Smartest Cities

#1, Boston, Mass.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 176.68

2009 rank: 3

Metropolitan area population: 4,588,680

Bachelor’s degrees: 24%

Graduate degrees: 18%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 7,031,000

AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---new-haven_bah0km

#2, Hartford, Conn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 159.98

2009 rank: 6

Metropolitan area population: 2,044,004

Bachelor’s degrees: 19%

Graduate degrees: 15%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,263,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---san-francisco_cj2eel

#3, San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 156.69 2009 rank: 2

Metropolitan area population: 6,157,736

Bachelor’s degrees: 26%

Graduate degrees: 17%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 7,785,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---raleigh_tdylku

#4, Raleigh/Durham, N.C.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 148.36

2009 rank: 1

Metropolitan area population: 1,627,055

Bachelor’s degrees: 27%

Graduate degrees: 16%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,913,000

Matej Krajcovic

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---denver_wjevol

#5, Denver, Colo.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 146.70

2009 rank: 5

Metropolitan area population: 2,554,474

Bachelor’s degrees: 25%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 4,040,000

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---seattle_zrhlpg

#6, Seattle, Wash.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 141.69

2009 rank: 7

Metropolitan area population: 3,407,848

Bachelor’s degrees: 24%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 5,154,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---austin_b0mbcp

#7, Austin, Texas

Daily Beast IQ Score: 140.01

2009 rank: 12

Metropolitan area population: 1,705,075

Bachelor’s degrees: 26%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,553,000

Jack Plunkett / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---minneapolis_ixgzcc

#8, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 138.34

2009 rank: 4

Metropolitan area population: 3,269,814

Bachelor’s degrees: 25%

Graduate degrees: 12%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 3,275,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---washington-dc_nfdrfi

#9, Washington, D.C.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 130.05

2009 rank: 7 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 5,476,241

Bachelor’s degrees: 25%

Graduate degrees: 23%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 7,356,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---rochester_slxjqw

#10, Rochester, N.Y.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 126.65

2009 rank: 26

Metropolitan area population: 1,035,566

Bachelor’s degrees: 19%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 745,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---portland_ktmp0c

#11, Portland, Ore.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 125.02

2009 rank: 9

Metropolitan area population: 2,241,913

Bachelor’s degrees: 22%

Graduate degrees: 12%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,936,000

AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---kansas-city_qswbbd

#12, Kansas City, Missouri

Daily Beast IQ Score: 124.98

2009 rank: 17 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 2,066,732

Bachelor’s degrees: 21%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,455,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---salt-lake-city_mpuz5b

#13, Salt Lake City, Utah

Daily Beast IQ Score: 123.36

2009 rank: 14

Metropolitan area population: 1,130,293

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,699,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---philadelphia_n5loki

#14, Philadelphia, Penn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 123.34

2009 rank: 11

Metropolitan area population: 5,968,252

Bachelor’s degrees: 19%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 6,151,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---milwaukee_aquqjw

#15, Milwaukee, Wisc.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 121.66

2009 rank: 15

Metropolitan area population: 1,559,667

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,340,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---new-york_ougwfn

#16, New York, N.Y.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 120.02

2009 rank: 13

Metropolitan area population: 19,069,796

Bachelor’s degrees: 21%

Graduate degrees: 15%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 18,831,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---cleveland_i3mwd0

#17, Cleveland, Ohio

Daily Beast IQ Score: 119.99

2009 rank: 31 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 2,091,286

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,024,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---san-diego_qwa1op

#18, San Diego, Calif.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 116.68

2009 rank: 20 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 3,053,793

Bachelor’s degrees: 22%

Graduate degrees: 13% Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,624,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---columbus_dvnwox

#19, Columbus, Ohio

Daily Beast IQ Score: 116.65

2009 rank: 17 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,801,848

Bachelor’s degrees: 22%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,248,000

Kiichiro Sato / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---baltimore_d09v0d

#20, Baltimore, Md.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 115

2009 rank: 10

Metropolitan area population: 2,690,886

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 15%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,303,000

Greg Pease / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---pittsburgh_moqwcr

#21, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 114.97

2009 rank: 27 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 2,354,957

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,682,000

AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---nashville_r67dlc

#22 (tie), Nashville, Tenn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 113.33

2009 rank: 19

Metropolitan area population: 1,581,908

Bachelor’s degrees: 21%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,465,000

John Russell / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---richmond_z3caud

#22 (tie), Richmond, Va.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 113.33

2009 rank: 27 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,235,458

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,048,000

Wayne Scarberry / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---chicago_q39i7r

#24 (tie), Chicago, Ill.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 111.67

2009 rank: 24 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 9,580,609

Bachelor’s degrees: 21%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 7,026,000

Scott Olson / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---indianapolis_cmaxli

#24 (tie), Indianapolis, Ind.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 111.67

2009 rank: 20 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,744,680

Bachelor’s degrees: 21%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,581,000

Darron Cummings / AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---charlotte_rvb2kk

#26 (tie), Charlotte, N.C.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 105.01

2009 rank: 16

Metropolitan area population: 1,745,524

Bachelor’s degrees: 22%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,525,000

unknown

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---sacramento_qywcs1

#26 (tie), Sacramento, Calif.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 105.01

