Read a Book, Why Don't You? The 15 Best US Cities for Bookworms.

According to the results, the US East Coast beats the West Coast by a huge margin when it comes to literary cities. In fact, the US West Coast scores only one spot on the list, giving the sixth spot to Portland, Oregon. But the reason for that is probably more related to history than whether residents there are vociferous readers. Most cities on the East Coast are 100 or more years older than cities on the West Coast — and notable writers in the 18th and 19th centuries couldn’t exactly pick up and move to San Francisco or Las Vegas at the drop of a hat.

1. Lancaster, PA

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Lancaster, PA, is often celebrated for its rich history and Amish communities, but it has plenty to offer for literature lovers, too. It scores high marks for its number of independent bookstores, as well as literary festivals. While not a literary titan like Boston or New York, Lancaster has several notable authors connected to the city, including Gordon and Helen Doss (known for their Amish fiction), and novelist Beverly Lewis, whose works delve into Amish life. The city also has offerings like writing workshops and book clubs hosted through local libraries.

Books set in Lancaster, PA:

• The Witness by Carol Beachy Yoder
• Plain and Fancy by Kathryn Stockett
• The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis

2. New York, NY

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It’s almost surprising that NYC doesn’t take the top spot, but runner up is still pretty good. NYC scored highly for book-lovers based on factors like the New York Public Library System, myriad famous novels set in the famous city, and landmarks dedicated to authors even non-bibliophiles know, like Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll. From the Gilded Age’s Edith Wharton’s capture of the Upper East Side’s opulence to Langston Hughes voice during the Harlem’s Renaissance, NYC’s neighborhoods have been literary stages. And that continues into recent times, from the Beat Generation’s Allen Ginsberg to modern authors and journalists who live across the borough.

The city has too many literary offerings to begin to list, ranging from the Morgan Library and Museum to self-guided literature walking tours to a several annual book festivals that attract thousands of attendees.

Books set in NY, NY:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

3. Harrisburg, PA

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Another entry in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg scored very highly for access to bookstores and libraries. One store that gave it a leg up was the semi well-known Midtown Scholar Bookstore, a large independent bookstore in a former movie theater from the Roaring 1920s. The bookstore sells rare, used, and new books, and can facilitate pre-orders (or current orders) of signed copies from modern-day authors. It also hosts a plethora of literature-themed public events, including several author readings every month, author lectures, and a book festival each October that draws some big-name writers.

Books set in Harrisburg, PA:

• The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
• Then and Now in Harrisburg by Marian Inglewood
• Witches of Pennsylvania by Thomas White

4. Pensacola, FL

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Pensacola’s points came mostly from access to bookstores and libraries, as well as unique events like Books By the Bay. It’s an outdoor literary festival held every April by Emerald Coast Writers, a large, local literary group that offers everything from writing contest to workshops and critique sessions to anyone around the city. While it doesn’t have many sites or tours dedicated to literature, it does have a leg up on some of the other best cities for book lovers when it comes to where to read. Around the city, there are just over 30 miles of beaches that open to the calm and warm Gulf of Mexico — and it’s hard to beat an afternoon spent lying on the sand with a juicy beach read.

Books set around Pensacola, FL:

• The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead
• All Night Long by Michael Lister
• The Forgotten by David Baldacci

5. Poughkeepsie, NY

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Poughkeepsie sits in the beautiful Hudson Valley, an area perhaps most known in the art world for the Hudson Valley landscape painting movement of the mid-1800s. But the Hudson Valley has been a magnet for writers, too, and the town of Poughkeepsie scored highly for its public access to the sprawling libraries at Vassar College, as well as cool bookshop cafes that serve as meeting and social hubs.

Novelist Edith Wharton based one of her fictional mansions on a historic home available for public tours at Staatsburgh Historic Site (20 minutes from Poughkeepsie), author Washington Irving’s home in Tarrytown (about an hour south of Poughkeepsie) is open for public tours and near the home of NYT newspaper magnet Horace Greeley, and the FDR Presidential Library and Museum is just 15 minutes from Poughkeepsie in Hyde Park, NY.

Books set around the Hudson Valley, NY:

• Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
• World’s End by T.C. Boyle
• Mighty Change, Tall Within by Myra B. Young Armstead

The remaining 10 best cities for bookworms on the list include Portland, OR; Pittsburg, PA; Birmingham, AL; Cincinnati, OH; St. Louis, MO; Washington, DC; Ann Arbor, MI; Portland, ME; and Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. You view details of all the winning cities, including why they made the cut, at this link, or browse all the data details at this link.