And America’s Dirtiest City Is…

The fine folks at Travel + Leisure magazine have done the math, and this year's number one may surprise you. (Or not.)

  • Share
  • Read Later
Jumper

Times Square in New York City.

Which city in America ranks first for rats, garbage and overall yuckiness? Travel + Leisure polled their readers on 35 metropolitan areas in the U.S. to find out exactly what it takes to be the Nation’s Dirtiest City.

And the winner (or loser): New York City. Gotham jumps to the top of the list, up four spots from last year, although as a consolation prize the city also ranked number one in “theater, stylish locals, and luxury stores.”

New Orleans comes in second place, while Baltimore, Md. rounds out the top three. Some characteristics become apparent throughout the list: Most “dirty” towns are big cities with a booming nightlife. Travel + Leisure also points out that most of these “dirty cities” often do their fair share to keep squalor off the streets.

America’s top 10 dirtiest cities are:

  1. New York City, NY
  2. New Orleans, LA
  3. Baltimore, MD
  4. Los Angeles, CA
  5. Atlanta, GA
  6. Philadelphia, PA
  7. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
  8. Miami, FL
  9. Memphis, TN
  10. Houston, TX

See the full list here.

Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.