2021’s Best Cities for Hipsters

Brooklyn might be the epicenter of American hipster culture, but where else can the nonconformist crowd indulge its affinity for vintage apparel, vinyl records, banjos, and beards?

LawnStarter ranked 2021’s Best Cities for Hipsters by comparing the 150 biggest U.S. cities based on 23 anti-mainstream factors — from access to thrift stores, farmers markets, and record stores to urban gardening- and biking-friendliness.

Check out our ranking below, followed by some highlights and lowlights.

Table of Contents

• City Rankings
• Highlights and Lowlights
• Surprising Findings
• Methodology

City Rankings 

See how each city fared in our ranking:

OVERALL RANK	City	Overall Score	Fashion Rank	Lifestyle Rank	Culture Rank	Food and Drink Rank
1	San Francisco, CA	63.64	30	1	2	6
2	Portland, OR	62.88	16	3	7	1
3	Oakland, CA	61.22	17	2	9	3
4	Fort Lauderdale, FL	59.86	1	107	3	2
5	Jersey City, NJ	59.34	5	17	8	8
6	Tempe, AZ	55.51	3	27	48	5
7	Huntington Beach, CA	55.23	4	30	32	4
8	Honolulu, HI	54.8	18	8	6	13
9	Providence, RI	53.93	9	16	5	20
10	New Orleans, LA	53	31	63	1	11
11	Santa Rosa, CA	51.94	21	12	56	7
12	Washington, DC	50.68	80	5	10	16
13	Salt Lake City, UT	50.6	28	7	17	18
14	Glendale, CA	49.83	2	74	13	10
15	Richmond, VA	48.01	19	39	14	14
16	Seattle, WA	47.39	79	6	11	25
17	Ontario, CA	46.42	15	37	23	22
18	Boston, MA	45.87	81	4	15	35
19	Long Beach, CA	45.73	25	33	20	23
20	Cincinnati, OH	45.63	42	69	4	15
21	Sacramento, CA	45.38	48	15	34	21
22	Anaheim, CA	44.7	8	72	31	17
23	Irvine, CA	42.62	53	25	77	19
24	Atlanta, GA	42.33	50	58	25	12
25	Rochester, NY	42.11	34	14	22	57
26	Pittsburgh, PA	42.04	45	26	16	38
27	Orlando, FL	41.73	43	66	33	9
28	Santa Ana, CA	41.14	23	35	36	37
29	Salem, OR	40.92	22	28	60	43
30	Spokane, WA	40.43	11	54	21	51
31	Vancouver, WA	40.04	27	29	127	30
32	Baltimore, MD	39.82	37	32	30	39
33	Minneapolis, MN	39.54	56	9	37	67
34	St. Petersburg, FL	39.1	12	73	44	33
35	Grand Rapids, MI	38.94	32	40	35	41
36	Fremont, CA	38.8	98	22	105	26
37	Denver, CO	38.63	78	13	29	62
38	Tampa, FL	38.23	54	46	87	24
39	Miami, FL	38.18	73	36	52	29
40	Tacoma, WA	37.82	7	77	38	56
41	Newark, NJ	37.52	10	41	49	75
42	Yonkers, NY	37.38	6	57	40	83
43	Tucson, AZ	36.11	46	45	46	49
44	Riverside, CA	35.96	63	34	85	40
45	Worcester, MA	35.27	55	47	50	45
46	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	35.26	60	59	51	34
47	Boise, ID	34.77	41	31	41	84
48	Buffalo, NY	34.73	85	21	18	108
49	Madison, WI	34.32	68	19	43	98
50	Modesto, CA	34.13	35	60	61	53
51	Oxnard, CA	34.09	77	50	84	36
52	Scottsdale, AZ	34	33	67	140	32
53	St. Louis, MO	33.78	105	61	72	28
54	San Diego, CA	32.97	129	20	112	61
55	Las Vegas, NV	32.14	36	71	26	85
56	Reno, NV	31.97	29	92	19	76
57	Glendale, AZ	31.87	13	94	130	52
58	St. Paul, MN	31.69	100	11	54	117
59	San Jose, CA	31.42	125	18	103	86
60	Durham, NC	31.3	89	70	62	50
61	Knoxville, TN	30.87	24	88	91	58
62	Lexington, KY	30.57	70	38	24	120
63	Oceanside, CA	30.35	87	76	63	48
64	Austin, TX	30.29	108	48	57	74
65	Philadelphia, PA	30.14	123	24	59	109
66	Nashville, TN	29.97	116	44	39	89
67	New York, NY	29.67	142	10	111	104
67	Elk Grove, CA	29.67	94	52	88	70
69	Hialeah, FL	29.55	14	124	86	42
