Special Report
25 Most American Cities
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The electorate for the upcoming election will be the most racially diverse in U.S. history. Polling data and election coverage have shown an increasingly polarized America, and political analysts have struggled to identify who the average American is.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed a range of social and economic data for all 381 U.S. metro areas in order to determine the most uniquely American cities. We indexed 28 measures based on race, income, educational attainment, and the economy to identify which U.S. cities most closely resemble America as a whole. The Nashville, Tennessee metro area was found to be the most American city.
Our immediate finding was that no city perfectly matches the exact racial composition of the United States. Of the country’s population, 62.8% identify as white, 16.9% as Hispanic and Latino, 12.2% as black or African American, 4.9% as Asian, and 0.7% as American Indian. Race tends to cluster geographically, and the most diverse metro areas consist of multitudes of ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods. The largest cities, with room for such neighborhoods, tend to have the most diverse racial composition.
Click here to see the most American cities.
Likewise, the local economies that most closely resemble the national economy tend to be large, with diverse industrial composition. Across the country, 23.0% of the workforce is employed in educational, health, and social services, 11.5% in retail trade, 11.1% in professional and scientific occupations, and 10.3% in manufacturing, among other industries A number of these cities are within less than a percentage point of the national workforce composition.
To identify the most American cities, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of 28 measures. These included racial composition, household income, poverty, health insurance coverage, home values, and homeownership rates. All these measures came from the 2014 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, we reviewed the unemployment rate from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is as of May 2016. Other measures included employment composition, also from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the obesity rate, which came from County Health Rankings. The index values were based off of their similarity to the corresponding national figures.
These are the most American cities.
25. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area is representative of the country as a whole in many ways. Like the country, Palm Bay’s workforce is primarily employed in the education, health and social services, professional and scientific services, and retail sectors. The city is also similar to nationwide averages in other economic measures. For example, the metro area’s unemployment rate of 5.0% is just slightly higher than the national 4.7% unemployment rate.
24. Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
The local economy of Omaha-Council Bluffs is relatively similar to the national economy. In the metro area, 23.6% of the workforce is employed in the educational, health, and social services sector, 10.5% in professional, scientific, management, and administrative positions, and 11.8% in retail trade, each within 1 percentage point the corresponding national share. Residents of Omaha-Council Bluffs are somewhat wealthier than the average American, however. The typical household in the metro area earns $57,527 annually, about $4,000 more than the national median household income.
23. Chattanooga, TN-GA
In Chattanooga, 86.1% of adults have at least a high school diploma, similar to the 86.9% of adults nationwide with a high school diploma. Chattanooga’s college attainment rate, however, is somewhat lower than the corresponding national attainment rate, and this may limit residents’ earning potential. Just 25.1% of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, less than the 30.1% national college attainment rate. The typical Chattanooga household earns $46,600 annually, far less than the $53,657 national median household income. Despite lower incomes, the poverty in Chattanooga is roughly in line with the 15.5% national poverty rate.
22. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Louisville, Kentucky’s population has about the same educational attainment level as the American population as a whole. Across the United States, 86.9% of adults have a high school diploma and 30.1% have graduated from college. In Louisville, the corresponding rates are 88.2% and 27.6%, respectively. The city’s income and poverty rates are also similar to overall national levels. The typical household in Louisville makes $50,932 a year, compared to a national median income of $53,657. While 15.5% of Americans live in poverty, Louisville’s poverty rate is 14.5%.
21. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
The typical household in Cincinnati earns $55,729 annually, only slightly higher than the $53,657 national median household income. The typical home is worth about $30,000 less in Cincinnati than across the country as a whole. Despite the difference in cost, 65.2% of Cincinnati homes are owned by their occupants, only slightly higher than the nationwide homeownership rate.
20. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
The typical Charleston resident is about as wealthy as the average American. The area’s median annual household income of $53,572 is just $85 less than the national median household income. Similarly, the metro area’s 15.1% poverty rate is close to the national poverty rate of 15.5%.
