From the eastern shores of NYC to the California sun, we all dream of living, working, or visiting somewhere cool, chic, and trendy. But which cities in North America best-offer this lifestyle? We decided to investigate!

Comparing every US and Canadian city across a range of factors, including the number of record stores, microbreweries, tattoo studios, vegan restaurants, and thrift stores, online slots site Betway have been able to reveal the best locations to enjoy the hipster lifestyle. There are certainly some surprises…

North America’s trendiest cities

Comparing a range of factors, from the number of microbreweries to the rate of record stores, we can definitively reveal the ‘coolest’ cities across the US and Canada. So, lets get straight into it…

Coming away with top spot, with an almost-perfect index score of 3.958 out of 5, we have none other than Oregon’s Portland, home to a whopping 110 record stores, 188 microbreweries – 35% than next placed Seattle (139) – and 301 tattoo studios, behind only New York City (388).

Meanwhile, the Big Apple ranks second overall (3.904), thanks to the 99 record stores, extraordinary rate of tattoo parlors, and strong selection of vegan restaurants (1089). Interestingly, though, the City that Never Sleeps can only boast 91 microbreweries – the fifth most of all North American cities - and just 112 thrift stores, despite its enormous population.

Next up, perhaps unsurprisingly considering its influence in the world of music and art, the California city of Los Angeles takes third, with an index score of 3.301. However, it’s the consistently high rate of record stores (90), independent breweries (92), tattoo studios (240), vegan-friendly restaurants (910), and thrift stores (117) that truly puts LA on the map for hipsters!

Taking fourth, Seattle scores 2.470 out of 5, largely thanks to its 139 microbreweries – second only to Portland – and reasonable rate of record stores (69) and veggie food outlets (372). Finally, rounding out North America’s five coolest cities, we have Canda’s top inclusion: Toronto. In fact, the Ontario capital has an abundance of thrift stores (165), as well as a reasonable rate of record and vinyl stores (64).

The 10 coolest US cities to live and work in

Joining Portland, New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle among the coolest US cities to work and reside in, we have the Pennsylvania metropolis of Philadelphia.

With an index score of 2.374, Philly performs particularly well when it comes to the number of tattoo studios (280) and thrift stores (78) but falls just outside the top five US cities for the rate of record shops (62).

Next up, Austin, Texas (1.960) takes sixth, ahead of Atlanta (1.539) and the glitz and glam of Las Vegas (1.532), while Orlando (1.398) and Vancouver (1.390) - Washington, not Canada - round out the ten most hipster-friendly cities in America.

Revealing the coolest Canadian cities to live and work

While Toronto might be the only Canadian city to make it into our overall top five, there are a few locations that just miss out.

Notably, Montreal is the seventh coolest city in North America, and the second-trendiest in Canada, with a respectable index score of 2.124. Impressively, the City of Saints has more vegan-friendly restaurants than any other Canadian city, and the second-highest rate of record stores (32).

Meanwhile, Calgary (1.829) and Vancouver (1.687) are Canada’s third and fourth coolest cities, ahead of Edmonton (1.623) and Hamilton (1.385). Curiously, Calgary (118) and Edmonton (83) have more independent breweries than any city in the Great White North, while Hamilton has the joint-most tattoo parlors (240), and Vancouver has the highest rate of thrift stores (208).

Finally, Ottawa (1.207), St. Catharines (0.918), Oshawa (0.740), and Halifax (0.635) round out the ten trendiest Canadian cities, with Ottawa boasting the third-highest rate of record stores (27), Halifax having the second-most vegan eateries (250), and St. Catharines home to 122 thrift stores.

So, there you have it – the trendiest cities across the US and Canada for the hipster lifestyle you deserve! And if you liked this, why not explore the rest of the Betway blog for even more interesting insight.