A year shy of a decade, Charleston has held the top spot on the list of small cities in the United States for nine straight years. Conde Nast Traveler recently awarded the Holy City with the title as #1 Small City in the United States.
For 32 years, Conde Nast has done its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, allowing well-traveled readers to cast their votes for the best places they’ve visited around the world. In years past, the vote was a single category of best cities, but with a record-breaking 300,000+ registered voters this year, the vote was broken up into two categories: cities with 350,000 people or less and cities with more.
As the ranking states, “When you consider everything it has to offer—history, culture, food, charm—it’s no wonder the so-called Holy City has topped our list of the best small cities in the U.S. for nine years running.” From the architecture to the world-class restaurants, Charleston cannot be beat, as the past nine years have clearly shown.
With the immense popularity Charleston has gained over the years, Conde Nast even included a separate ranking for the 10 best hotels in Charleston for the Readers’ Choice Awards. The French Quarter Inn topped the list, making it the best place to stay in the best city in the nation!
As the numbers have grown to over 7 million visitors in the Charleston area, so has the yearly economic boost that the area receives from the tourism industry. Currently, at over $8 billion pumped into the region’s economy, that number is bound to grow even more with this year’s rankings.
With number one rankings from Southern Living, Afar and even seven years straight in Travel + Leisure, it’s clear that Charleston, SC is a great place to visit and an even better place to live!