Amazon released its annual list of the 20 Most Well-Read Cities Tuesday and named its hometown of Seattle the most bookish in America.
It’s the second year Seattle and Portland, Ore., came in at numbers one and two, respectively. So, is the Pacific Northwest really more literary than other regions?
It’s possible that some selection bias influenced the results. Amazon crunched the numbers based on purchases of all books, magazines, and newspapers through its own site. With thousands of employees and far-reaching brand awareness in the region, it’s not surprising that so many Amazon.com sales come from Seattle and Portland.
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Environmental factors probably play a role as well. There’s nothing like curling up with a good book to wait out months of dark, rainy weather. Seattle’s thriving tech and business scene and massive university may also motivate residents to stay up-to-date on their reading.
The Pacific Northwest’s neighbors to the south are bookworms too. Three California cities — San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose, — all made the top 20 list.
The Girl on the Train was the top-selling Kindle book in five of the top 10 cities. Marie Kondo’s blockbuster organization book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up sold the most print titles in Seattle and three other cities on the list.
Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian, a retelling of the infamous romance series, was the top-selling Kindle title in Las Vegas, which ranks sixth on the list.
In Austin, TX, another tech hub, literary pursuits appear to be a bit more practical. Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto was one of the city’s best-selling Kindle and print titles.
Continue reading for Amazon’s list of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America.
1. Seattle, Wash.
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Washington, D.C.
4. San Francisco, Calif.
5. Austin, Texas
6. Las Vegas, Nev.
7. Tucson, Ariz.
8. Denver, Colo.
9. Albuquerque, N.M.
10. San Diego, Calif.
11. Baltimore, Md.
12. Charlotte, N.C.
13. Louisville, Ky.
14. San Jose, Calif.
15. Houston, Texas
16. Nashville, Tenn.
17. Chicago, Ill.
18. Indianapolis, Ind.
19. Dallas, Texas
20. San Antonio, Texas
