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?

AP Photo

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---boston_wtwb3p — #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
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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

galleries/2010/10/23/smartest-cities/smartest-cities---las-vegas_n771vz — #55, Las Vegas, Nev.
Daily Beast IQ Score: 3.33
2009 rank: 54
Metropolitan area population: 1,902,834
Bachelor’s degrees: 14%
Graduate degrees: 7%
Year-to-date adult nonfiction booksales: 1,069,000

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