With more than 97% of educators reporting learning loss among their students due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Least Educated Cities in America.
To determine where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle down, WalletHub compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the racial education gap to the quality of the public-school system.
Least Educated Cities in America
Overall Rank* | MSA | Total Score | Educational Attainment | Quality of Education & Attainment Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
150 | Visalia, CA | 9.93 | 148 | 145 |
149 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 10.10 | 149 | 114 |
148 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 14.14 | 150 | 12 |
147 | Bakersfield, CA | 15.81 | 147 | 136 |
146 | Modesto, CA | 20.41 | 146 | 139 |
145 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 25.39 | 142 | 144 |
144 | Stockton, CA | 26.17 | 145 | 66 |
143 | Salinas, CA | 27.88 | 143 | 113 |
142 | Ocala, FL | 28.63 | 135 | 149 |
141 | Corpus Christi, TX | 28.99 | 138 | 137 |
140 | Fresno, CA | 29.14 | 144 | 34 |
139 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 29.60 | 141 | 93 |
138 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 32.22 | 137 | 57 |
137 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 33.23 | 136 | 74 |
136 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 34.05 | 134 | 73 |
135 | El Paso, TX | 34.58 | 139 | 13 |
134 | Lafayette, LA | 35.22 | 140 | 6 |
133 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 35.73 | 132 | 83 |
132 | Reading, PA | 36.26 | 131 | 110 |
131 | Mobile, AL | 36.59 | 133 | 33 |
130 | Rockford, IL | 37.10 | 127 | 131 |
129 | Lancaster, PA | 38.69 | 130 | 84 |
128 | York-Hanover, PA | 38.73 | 128 | 98 |
127 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 38.92 | 129 | 87 |
126 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 39.19 | 117 | 148 |
125 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 39.22 | 125 | 100 |
124 | Canton-Massillon, OH | 39.80 | 126 | 65 |
123 | Flint, MI | 39.81 | 123 | 126 |
122 | Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | 40.07 | 122 | 122 |
121 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 40.86 | 121 | 119 |
120 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 41.62 | 124 | 32 |
119 | Vallejo, CA | 42.17 | 107 | 147 |
118 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 42.82 | 116 | 102 |
117 | Salisbury, MD-DE | 42.91 | 110 | 142 |
116 | Salem, OR | 43.22 | 120 | 58 |
115 | Baton Rouge, LA | 43.76 | 118 | 63 |
114 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | 43.83 | 115 | 78 |
113 | Killeen-Temple, TX | 43.90 | 111 | 117 |
112 | Fayetteville, NC | 45.26 | 114 | 39 |
111 | Winston-Salem, NC | 45.36 | 119 | 20 |
110 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 45.64 | 101 | 140 |
109 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 45.80 | 108 | 101 |
108 | Tulsa, OK | 45.84 | 109 | 95 |
107 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 46.04 | 112 | 44 |
106 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 46.16 | 104 | 112 |
105 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 46.31 | 113 | 27 |
104 | Fort Wayne, IN | 46.94 | 105 | 76 |
103 | Toledo, OH | 47.36 | 102 | 96 |
102 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 47.55 | 100 | 86 |
101 | Montgomery, AL | 47.78 | 97 | 103 |
100 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 47.94 | 98 | 89 |
99 | Greenville-Anderson, SC | 48.23 | 103 | 53 |
98 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 48.42 | 92 | 109 |
97 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 48.43 | 106 | 30 |
96 | Jackson, MS | 48.67 | 90 | 108 |
95 | Springfield, MO | 48.90 | 96 | 72 |
94 | Peoria, IL | 49.33 | 94 | 69 |
93 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 50.24 | 95 | 36 |
92 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 50.25 | 99 | 23 |
91 | Knoxville, TN | 50.26 | 91 | 56 |
90 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 50.40 | 85 | 104 |
89 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 50.63 | 86 | 94 |
88 | Wichita, KS | 50.64 | 79 | 124 |
87 | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 50.89 | 60 | 150 |
86 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 51.22 | 84 | 92 |
85 | Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 51.27 | 71 | 141 |
84 | Oklahoma City, OK | 51.29 | 87 | 51 |
83 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 51.39 | 88 | 45 |
82 | Savannah, GA | 51.70 | 72 | 127 |
81 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 51.72 | 80 | 97 |
80 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 52.27 | 82 | 70 |
79 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 52.36 | 93 | 10 |
78 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 52.54 | 66 | 134 |
