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BROOKLINE, Mass. -- In a study to evaluate kindness in the 25 largest cities in the United States, one Ohio city cracked the top five in the rankings.
Columbus, the only Ohio city among the nation’s 25 largest, was ranked second among the friendliest cities in the nation – tied with two others, in a study compiled by Preply.
The city scored in the top 5 for how residents reacted to strangers (No. 5) and actions such as holding a door open for others (No. 2), holding an elevator for others (No. 4), and being willing to care for a neighbor’s pet (No. 4). It scored No. 6 for friendliness toward pets and was in the top 5 for acts of general politeness, such as saying hello.
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Preply, a company focused on language with 10,000 online tutors teaching 50 languages worldwide, compiled the rankings after surveying surveyed 1,258 Americans in the 25 largest cities about the friendliness of the residents.
“In a world filled with bustling cities and busy lives, being outwardly friendly to people can often require true effort,” Preply’s Matt Zajechowski wrote. “Whether slowing down to hold the door open for someone or offering directions to those trying to find their way, you can find many opportunities in the day to be friendly to those around you.”
Respondents were quizzed on what friendly words and actions they observed Americans sharing the most. The respondents ranged in age from 18 to 76 years old, and were 49% female, 49% male and 2% nonbinary.
Once the list of most common friendly acts was compiled, cities were given a score that established their places in the Top 25.
Topping the list was Austin, Texas, with a friendliness score of 7.45 out of a possible 10 points. Columbus, the 14th largest city based on 2022 population estimates, was tied with Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Antonio, Texas, for No. 2, each with an average score of 7.16. El Paso, Texas, was No. 5 with a score of 7.10.
The three least friendly cities among America’s top 25 were Philadelphia, Seattle and Boston, Preply found.
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