2009 rank: 35 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 2,127,355

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,270,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---atlanta_f95qs7

#28, Atlanta, Ga.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 98.35

2009 rank: 23

Metropolitan area population: 5,476,664

Bachelor’s degrees: 22%

Graduate degrees: 12%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 4,070,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---grand-rapids_zbrviq

#29, Grand Rapids, Mich

Daily Beast IQ Score: 98.32

2009 rank: 30

Metropolitan area population: 1,240,259

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,033,000

David M. Converse

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---providence_hdd3xh

#30, Providence, R.I.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 98.32

2009 rank: 22

Metropolitan area population: 1,600,642

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,100,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---los-angeles_rapysf

#31, Los Angeles, Calif.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 96.68

2009 rank: 27 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 12,874,797

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 11,374,000

Michael Heiman / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---st-louis_gkxrqa

#32, St. Louis, Missouri

Daily Beast IQ Score: 96.65

2009 rank: 24 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 2,825,769

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 12%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,823,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---birmingham_g3ozak

#33, Birmingham, Ala.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 93.32

2009 rank: 42

Metropolitan area population: 1,131,070

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 759,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---tucson_mtinxw

#34, Tucson, Ariz.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 88.34

2009 rank: 34

Metropolitan area population: 1,020,200

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 757,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---norfolk_lvqomp

#35, Norfolk, Va.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 88.33

2009 rank: 41

Metropolitan area population: 1,675,792

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,353,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---cincinnati_bx6znj

#36, Cincinnati, Ohio

Daily Beast IQ Score: 88.30

2009 rank: 43

Metropolitan area population: 2,170,828

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 11%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,281,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---oklahoma-city_pzgzpe

#37, Oklahoma City, Ok.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 86.65

2009 rank: 35 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,227,278

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 822,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---west-palm-beach_zqexz3

#38, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 83.33

2009 rank: 31 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,821,413

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,135,000

Paul Giamou

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---harrisburg_ga8lrt

#39, Harrisburg, Penn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 81.63

2009 rank: 50

Metropolitan area population: 1,604,128

Bachelor’s degrees: 16%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 987,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---new-orleans_zvtrwo

#40, New Orleans, La.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 80

2009 rank: 45

Metropolitan area population: 1,189,981

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 903,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---dallas_p1dcr2

#41, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 79.99

2009 rank: 48

Metropolitan area population: 6,447,228

Bachelor’s degrees: 20%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 3,946,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---buffalo_ucrvqy

#42, Buffalo, N.Y.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 78.34

2009 rank: 44

Metropolitan area population: 1,123,804

Bachelor’s degrees: 16%

Graduate degrees: 13%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 831,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---detroit_eegb4u

#43, Detroit, Mich.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 78.33

2009 rank: 40

Metropolitan area population: 4,403,437

Bachelor’s degrees: 16%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 3,071,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---jacksonville_cnic2k

#44, Jacksonville, Fla.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 68.36

2009 rank: 37 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 1,327,812

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,247,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---phoenix_cnnj7n

#45, Phoenix, Ariz.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 66.68

2009 rank: 49

Metropolitan area population: 4,364,094

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 3,054,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---greensboro_yd0dxf

#46, Greensboro, N.C

Daily Beast IQ Score: 66.66

2009 rank: 37

Metropolitan area population: 1,199,686

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 8%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 815,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---miami_lzkuoj

#47, Miami, Fla.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 61.65

2009 rank: 39

Metropolitan area population: 5,547,051

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,642,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---louisville_mqcu08

#48, Louisville, Ky.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 59.99

2009 rank: 52

Metropolitan area population: 1,259,031

Bachelor’s degrees: 15%

Graduate degrees: 10% Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 805,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---tampa_vlsbug

#49, Tampa, Fla.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 56.68

2009 rank: 33

Metropolitan area population: 2,747,272

Bachelor’s degrees: 16%

Graduate degrees: 8%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,239,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---orlando_qqxuan

#50, Orlando, Fla.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 56.66

2009 rank: 46 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 3,114,668

Bachelor’s degrees: 17%

Graduate degrees: 8%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 2,088,000

Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---memphis_nbp2bx

#51, Memphis, Tenn.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 48.31

2009 rank: 51

Metropolitan area population: 1,304,905

Bachelor’s degrees: 15%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 767,000

Per-Anders Pettersson / Getty Images

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---houston_k7h7ey

#52, Houston, Tex.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 46.67

2009 rank: 46 (tie)

Metropolitan area population: 5,865,086

Bachelor’s degrees: 18%

Graduate degrees: 10%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 3,524,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---fresno_qolklw

#53, Fresno, Calif.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 43.29

2009 rank: 55

Metropolitan area population: 1,344,935

Bachelor’s degrees: 11%

Graduate degrees: 6%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 626,000

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---san-antonio_sdoxzc

#54, San Antonio, Tex.

Daily Beast IQ Score: 40

2009 rank: 53

Metropolitan area population: 2,073,092

Bachelor’s degrees: 16%

Graduate degrees: 9%

Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,266,000

Smartest Cities

For the second year in a row, The Daily Beast crunches the numbers for America’s 55 largest cities, ranking their brainpower from first-to-worst. How does your hometown fare?