The 10 Most ‘Redneck’ Cities in America, According to the Data

A tongue-in-cheek ranking of America’s most “redneck” cities generated both laughs and outrage when it was published, using U.S. Census Bureau data and a set of unconventional metrics to determine which major cities best fit the stereotype.

The list was compiled by Movoto, a real estate blog, and was developed by research coordinator Natalie Grigson, who based her criteria on cultural markers she associated with her upbringing in Austin, Texas. The metrics included the percentage of the population without a high school diploma, gun and ammunition stores per capita, taxidermists per capita, cowboy boot stores per capita, country music radio stations per capita, proximity to NASCAR race tracks, Walmarts per capita, and riding lawn mower and tractor repair shops per capita.

The resulting top ten surprised many:

Atlanta, Georgia, claimed the number one spot. Kansas City, Missouri, came in second, followed by Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in third place. Nashville, Tennessee, landed at number four, with Tulsa, Oklahoma, rounding out the top five.

The bottom half included Fort Worth, Texas, at sixth, Arlington, Texas, at seventh, Sacramento, California, at eighth, Cleveland, Ohio, at ninth, and Mesa, Arizona, at tenth.

Some of the individual data points stood out. Mesa, Arizona, had the most gun and ammunition stores per capita, with 132 such businesses serving a population of roughly 446,000. Cleveland had the lowest percentage of residents with a high school diploma among the cities studied. Arlington led in cowboy boot stores and riding lawn mower repair shops per capita.

The rankings drew swift backlash from residents of the named cities and from NASCAR fans who objected to the association. ABC News covered the controversy, noting that many people took offense at what they saw as a condescending portrayal of Southern and rural culture applied to major metropolitan areas.

Supporters of the list argued it was intended as harmless fun and pointed out that the data was drawn from legitimate public sources. Critics countered that reducing complex communities to a handful of stereotypical metrics was reductive and insulting.

The Movoto rankings became one of those internet lists that people love to argue about — shared widely, debated endlessly, and never quite forgotten by the cities that made the cut.