77 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 52.64 | 81 | 62 |
76 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 53.11 | 67 | 125 |
75 | Akron, OH | 53.20 | 74 | 99 |
74 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 53.67 | 65 | 106 |
73 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 53.73 | 77 | 55 |
72 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 53.73 | 73 | 75 |
71 | Jacksonville, FL | 54.08 | 75 | 54 |
70 | Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI | 54.41 | 69 | 79 |
69 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 54.43 | 89 | 2 |
68 | Dayton-Kettering, OH | 54.58 | 70 | 68 |
67 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 54.66 | 56 | 143 |
66 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 54.96 | 83 | 8 |
65 | Columbia, SC | 55.04 | 63 | 81 |
64 | Reno, NV | 55.12 | 76 | 26 |
63 | Springfield, MA | 55.27 | 64 | 61 |
62 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 55.53 | 78 | 15 |
61 | Syracuse, NY | 55.55 | 58 | 115 |
60 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 55.63 | 47 | 135 |
59 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 56.02 | 62 | 64 |
58 | Boise City, ID | 56.44 | 68 | 29 |
57 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 56.69 | 48 | 118 |
56 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 56.75 | 45 | 130 |
55 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 56.79 | 44 | 123 |
54 | Anchorage, AK | 57.03 | 42 | 129 |
53 | Worcester, MA-CT | 57.29 | 51 | 88 |
52 | Albuquerque, NM | 57.45 | 59 | 47 |
51 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 57.73 | 61 | 28 |
50 | Tucson, AZ | 58.05 | 55 | 48 |
49 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 58.12 | 57 | 37 |
48 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 58.49 | 33 | 138 |
47 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | 58.51 | 54 | 42 |
46 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 58.53 | 52 | 46 |
45 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 58.53 | 50 | 59 |
44 | Columbus, OH | 58.76 | 40 | 107 |
43 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 58.97 | 39 | 105 |
42 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 59.55 | 53 | 21 |
41 | Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 60.18 | 36 | 82 |
40 | Salt Lake City, UT | 60.18 | 41 | 50 |
39 | Rochester, NY | 60.21 | 30 | 111 |
38 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 60.27 | 27 | 121 |
37 | Richmond, VA | 60.34 | 34 | 80 |
36 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | 60.54 | 49 | 19 |
35 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 60.59 | 31 | 90 |
34 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | 60.69 | 26 | 132 |
33 | Pittsburgh, PA | 60.91 | 38 | 40 |
32 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 61.17 | 32 | 67 |
31 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 61.34 | 37 | 52 |
30 | Asheville, NC | 61.38 | 43 | 25 |
29 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 61.67 | 35 | 41 |
28 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 62.13 | 46 | 7 |
27 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 64.14 | 21 | 128 |
26 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 64.65 | 29 | 18 |
25 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 64.69 | 28 | 16 |
24 | Huntsville, AL | 64.86 | 23 | 60 |
23 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 64.87 | 24 | 35 |
22 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 66.24 | 20 | 91 |
21 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 66.58 | 18 | 116 |
20 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 67.37 | 25 | 3 |
19 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 67.90 | 13 | 120 |
18 | Tallahassee, FL | 68.93 | 22 | 9 |
17 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 69.36 | 17 | 71 |
16 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 69.63 | 19 | 43 |
15 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 69.69 | 16 | 77 |
14 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 70.53 | 11 | 85 |
13 | Colorado Springs, CO | 71.62 | 12 | 31 |
12 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 72.27 | 7 | 146 |
11 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 72.33 | 8 | 133 |
10 | Provo-Orem, UT | 72.48 | 14 | 22 |
9 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 72.54 | 15 | 11 |
8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 75.28 | 10 | 14 |
7 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 77.31 | 9 | 5 |
6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 78.80 | 6 | 38 |
5 | Madison, WI | 80.06 | 3 | 49 |
4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 80.74 | 5 | 17 |
3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 82.06 | 2 | 24 |
2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 82.60 | 4 | 4 |
1 | Ann Arbor, MI | 94.02 | 1 | 1 |
Note: *1 = Most Educated