California is home to several of the nation’s most intellectually active metropolitan areas, according to a new ranking of America’s most intellectual cities.
The study, conducted by social club Maxwell, measured intellectual life across the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. San Francisco ranked third nationally, behind Boston and Hartford, Connecticut.
San Francisco recorded an Intellectual Life Score of 67.7 out of 100. Boston led the rankings with 80.3, followed by Hartford at 72.3.
San Jose placed sixth overall and topped the country in two categories. The study found that 28.5% of adults in the metro area hold graduate degrees, while the region has 36.9 adult-education schools per 100,000 residents.
However, California’s results were far from uniformly strong.
The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro ranked last at No. 50, while Fresno came in at No. 49. Las Vegas was the third-lowest-ranked metro on the list.
Fresno performed comparatively well in the university category, ranking 17th. It placed 39th for museums, 46th for libraries and 45th for bookstores, according to YourCentralValley.
The metro ranked last among those surveyed for adult education, the share of residents with graduate degrees and Google search interest in intellectual activities.
Maxwell Social evaluated the 50 largest U.S. metros using seven measures: museums, libraries, universities, graduate degrees, adult education, bookstores and Google search interest in intellectual activities. The results were adjusted for population before being combined into an overall score out of 100.
The organization also surveyed 905 U.S. adults who were not students and were at least 22 years old. Conducted in August, the survey examined where people find intellectual community after completing their formal education.
Almost seven in 10 respondents, or 68%, said they wanted more intellectually stimulating social environments as they grew older. At the same time, 45% said social anxiety or the challenge of attending alone had kept them from pursuing those spaces.
Another 41% cited a lack of time as the reason they had not sought out more intellectually engaging activities.
Meanwhile, 66% said they would choose an evening focused on ideas over a night of drinking. Among respondents who visit bars, 83% said those establishments felt “intellectually empty” at least some of the time.