While no city can perfectly match the racial diversity of America, the Charleston metro area is somewhat comparable. About 64% of Charleston residents are white, similar to the 63% national share. The city’s demographic composition is not identical to that of the nation, however. African American Charleston residents make up 26.8% of the population, more than double the national share.
19. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Providence-Warwick residents earn similar incomes to the average American. The typical Providence-Warwick household earns $55,836 each year, about $2,000 more than the national median household income. Health outcomes of metro area residents are also similar to that of the nation. In both Providence-Warwick and the country as a whole, 27.0% of adults are obese.
18. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
The economy of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro area closely resembles that of the United States as a whole. About 21% of the Portland workforce is employed in education, health, and social services, 12% in professional and scientific occupations, and 11% in retail trade, each roughly in line with the national employment distribution. The metro area is also home to some of America’s most well-known companies. Nike is headquartered in neighboring Beaverton, and Intel runs its largest U.S. operation with five campuses across Washington County.
17. Boise City, ID
By many socioeconomic measures, Boise is an accurate cross section of the country. The Idaho city closely mirrors the nation in health insurance coverage, college attainment, home values, and the composition of industries in which residents are employed. The typical household in the Idaho capital makes $51,826 a year, compared to a national median household income of $53,657. Boise differs from the nation most dramatically, however, in demographic composition. More than 80% of the area’s population is white, a much greater share than the 62.8% of Americans who are white. Less than 1% of Boise’s population is black, well below the 12.2% national share.
16. Oklahoma City, OK
The typical household in Oklahoma City earns $52,416 annually, close to the $53,657 national median household income. With a similar median income, the 15.3% share of Oklahoma City residents living in poverty is roughly in line with the national poverty rate. Also similar to the nation, about 63% of metro area residents own their homes.
15. Lexington-Fayette, KY
While no metro area can perfectly match the racial diversity of the U.S. as a whole, Lexington-Fayette is somewhat close. About 11% of Lexington-Fayette residents are African American, not far from the 12% national share. The metro area lacks a significant Hispanic population, however, and is whiter than the nation as a whole. The metro area’s obesity rate of 28.2% is roughly in line with the 27.0% national obesity rate.
14. Tulsa, OK
Tulsa closely matches the U.S. as a whole in several social and economic measures. Tulsa’s racial composition is strikingly in line with that of the country as a whole. Roughly 67% of Tulsa residents identify as white, only slightly more than the 63% national share. Similarly, 8% of Tulsa residents identify as black, only 4 percentage points less than the corresponding nationwide figure.
Some aspects of the city’s employment composition also close to nationwide averages. The finance, insurance and real estate industry employs 6.4% of Tulsa’s workforce, nearly the same as the share of the workforce the industry employs nationwide.
13. Columbus, OH
The diverse industrial composition of the Columbus metro area closely resembles that of the country as a whole. About 24% of the Columbus workforce is employed in education, health, and social services, 12% in retail trade, and 9% in manufacturing, each within a percentage point of the national employment distribution. A number of major American companies of various industries are headquartered in the Columbus region, including insurance company Nationwide, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Electric Power.
12. Winston-Salem, NC
The employment distribution in Winston-Salem closely resembles that of the country as a whole. This may be one reason for the similar unemployment rates as well. Winston-Salem shares a 4.7% unemployment rate with the nation. In other economic measures, however, many Winston-Salem residents are worse off than the average American. The typical household in the metro area earns $43,665 annually, about $10,000 less than the typical American household.
11. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
In terms of income, the typical Phoenix household is much like the typical American household. The median household income in the metro area of $53,365 a year is only a few hundred dollars less than the median income nationwide. Employment composition by industry also closely mirrors that of the country as a whole. The shares of the city’s workforce employed in retail trade, wholesale trade, construction, and arts and entertainment are all within a percentage point of the nationwide shares.
10. Cleveland-Elyria, OH
Cleveland is in many ways an iconic Midwestern American city. It has long struggled with issues of poverty and the decline of manufacturing. Cleveland’s poverty rate of 15.9% is only slightly higher than the national rate of 15.5%. The typical household in the metro area earns about $4,000 less the typical American home, at $49,889 a year compared to $53,657 nationwide. Homeownership and college attainment rates in Cleveland are nearly identical to that of the nation as a whole.
