NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — How ironic is it that the “City of Brotherly Love” has topped the list of rudest cities? Even a city in the Volunteer State made the top three.
A survey conducted by the e-learning platform Preply asked more than 1,500 residents of the 30 largest metropolitan areas to rate the rudeness of the average resident in their city on a scale of 1 to 10.
Philadelphia was No. 1 on the list, scoring 6.43 on the rudeness scale. With its residents slow to embrace outsiders, locals tend to point to a “feeling of insularity” to explain their behavior, according to the survey.
“Many residents have learned to keep to themselves while growing up in a busy city,” the survey stated.
Memphis, Tennessee, scored 6.05, making it the second rudest city in the U.S.
The study showed that more than any other city, Memphis also ranked highest in common rude behaviors seen throughout the country.
“In Memphis, be prepared to have difficulty merging into traffic and brace yourself for city residents who are likely to be quite noisy in public,” said Preply.
Third in the lineup of rude cities was New York (6.0), where the most common rude behavior in the U.S. is most prominent: being absorbed by a phone in public. The city also ranked high for closed-off body language.
“When we consider a behavior rude, it’s likely because it’s either confrontational or inconsiderate toward others,” according to the survey. “However, in major metropolitan cities, where we interact with many more people on a daily basis, what appears to be confrontation or insensitivity may be a form of self-preservation.”
Here are the top five rudest cities in America:
- Philadelphia (6.43)
- Memphis, Tennessee (6.05)
- New York (6.00)
- Las Vegas (5.98)
- Boston (5.90)
In contrast, the survey found that the most polite cities appear to be in the South, Midwest and West.
Austin, Texas, with a score of 3.91, was the least rude city, with its “laid-back, friendly city atmosphere,” according to the survey. San Diego (4.17) and Fort Worth, Texas, (4.20) rounded out the top three.
“In general, the state of Texas has a reputation for politeness and friendliness, along with the rest of the South, underscoring the stereotype of Southern hospitality,” the survey stated.
Here are the top five most polite cities in America:
- Austin, Texas (3.91)
- San Diego (4.17)
- Fort Worth, Texas (4.20)
- Nashville, Tennessee (4.33)
- Indianapolis (4.47)
To view the full survey, click here.
