How often do you have sex? The answer may depend partly on where you live. As it turns out, some U.S. cities are hotbeds for love-making, while others are less than lustful.
Quality Health has determined the copulation capitals around the US-if Census Bureau birth rates and A.C. Nielsen data on contraceptive sales are any indication. They also factored in statewide birth and fertility rates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Amazon.com city-by-city sales of books about sex, and sales from several nationwide erotica outlets.
Cambridge, MA was ranked 10th most sexually active while poor Providence, RI ranked 5th LEAST sexually active in the country.
Here’s what they had to say:
10th Most Sexually Active – Cambridge, MA
This academic hub, which houses both Harvard and M.I.T., is also the city with the most relationship savvy: 58 percent of its romantic Amazon.com purchases are books about relationships. Cambridge’s lower-than-average birth rates kept it from earning a top spot on our list, but it’s interesting to note that in 1991 Massachusetts became the first location to institute a statewide condom availability program in its high schools.
Those kids are wicked smart and apparently also wicked horny!
5th LEAST Sexually Active – Providence, RI
Known as the Renaissance City, Providence has struggled to improve its poverty rates over the past few decades and is now touted as one the best quality-of-life cities in the country. Even so, sex is not its strong suit: Birth and fertility rates remain low, and its contraceptive and erotica sales seem to have stalled.
You know this isn’t that surprising seeing as they’re not even number one in the state. You want some action? Head to Newport. Everyone knows that. And while you’re here, visit our favorite singles bars in Newport, RI.
But come on Providence, step up your game just one time!
Here’s the rest of the list. Just consider this a handy travel guide.
1. Denver, Colorado.
Visitors flock to the mile-high city for its breathtaking natural beauty. But the gateway to the Rockies may offer something more: copious amounts of sex. In addition to impressive birth rates per capita, contraceptive sales are 189 percent higher within the city limits than the national average (sales of female contraceptives are a whopping 278 percent higher).
2. Portland, Oregon.
Microbreweries, rose gardens, and coffeehouses aren’t the only thing Portland residents have to smile about. This Pacific Northwestern town’s contraceptive sales per capita are 127 percent higher than those of most U.S. locales. Plus, the city ranks sixth in sales at Pure Romance, a company that offers an exclusive line of products for “relationship enhancement.”
3. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Home of the prestigious University of Michigan, this quintessential college town was hailed as the sexiest city in America by Amazon.com. Why? According to the online bookseller, which calculated the types of books they sell to cities across the country, books about sex account for 24 percent of Ann Arbor’s residents’ romantic purchases.
4. San Antonio, Texas.
The second-largest city in the Lone Star state, San Antonio is known as a multicultural Mecca filled with historic landmarks-and apparently, fornication. The Alamo City’s contraceptive sales per capita are as high as Portland’s, and when it comes to condom sales in particular, San Antonio is the U.S.’s second-leading location. What’s more, according to the CDC, Texas boasts the nation’s second-highest birth rates (17.1 percent).
5. Boise, Idaho.
The most populous city in the Gem State, Boise boasts a 25-mile riverfront greenbelt as well as a high quality of life. What’s more, it’s a hotbed for sex, boasting the country’s second-highest birth rates per capita (interestingly, the city also ranks tenth when it comes to condom sales).
6. Seattle, Washington.
The birthplace of grunge, Microsoft, and Starbucks has more than loud music, high-tech gadgets, and espresso to offer. In fact, the Emerald City’s contraceptive sales per capita are 127 percent higher than those of the rest of the country. In addition, the city ranks second when it comes to sales at Babeland, a women-friendly erotica shop.
7. Washington, D.C.
Sex and politics may make dangerous bedfellows, but that’s not prompting Washington politicos to embrace abstinence. Contraceptive sales are a whopping 189 percent higher in the nation’s capital than the rest of the country, and when it comes to sales at Babeland, the city ranks fifth.
