Everyone has heard the saying “all dressed up with no place to go,” but what about having a full wallet with no place to shop? For many so-called bedroom suburbs — commuter towns that are primarily residential with few local businesses — this is exactly the case.
24/7 Tempo has identified the toughest places to be fashionable in the United States, based on the scarcity of clothing retail stores and other fashion-related enterprises in these relatively densely populated cities.
Most of the communities where it can be difficult to be fashionable, such as San Tan Valley, a commuter suburb of Phoenix, have large populations with high household incomes and relatively few places to shop. Nearly an hour from downtown Phoenix, residents of San Tan Valley may have the money to spend on clothing, but they also have to travel if they wish to spend it at better known places that are more likely to have an abundance of options — these are the 20 most popular stores in America.
Click here to see the toughest places to be fashionable.
Click here to see our methodology.
50. Clifton, New Jersey
> Metropolitan area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
> Number of fashion stores: 23
> Population: 86,207
> Median household income: $74,963 (254th out of 988 cities)
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49. Millcreek, Utah
> Metropolitan area: Salt Lake City, UT
> Number of fashion stores: 16
> Population: 60,297
> Median household income: $61,888 (413rd out of 988 cities)
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48. Altadena, California
> Metropolitan area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 12
> Population: 45,236
> Median household income: $88,774 (136th out of 988 cities)
47. Diamond Bar, California
> Metropolitan area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 15
> Population: 56,600
> Median household income: $94,531 (108th out of 988 cities)
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46. Bartlett, Tennessee
> Metropolitan area: Memphis, TN-MS-AR
> Number of fashion stores: 15
> Population: 58,640
> Median household income: $82,213 (196th out of 988 cities)
45. Waltham, Massachusetts
> Metropolitan area: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Number of fashion stores: 16
> Population: 62,832
> Median household income: $83,249 (191th out of 988 cities)
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44. Garden Grove, California
> Metropolitan area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 43
> Population: 174,812
> Median household income: $62,675 (397th out of 988 cities)
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43. El Dorado Hills, California
> Metropolitan area: Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 11
> Population: 45,104
> Median household income: $126,520 (16th out of 988 cities)
42. Lincoln, California
> Metropolitan area: Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 11
> Population: 46,404
> Median household income: $78,647 (218th out of 988 cities)
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41. Fairfield, Ohio
> Metropolitan area: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
> Number of fashion stores: 10
> Population: 42,589
> Median household income: $62,198 (408th out of 988 cities)
40. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
> Metropolitan area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
> Number of fashion stores: 8
> Population: 79,462
> Median household income: $68,274 (329th out of 988 cities)
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39. West Sacramento, California
> Metropolitan area: Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 12
> Population: 52,206
> Median household income: $59,586 (453rd out of 988 cities)
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38. Sunnyvale, California
> Metropolitan area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 34
> Population: 151,565
> Median household income: $118,314 (28th out of 988 cities)
37. Shawnee, Kansas
> Metropolitan area: Kansas City, MO-KS
> Number of fashion stores: 14
> Population: 64,840
> Median household income: $81,964 (199th out of 988 cities)
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36. Renton, Washington
> Metropolitan area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Number of fashion stores: 21
> Population: 99,692
> Median household income: $70,661 (300th out of 988 cities)
35. East Honolulu, Hawaii
> Metropolitan area: Not applicable
> Number of fashion stores: 10
> Population: 47,868
> Median household income: $120,233 (26th out of 988 cities)
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34. Bothell, Washington
> Metropolitan area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Number of fashion stores: 9
> Population: 44,082
> Median household income: $89,477 (132nd out of 988 cities)
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33. Kent, Washington
> Metropolitan area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Number of fashion stores: 24
> Population: 126,561
> Median household income: $64,573 (372nd out of 988 cities)
32. Yucaipa, California
> Metropolitan area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 10
> Population: 53,151
> Median household income: $58,166 (467th out of 988 cities)
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31. Thornton, Colorado
> Metropolitan area: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
> Number of fashion stores: 22
> Population: 132,310
> Median household income: $73,517 (270th out of 988 cities)
30. Taylorsville, Utah
> Metropolitan area: Salt Lake City, UT
> Number of fashion stores: 10
> Population: 60,377
> Median household income: $59,968 (445th out of 988 cities)
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29. Placentia, California
> Metropolitan area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 8
> Population: 52,294
> Median household income: $88,501 (139th out of 988 cities)
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28. Palatine, Illinois
> Metropolitan area: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
> Number of fashion stores: 10
> Population: 69,099
> Median household income: $76,633 (231th out of 988 cities)
27. Haverhill, Massachusetts
> Metropolitan area: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Number of fashion stores: 9
> Population: 62,943
> Median household income: $65,926 (355th out of 988 cities)
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26. Riverview, Florida
> Metropolitan area: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
> Number of fashion stores: 12
> Population: 88,191
> Median household income: $68,442 (326th out of 988 cities)
25. Aspen Hill, Maryland
> Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Number of fashion stores: 7
