If You Can’t Read This, You’re From Philly

Once again, it’s time for Central Connecticut State’s ranking of the America’s top 10 most literate cities.

Once again, Philadelphia is not in the top 10.

Philly did remain pretty much unchanged this year, though, dropping a spot to a tie for 33rd. Philly’s tied with Colorado Springs, who was 19th last year, so that city seemingly had an influx of idiots this year or something.

Seriously, I’m not sure how this works. Last year, Philly was 32nd and Oakland 30th. This year, Philly’s 33rd but Oakland’s 35th. Take that, Bay Area! We’re a little better at reading than you!

In the individual categories, Philly doesn’t crack the top 10 and ends up behind Pittsburgh in pretty much everything. Pittsburgh! Do they have a “One Book, One City” initiative? Er.

Philly’s rankings: 31st in bookstores (per 10,000 population), 45th in education (down from 33rd last year, whoops), 35th in Internet (somehow down two spots), 33rd in libraries, 39th in newspapers (don’t worry, that’ll drop even more next year!) and a big 16th in periodicals, up from a tie for 33rd last year. Whoo! Go Phillymag Speciality Publication Division!

The full list is at CCSU’s website. We reed good in Filly!

And, hey, we have the top pediatric hospital in the nation. Our kids may not be able to read Moby Dick but we can keep them alive! Eat it, Pittsburgh.

America’s Most Literate Cities [CCSU]
Overall Rankings [CCSU]
Magazine Names Philly Hospital Top In Nation [AP/NBC 10]
Dec. 6, 2005: America’s Most Literate Cities 2005

Still, we’re being compared to New York again

You know, there’s really nothing like a totally subjective list to rile up media attention, and today’s totally subjective list is America’s Most Literate Cities, put out by Centeral Connecticut State University, which you may remember from the lower seed numbers on your NCAA Tournament brackets a few years back.

America’s Most Literate Cities is based on six factors: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources. (Philadelphia, perhaps, hurt by newspaper circulation? Eh, it was 37th, so not really.) Philly didn’t crack the top 10 in anything, but finished 32nd, tied with New York (!) and one ahead of Tuscon. (Whoo!) Seattle was No. 1.

So Philly’s stuck as the 32nd most literate major city in America. (Oh, yeah, it also finished right behind Omaha.) But know what’s weird? Last year, Philly was 46th overall. That means we’re on the rise! Even in a bad ranking, everything’s coming up Philadelphia!

2005 America’s Most Literate Cities
2004 America’s Most Literate Cities