8. Alexandria, Virginia/Salt Lake City, Utah (tie)
As it turns out, Virginia really is for lovers, with Alexandria leading the nation in romantic purchases at Amazon.com, including books about relationships. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City boasts the country’s third highest birth rates per capita, with contraceptive sales that are 107 percent higher than those of most American locales.
9. Cincinnati, Ohio.
Known for its scenic, small-town charm, Cincinnati, not Las Vegas, may be the real “sin city.” Although its birth rates have been declining for decades, residents of the Midwestern metropolis buy contraceptives at a 70 percent higher rate than the rest of the country; when it comes to sales at Pure Romance, Cincinnati ranks third.
10. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This academic hub, which houses both Harvard and M.I.T., is also the city with the most relationship savvy: 58 percent of its romantic Amazon.com purchases are books about relationships. Cambridge’s lower-than-average birth rates kept it from earning a top spot on our list, but it’s interesting to note that in 1991 Massachusetts became the first location to institute a statewide condom availability program in its high schools.
10 Least Lustful Cities in America
When it comes to making love, these 10 locales appear to be lagging behind.
1. Jacksonville, Florida.
Also known as Jax or J-ville, this Southern city boasts warm weather, sandy beaches, and tons of attractions. But if you’re looking for intimacy, you may want to go elsewhere: Low birth rates and slow contraceptive sales lead experts to believe it’s more subdued than steamy.
2. Greensboro, North Carolina.
It’s known for its well-developed textile, furniture, and tobacco industries, but according to the data, Greensboro may be sexually repressed. Although statewide birth rates are higher than average, in Greensboro, they’re lower, and when it comes to erotica and sex-book sales, this town isn’t even on the map.
3. Pomona, California.
Its proximity to Los Angeles might make you think Pomona is sexually savvy. But don’t be fooled: Birth and fertility rates are fairly low in this city, and even though it houses California State Polytechnic University, contraceptives aren’t exactly flying off the shelves.
4. Jersey City, New Jersey.
Located on the west bank of the Hudson River, across from Lower Manhattan, Jersey City is considered part of the New York metropolitan area. But if you’re expecting Sex and the City-style dalliances, you may be disappointed. Fortunately, there’s an upside to the abstinence: Jersey City boasts one of the lowest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.
5. Providence, Rhode Island.
Known as the Renaissance City, Providence has struggled to improve its poverty rates over the past few decades and is now touted as one the best quality-of-life cities in the country. Even so, sex is not its strong suit: Birth and fertility rates remain low, and its contraceptive and erotica sales seem to have stalled.
6. Montgomery, Alabama.
The capital and second most populous city in Bama is trailing the rest of the country when it comes to contraceptive and erotica sales. Perhaps the city is still wary about sex after an epidemic of early syphilis (ES) struck more than 1,000 of its residents in the early 1990s.
7. Montpelier, Vermont.
It may seem counterintuitive, but Vermont-often considered the most liberal state in the union-has the lowest birth rate in the country (10.6 percent, compared with 21.2 percent in uber-fertile Utah). The state’s capital is no exception and doesn’t boast enough contraceptive sales to offset its contracting population.
8. Lexington, Kentucky.
Judging by its lack of contraceptive sales, this bluegrass city isn’t exactly a sexual epicenter. Fortunately, it offers residents lots of other advantages, particularly when it comes to education: Lexington recently ranked tenth in a list of America’s most educated large cities and thirteenth in literacy.
9. Baltimore, Maryland.
.For more than four decades, this city’s population was in serious decline. Although it has bounced back a bit in recent years, sadly a high percentage of its pregnancies are to teen mothers, and contraceptive and erotica sales remain extremely low.
10. Manchester, New Hampshire.
Like its neighboring Vermont, New Hampshire is lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to births (the state’s birth rate is 11.2, making it the third lowest, behind only Vermont and Maine). However, there’s a silver lining to the sexless cloud: Like Jersey City, Manchester’s teenage pregnancy rate is quite low, and the city is estimated to have the lowest rate of HIV/AIDS in the country.
