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Access to grocery stores, farmers markets, big-box retail, and unique local shops.
Everyday retail more than destination shopping: whether there's a decent supermarket nearby, whether fresh produce is available and affordable, and whether independent shops have survived alongside the chains.
Grocery access is a quality-of-life issue disguised as a convenience one. Areas with only a convenience store within walking distance — food deserts — mean higher prices and worse options for anyone without reliable transport, and the difference shows up in both budget and diet.
Every score comes from residents rating the place they live, not from an index we calculated. People score shopping & local business from 0 to 10 alongside nine other life aspects, and write about what works and what doesn't. Each review is read by a person before it appears.
Cities are ranked on the mean of their shops scores. Any city with at least one approved review is eligible, which means a highly-rated city with two reviews can currently outrank a well-known one with five — worth keeping in mind when reading the table above.
We're early. The rankings get more reliable with every review, so if you know one of these cities, add your own.