Americans have been voting on their favorite city – and the winner may surprise you.
Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Seattle and Miami are some of the biggest cities in the country, and are top choices for vacation, but it turns out a city in the middle of the country has been voted number one in net favorability (or the share of Americans who view it favorably minus the share who view it unfavorably).
And the winner? Nashville, Tennessee.
The country music capital of the country leads in net favorability with a score of +44.
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It was followed by San Diego, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, and Virginia Beach VA, each with net favorability of +39.
Next in the ranking among the 50 biggest cities: Charlotte, North Carolina (+37), Denver, Colorado. (+36), Raleigh, North Carolina (+35), and San Antonio, Texas. (+34).
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The poll was conducted by YouGov US.
Nashville, Tennessee, affectionately dubbed Music City, has become one of the top tourist destinations in the United States in recent years; it is also the number one location for bachelorette parties.
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Known for good soul food, electrifying guitar riffs, and being a great base to explore the surrounding countryside, Nashville has something for everyone whether you’re a foodie, culture buff, sports lover, or shopping enthusiast.
I helped to write HELLO!’s Nashville guide and understand why the city is so widely considered a favorite. A growing city, Nashville is a mix of old and new; original honky tonks of Broadway next door to brand new three-story bars opened weekly by the hottest country singers.
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It’s also a great size; you can visit Nashville over a weekend but there’s so much more to see that you can use the city as a jumping off point, from suburbs like Brentwood, Henderson, and further out Franklin, or cities including Memphis and Chattanooga.
However, Raleigh, North Carolina beat Nashville when it came to Americans who had visited the city they were voting for.
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Raleigh, the state capital of NC received +73, the highest among the 50 cities on the survey. It was followed by Colorado Springs (+69), San Antonio (+69), Virginia Beach (+66), Charlotte (+65), and Nashville (+65).
“People who have been to cities generally view them more favorably than people who haven’t, probably in part because people choose to spend time in places they’re more likely to view positively,” said YouGov.
“The average net score for the 50 biggest U.S. cities among all Americans is +19; among people who have been to each, it’s +38.”
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Bakersfield, California scored the worst with a net favorability -10; among those who had visited the state’s capital, 37% viewed it favorably and 47% unfavorably.
The poll also confirmed long held sociological beliefs as well; people who live in cities are more likely to have a favorable opinion of cities, and those who live in rural areas or suburbs have unfavorable views.
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Los Angeles proved to be the most divisive city when it came to political affiliations with a +45 net favorability among Democrats and a net favorability of -47 among Republicans.
San Francisco (+65 vs. -24), Chicago (+52 vs. -29), and Seattle (+67 vs. -7) were also all preferred by those who lean left politically, whereas cities in the south including Fort Worth, Texas, (net favorability of +53 among Republicans and -5 among Democrats), Tampa, FL. (+58 vs. +5), Jacksonville, FL (+50 vs. 0), and San Antonio (+63 vs. +17) were voted high by those who lean right.