9. St. Louis, MO-IL
While St. Louis lost its National Football League team — by far the most popular American spectator sport — it remains a profoundly American city in other ways. In particular, the city’s jobless rate and the kinds of employment prevalent in the city are similar to the nation as a whole. St. Louis’s unemployment rate of 4.5% is similar to the U.S. rate of 4.7%. Also, the shares of St. Louis workers employed in major industries such as construction, manufacturing, retail, the arts, and professional and scientific occupations are all within a percentage point of comparable U.S. shares.
8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
America’s founding documents were penned in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago, and today, the metro area is a microcosm of the nation as a whole in many ways. The shares of the city’s workforce employed in several industries, including construction, public administration, and information, are within a percentage point of the corresponding national shares. Certain health patterns in Philadelphia also closely mirror national trends. For example, roughly 27% of metro area adults are obese, exactly the same as the national obesity rate.
7. Roanoke, VA
In Roanoke, 88.5% of adults have at least a high school diploma, roughly in line the 86.9% of adults nationwide with similar education. Finishing high school is a critical step for achieving financial success in America and has likely helped many metro area residents stay out of poverty. Roanoke’s poverty rate of 14.3% is slightly lower than the 15.5% national rate. A bachelor’s degree can also bolster incomes, and the 27.1% of Roanoke adults who have one is less than the 30.1% national college attainment rate. The typical Roanoke household earns $51,318 annually, only slightly less than the national median household income.
6. Kansas City, MO-KS
Kansas City’s demographic composition is similar but not identical to the national demographic makeup. The city has roughly the same share of black residents, at 12.4% of the population versus a national share of 12.2%. However, the city’s share of whites is about 11 percentage points higher than the national share and the share of Hispanics is about 8 percentage points lower. Though the city’s poverty rate is somewhat lower than that of the nation, incomes are only slightly higher than the national median income. The city is more closely aligned with the U.S. in other measures as well, including homeownership and health insurance coverage rates.
5. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater’s population closely resembles the demographic layout of the country as a whole. Within the metro area, 66.1% of residents are white, 17.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% black, and 3.0% are Asian, each within 3 percentage points of the corresponding national shares. Tampa residents also resemble the average American in physical health. For example, the metro area’s obesity rate of 27.3% is comparable to the national 27.0% obesity rate.
4. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
In the Chicago metro area, 64% of housing units are owned by their occupants, roughly the same share as the national homeownership rate. Several health related measures in Chicago are in line with national figures as well. Both the city’s obesity rate and uninsured rate are within a percentage point of the 27.0% and 11.7% respective nationwide rates. The city’s workforce also resembles that of the country as a whole in many ways. Several industries in the area employ roughly the same share of the workforce as they do nationwide.
3. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
The typical household in the Charlotte area earns $53,549 a year, almost exactly the amount a typical American household earns annually. A similar share of the population is also struggling financially. In Charlotte, 15.2% of the population lives below the poverty line, only a fraction of a percentage point less than the national poverty rate. The job market in Charlotte is also directly in line with that of the nation. Both the metro area’s and the nation’s unemployment rates are 4.7%.
2. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
Indiana has greater representation on this list of the most American cities than any state, and ranking as the second most American city on the list is Indianapolis. The city is known for its love of car racing and is home to the iconic Indianapolis 500 race. Indianapolis is similar to the nation as a whole in a number of social and economic measures, including college attainment, homeownership, health insurance coverage, and poverty rates. The typical household earns $52,268 annually, only slightly less than a national median income of $53,657.
1. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
By a number of social and economic measures, no city resembles the country more closely than the Nashville-Davidson metro area. Though the area is slightly whiter than the country as whole in its demographic composition, and incomes are slightly lower, the workforce composition closely matches that of the country. The share of the Nashville workforce employed in nearly every major industry is only a fraction of a percentage point away from the corresponding national shares.
Property in the Nashville area is roughly as valuable as it is on average across the country as a whole. The typical area home is worth about $177,600, only about $3,600 less than the typical American home.
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