Of the 82 largest cities in America, Atlanta is one of the most literate metros, according to the 13th annual "America's Most Literate Cities" ranking.
To come up with the results, researchers at Central Connecticut State University examined U.S. cities with an estimated population of at least 250,000 as of July 1, 2015.
They then compared the cities based on six key indicators of literacy: number of bookstores, educational attainment (percentage of the adult population with at least a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree), internet resources, periodical publishing resources (magazines) and newspaper circulation.
Data from the Census, Nielsen Scarborough, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Center for Education Statistics and others were used for the study.
» RELATED: Erotica author Zane at Shrine of the Black Madonna bookstore in May
For the fourth year in a row, the nation’s capital earned top honors as the most literate city in the country.
Atlanta came in at No. 4 on the list of 82 cities.
Here’s how the metro fared across the six key indicators:
- Booksellers: 11
- Education: 8.5 (tied with Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Internet: 17.5 (tied with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Library: 29.5 (tied with Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky)
- Magazine: 6
- Newspaper: 6
Rounding out the top five were Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and San Francisco, California.
The least literate large city in the nation, according to the study, was Laredo, Texas, which came in dead last for both the booksellers and education categories.
Of the five least literal cities, three were in California and the other two in Texas.
About the Author