> Population: 52,386
> Median household income: $82,534 (193rd out of 988 cities)
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24. Castro Valley, California
> Metropolitan area: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 8
> Population: 63,625
> Median household income: $92,233 (117th out of 988 cities)
23. Weymouth Town, Massachusetts
> Metropolitan area: Not applicable
> Number of fashion stores: 7
> Population: 55,890
> Median household income: $75,892 (242nd out of 988 cities)
22. Ashburn, Virginia
> Metropolitan area: Not applicable
> Number of fashion stores: 6
> Population: 49,895
> Median household income: $124,399 (19th out of 988 cities)
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21. Riverton, Utah
> Metropolitan area: Salt Lake City, UT
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 41,997
> Median household income: $92,154 (118th out of 988 cities)
20. Rowlett, Texas
> Metropolitan area: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
> Number of fashion stores: 7
> Population: 60,357
> Median household income: $90,391 (127th out of 988 cities)
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19. Beaumont, California
> Metropolitan area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 43,641
> Median household income: $71,664 (284th out of 988 cities)
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18. Arlington, Massachusetts
> Metropolitan area: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 44,992
> Median household income: $103,594 (66th out of 988 cities)
17. San Ramon, California
> Metropolitan area: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
> Number of fashion stores: 8
> Population: 75,048
> Median household income: $142,718 (8th out of 988 cities)
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16. Germantown, Maryland
> Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Number of fashion stores: 9
> Population: 91,447
> Median household income: $89,720 (131th out of 988 cities)
15. Levittown, Pennsylvania
> Metropolitan area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 51,945
> Median household income: $74,938 (255th out of 988 cities)
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14. Miramar, Florida
> Metropolitan area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
> Number of fashion stores: 12
> Population: 136,415
> Median household income: $66,560 (348th out of 988 cities)
13. Antelope, California
> Metropolitan area: Not applicable
> Number of fashion stores: 4
> Population: 47,728
> Median household income: $70,840 (297th out of 988 cities)
12. Malden, Massachusetts
> Metropolitan area: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 61,212
> Median household income: $62,361 (402nd out of 988 cities)
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11. Rio Rancho, New Mexico
> Metropolitan area: Albuquerque, NM
> Number of fashion stores: 7
> Population: 93,317
> Median household income: $63,180 (389th out of 988 cities)
10. Dale City, Virginia
> Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Number of fashion stores: 5
> Population: 73,279
> Median household income: $88,010 (143rd out of 988 cities)
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9. Buckeye, Arizona
> Metropolitan area: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
> Number of fashion stores: 4
> Population: 62,090
> Median household income: $61,469 (420th out of 988 cities)
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8. Commerce City, Colorado
> Metropolitan area: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
> Number of fashion stores: 3
> Population: 52,905
> Median household income: $69,268 (318th out of 988 cities)
7. Centreville, Virginia
> Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Number of fashion stores: 4
> Population: 74,627
> Median household income: $107,605 (48th out of 988 cities)
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6. Bartlett, Illinois
> Metropolitan area: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
> Number of fashion stores: 2
> Population: 41,487
> Median household income: $99,957 (85th out of 988 cities)
5. Sammamish, Washington
> Metropolitan area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Number of fashion stores: 3
> Population: 62,877
> Median household income: $157,271 (3rd out of 988 cities)
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4. Sayreville, New Jersey
> Metropolitan area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
> Number of fashion stores: 2
> Population: 44,744
> Median household income: $79,620 (210th out of 988 cities)
3. Maricopa, Arizona
> Metropolitan area: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
> Number of fashion stores: 2
> Population: 46,248
> Median household income: $68,908 (322nd out of 988 cities)
2. Burke, Virginia
> Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Number of fashion stores: 1
> Population: 42,710
> Median household income: $134,191 (11th out of 988 cities)
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1. San Tan Valley, Arizona
> Metropolitan area: Not applicable
> Number of fashion stores: 1
> Population: 90,665
> Median household income: $62,646 (398th out of 988 cities)
Methodology
To identify the toughest cities to be fashionable, 24/7 Tempo created an index of five measures: the numbers of fashion-related establishments, luxury brand outlets, fashion company headquarters, and trade shows, as well as total employment of fashion designers in each of the 988 towns and cities tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau.
To be considered, cities needed to have a median annual household income above the 5-year average national median of $57,652 to display an ability to afford to be fashionable.
The number of fashion-related establishments was obtained from Yelp in August 2019 and the category includes anything from sportswear and sleepwear stores to vintage, thrift, and shoe stores. Because not all fashion-related stores are always represented by Yelp statistics, we compared store counts with each city’s number of clothing retailers tracked by County Business Patterns, a program of the U.S. Census Bureau.
The number of fashion companies headquartered in each city came from Chain Store Guide’s “Top 100 Apparel Specialty Stores Ranked by Industry Sales.”
The number of trade shows held in each city in 2019 came from Startup Fashion, an online community that helps independent fashion brands create successful businesses.
The number of fashion designers employed in each MSA’s principal city came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics program and is as of May 2019, the most recent data available.
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