70	Chula Vista, CA	29.06	91	78	110	47
70	San Bernardino, CA	29.06	75	64	78	73
72	Santa Clarita, CA	29.03	97	118	42	27
73	Birmingham, AL	28.85	83	127	28	31
74	Tallahassee, FL	28.56	20	121	73	54
75	Fontana, CA	28.31	38	83	93	72
76	Norfolk, VA	27.41	40	93	70	78
77	Greensboro, NC	27.33	64	89	75	68
78	Albuquerque, NM	27.07	65	56	47	122
79	Winston-Salem, NC	26.73	69	119	55	44
80	Bakersfield, CA	26.15	110	82	99	64
81	Los Angeles, CA	25.94	130	42	104	103
82	Akron, OH	25.78	44	103	64	80
83	Des Moines, IA	25.73	62	68	68	116
84	Chicago, IL	25.52	138	23	83	135
85	Stockton, CA	25.35	96	85	94	81
86	Cleveland, OH	25.26	112	75	69	91
87	Kansas City, MO	24.48	47	117	27	94
88	Chattanooga, TN	24.47	58	143	45	55
88	Lincoln, NE	24.47	90	53	58	131
90	Fresno, CA	24.38	88	101	108	65
91	Milwaukee, WI	24.29	118	55	66	119
92	Mesa, AZ	24.16	117	51	150	102
93	Raleigh, NC	23.14	121	90	92	87
94	Chandler, AZ	23.13	86	108	122	66
95	Baton Rouge, LA	23	103	141	71	46
96	Moreno Valley, CA	22.99	101	86	97	99
97	Aurora, IL	22.67	74	100	89	97
98	Gilbert, AZ	22.64	106	113	134	60
98	Huntsville, AL	22.64	66	131	67	71
100	Louisville, KY	22.5	133	49	65	137
101	Virginia Beach, VA	22.4	126	98	107	79
102	Indianapolis, IN	22.21	146	105	12	114
103	Charlotte, NC	22.2	128	79	100	107
104	Phoenix, AZ	22.04	149	62	132	100
105	Peoria, AZ	21.59	26	134	138	88
106	Omaha, NE	21.31	127	43	123	142
107	Newport News, VA	21.04	124	110	129	69
108	Cape Coral, FL	20.79	39	144	146	63
109	Augusta, GA	20.37	57	130	102	90
110	Columbus, OH	20.24	139	65	81	134
111	Grand Prairie, TX	19.86	51	145	119	77
112	Irving, TX	19.75	59	122	124	96
113	Aurora, CO	19.63	93	80	141	132
114	Port St. Lucie, FL	19.53	84	125	144	82
114	Mobile, AL	19.53	76	148	101	59
116	Henderson, NV	19.32	136	87	136	113
117	Frisco, TX	19.13	61	139	95	92
118	Plano, TX	18.84	102	104	137	115
119	Colorado Springs, CO	18.43	99	81	135	144
120	McKinney, TX	18.17	109	138	74	93
121	Fayetteville, NC	18.11	72	109	131	125
122	Garland, TX	17.56	52	114	125	129
123	Houston, TX	17.49	144	96	113	121
124	Fort Wayne, IN	17.43	92	112	90	128
125	Brownsville, TX	17.35	82	123	145	106
126	Little Rock, AR	17.28	107	136	98	101
127	Overland Park, KS	17.26	49	140	133	111
128	Lubbock, TX	17.14	95	99	80	145
129	Shreveport, LA	17.02	67	150	53	95
130	North Las Vegas, NV	16.97	115	106	149	118
130	Detroit, MI	16.97	135	95	82	140
132	Arlington, TX	16.77	104	116	115	124
133	San Antonio, TX	16.14	145	84	120	141
134	Tulsa, OK	15.38	111	111	118	136
135	Chesapeake, VA	15.27	120	137	143	105
136	Toledo, OH	15.14	140	97	116	143
137	Dallas, TX	14.95	141	115	126	123
138	Oklahoma City, OK	14.85	122	126	79	126
139	Sioux Falls, SD	14.72	71	142	76	138
140	Jacksonville, FL	14.26	150	128	128	110
141	Anchorage, AK	14.09	131	91	114	149
142	Fort Worth, TX	13.04	134	129	106	130
143	Corpus Christi, TX	12.88	119	133	121	133
144	Montgomery, AL	12.61	113	149	109	112
145	Columbus, GA	11.71	143	132	142	127
146	El Paso, TX	11.65	147	102	139	147
147	Laredo, TX	11.16	114	120	147	148
148	Memphis, TN	9.4	148	147	96	139
149	Wichita, KS	9.2	132	146	117	146
150	Amarillo, TX	7.4	137	135	148	150

Highlights and Lowlights

San Francisco: The New Hipster Capital?

