San Francisco, San Jose Rank Among Most Intellectual US Cities
A new study places two Bay Area cities in the top 10, while other California metros fall near the bottom.
San Francisco and San Jose have been recognized as among the most intellectual metropolitan areas in the United States, according to a recent study by Maxwell, a social club.
San Francisco secured the third spot nationally with an Intellectual Life Score of 67.7 out of 100. It trailed only Boston, which scored 80.3, and Hartford, Connecticut, with 72.3.
San Jose ranked sixth overall and led the nation in two specific metrics: the percentage of adults holding graduate degrees, with 28.5%, and the number of adult-education schools per 100,000 residents, which was 36.9.
Conversely, other California metropolitan areas received lower rankings. The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area finished last at 50th, while Fresno ranked 49th. Las Vegas was positioned third from the bottom.
Fresno's performance was mixed. While it ranked 17th for its universities, it placed 39th for museums, 46th for libraries, and 45th for bookstores. The city also ranked last among the studied metros for adult education, graduate degrees, and online search interest in intellectual activities.
The study evaluated the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on seven factors: museums, libraries, universities, graduate degrees, adult education, bookstores, and Google search interest in intellectual pursuits. These factors were adjusted for population size to generate an overall score.
Maxwell Social also conducted a survey of 905 non-student U.S. adults aged 22 and older in August. The survey explored where adults find intellectual community after completing their formal education. Nearly 70% of respondents expressed a desire for more intellectually stimulating social environments as they aged. However, 45% cited social anxiety or the difficulty of attending alone as barriers to seeking such settings. Additionally, 41% attributed their lack of participation to time constraints.
The survey further revealed that 66% of adults would prefer an idea-centered gathering over a night of drinking, and 83% of those who frequent bars found these venues to be "intellectually empty" at least some of the time.
