According to a new study by Explore, Cincinnati is a paradise for (book) lovers.
In the study, Cincinnati ranked 9th out of 100 cities in the United States for book lovers, with the abundance of bookstores and libraries helping to put us in the top 10. For avid readers, Cincinnati offers 2.06 bookstores and 2.51 libraries per 10,000 residents, as well as a literary history full of characters, including the notorious bootlegger George Remus, who is said to have inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. The Great Gatsby.
To find out which cities perform best with book lovers, Explore looked at five key metrics:
- Bookstores per 10,000 inhabitants
- Independent bookstores per 10,000 inhabitants
- Libraries per 10,000 people
- Literature, art and music trips
- Literary milestones
Each value was rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Scores were weighted and combined to calculate a total score out of 100 for each city. Cincinnati scored a total of 30 out of 100. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, took the top three spots with scores of 45, 45 and 43, respectively.
In addition to Cincinnati’s numerous bookstores and libraries, Explore also pointed out our annual Books by the Banks Festival, which draws authors and readers from across the country. The Greater Cincinnati literary landscape also features several authors who call the area home, or once did, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Curtis Sittenfeld, Emily Henry, Michael Cunningham, Leah Stewart, and Jessica Strawser.
Four other Ohio cities ranked in the top 50 cities with the most book lovers: Youngstown at number 21, Dayton at number 24, Cleveland at number 28 and Akron at number 45.
You can see the full report here.
