America's 10 Cleanest Cities

High-ranking literate cities safer, better for singles

(NEWSER) - The most literate cities tend to be safer, healthier, and have thriving singles' scenes, according to Central Connecticut State University's annual ranking of American cities. Seattle topped the list again this year, which was cross-indexed with statistics and other surveys for the first time. Washington, DC, came in second, knocking Minneapolis into third place, USA Today reports. More»

City tops IBM's 'commuter pain index'

(NEWSER) - Los Angelenos may have fun in the sun, but they suffer the worst commutes, Reuters reports. An IBM survey of 4,446 motorists found that LA commuters ranked their morning drive highest on a "commuter pain index," which measures traffic, stress, anger, and other factors. Though Los Angeles commuters hate their drives the most, New Yorkers actually have the longest commute times, at an average of 38.4 minutes each way. More»

Read all about it

(NEWSER) - New York may be America's cultural capital, but Seattle and Minneapolis top the list as the nation's most literate cities, reports LiveScience. The rankings are based on newspaper, magazine, and online news readership, library usage, book purchases, and educational levels. The two cities also topped the list last year. More»

Sun Belt hogs the lion's share of pudgiest locales

(NEWSER) - The weather may be great and the lifestyle good, but Southern culinary hospitality might be landing the Sun Belt disproportionately on Forbes' list of America's most obese cities. The most rotund:

1. Memphis
2. Birmingham
3. San Antonio

Need a date? These are the best cities in the US if you're single and looking

(NEWSER) - True love is hard to find, but your odds are substantially higher if you live in one of Forbes' top 40 cities for singles.

1. San Francisco-Oakland
2. New York
3. Los Angeles