Step aside, Brooklyn. San Francisco is our No. 1 Best City for Hipsters and for good reason: The city known as “Baghdad by the Bay” (because of its rich cultural diversity) appropriately snags position No. 2 in Culture and the top spot in Lifestyle. It also boasts the highest number of uniquely San Francisco quirks (“local flavor” amenities).

Unfortunately, the city’s hipster fashion sense is slightly mediocre (No. 30) due to its poor performance in thrift-store access (No. 104). Clearly, most San Franciscans prefer new and shiny over shabby and chic. 

Where the 415 really sparkles: sustainability — the city ranks No. 1 in eco-consciousness, biking-friendliness, and car-free living. If you’re a hipster with a soft spot for the environment, San Francisco deserves to be on your short list. 

Keeping Portland Weird

If you’ve ever visited Portland, Oregon — or watched an episode of “Portlandia” — then it’s no surprise that Stumptown comes in at No. 2. 

Long regarded as a hipster hub, the city where you’ll find the dream of the ’90s very much alive offers everything a hipster needs to exist: easy access to vintage clothes and vinyl records (No. 4 in both metrics), vegan and vegetarian food (No. 2), specialty coffee (No. 3), and craft beer (No. 1). 

Prefer to get around on a unicycle? Move to Portland, No. 2 for both biking-friendliness and car-free living. And if the city’s tattoo parlors run out of ink, cycle on over to Salem (No. 14 for tattoo-parlor access) — Google says you can get there in just over 5 hours, but you’ll need at least two wheels.

It’s Not Hipper in Texas

If you prefer to stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to, head on over to Texas. 

Five of our bottom 10 cities hail from the Lone Star State, including Fort Worth at No. 142 (sorry, Funkytown), Corpus Christi at No. 143, El Paso at No. 146, Laredo at No. 147, and Amarillo finishing dead last. Overall, the state fared the worst in our ranking.

In fact, nearly all Texas cities in our ranking landed in the bottom third. Austin, once popular among hipsters but now a yuppie and tech hotbed, is tops among Texas cities at No. 64. East Sixth remains the last hipster stronghold in the city, but plans to restore Austin as “hipsturbia” are in the works, so hold your breath, yuppies. 

Bottom line: You’re still likely to find far more cowboy hats than fedoras in Texas, and vintage clothing more often means well-worn jeans here.

Surprising Findings 

California Counter-Culture

Besides San Francisco, two other Golden State cities climb to the top 10: Oakland, a Bay Area suburb, finishes third, while Huntington Beach, part of the Los Angeles metro, ranks seventh.

Both are especially ideal for a hipster diet: In the Food and Drink category, Oakland is third, and Huntington Beach is fourth, the latter boasting the highest number of Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods locations per 100,000 residents in the country. 

Need to work on your flexibility? Oakland is No. 1 for yoga-studio access. It’s also No. 1 for specialty coffee so you can load up on the caffeine before or after your morning stretches. 

Overall, California deserves Lena Dunham’s approval, as seven additional cities rank in the top 25. San Diego (No. 54) and Los Angeles (No. 81), however, border on mainstream living.

Hipster No More?

Where did other iconic hipster cities land? Seattle sits comfortably at No. 16, Denver at No. 37, Austin at No. 64, and New York at No. 67. Chicago sadly slips to the lower half at No. 84.

That’s not to say these famously hipster cores have lost their bohemian charm. Hipsters usually tend to cluster in neighborhoods rather than spread out throughout a metro. 

In Seattle, for instance, Capitol Hill is home base, while in Chicago hipsters gravitate toward Wicker Park. In New York, of course, the Williamsburg neighborhood (in the Brooklyn borough) has become synonymous with hipsterism.

Our ranking focuses on the entire city, not just a few blocks. You may need to zoom in on the map to find flannel and vinyl.

Methodology

We ranked the 150 biggest U.S. cities from best (No. 1) to worst (No. 150) based on their overall scores (out of 100 possible points), averaged across all the weighted metrics listed below.

Sources: BreweryDB, Eventbrite, LawnStarter, TheThriftShopper.Com, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Yelp

Main Photo Credit: giorgiomtb / www.shutterstock.com