a visit. (The city did slip three spots from last year
in this category, however.) Denver also ranks No. 2 for its parks and
outdoor spaces, and the fit locals make the most of it, ranking No. 1
for being athletic.
10. Nashville
Something about those cowboy hats must
flatter the face—and being able to sing doesn’t hurt either. Music
City types don’t go for rhinestones as much as they used to, which
maybe helped them land at No. 10 for style. But folks are still plenty
country: they rank No. 10 for farmers’ markets and No. 3 for a
howdy-there friendliness.