Rudeness and inconsiderate behavior in public spaces is a ubiquitous issue that plagues cities and communities across the United States.
From blasting music through speakers rather than using headphones, to obliviously blocking aisles in the grocery store, people often display a profound lack of self-awareness and consideration for those around them. While certain actions that may be viewed as rude in one locale could be considered standard local customs or mannerisms in another, the reality is that some behaviors are simply inconsiderate, regardless of cultural context.
As language learning experts and culture enthusiasts at Preply, we understand how regional differences can shape perceptions of acceptable public conduct. However, we also recognize that a certain baseline of considerate, courteous behavior should be expected from all members of a shared community.
With this in mind, Preply set out to expand upon its previous research from 2022 to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the state of rudeness across major American cities. Surveying a wide range of new metropolitan areas in addition to revisiting those included in our prior study, we gathered data on the frequency of rude acts witnessed by residents, their perceptions of native citizens versus transplants, and other relevant factors.
Compiling this information allowed us to generate a detailed “rudeness score” to rank cities from the most to the least egregious offenders when it comes to inconsiderate public conduct. By analyzing the changes in these rankings over time, we were also able to identify shifting trends in rude behavior across the country, painting a clearer picture of how civility in shared spaces has evolved. The findings of this latest research offer valuable insights that can inform efforts to promote greater consideration and respect among all members of a community, regardless of cultural background or local customs.
Key takeaways
- Residents in Miami, FL, Philadelphia, PA, and Tampa, FL, are the rudest in 2024.
- Residents in Omaha, NE, Minneapolis, MN, and San Diego, CA, are the least rude in 2024.
- Louisville, KY, Charlotte, NC, Austin, TX, and Chicago, IL, residents have become ruder since 2022.
- Lack of care for others, being loud in shared spaces, and a lack of self-awareness are the most common rude behaviors Americans witness others doing in public.
- The older an American is, the more likely they are to think transplant residents are ruder than natives in their city.
- With the upcoming election, 1 in 2 Americans think residents of their city have become more rude.
- Compared to the rest of their state’s residents, 1 in 4 Americans think the residents of their city are the rudest.
- Nearly 1 in 4 Americans have considered moving somewhere else due to people’s rude behaviors in their city.
Where Americans are rudest while in public
The United States is known to be home to many different cultures and a wide range of social behaviors, which reflect its diverse society. Whether you encounter being ignored, loud shared spaces, or closed-off body language, depending on where you are in the country, you may experience social behaviors that seem questionable or even rude.
If you’re in Miami, FL, Philadelphia, PA, or Tampa, FL, don’t be surprised if you come across the rudest people you’ve ever met, as residents in those cities ranked as the rudest in 2024.
To determine the rankings, Preply surveyed residents about social behaviors they noticed in their city and calculated a city rudeness score based on the answers. Despite the official rankings, residents shared where they think their neighbors land on the rudeness scale. Locals in Miami, FL, Oakland, CA, and Tucson, AZ, said people in their city are ruder than those in any other city.
Lack of awareness in public, loudness in shared places, and rudeness to service staff members are just some of the behaviors that branded Miami, FL, as having the rudest residents. Although Philadelphia, PA, ranked as the second rudest, the city’s residents have actually gotten kinder since 2022, when they ranked number one. However, not all cities have improved.
In fact, some have ranked significantly ruder than they did in 2022. Louisville, KY, Charlotte, NC, and Austin, TX, all ranked at least five spots higher on the rudest cities list than they did two years ago, and Chicago, IL, ranked one spot higher.
In general, people are aware of rude behaviors throughout the country that skew their perception of Americans as a whole. On average, when asked to rank their city’s residents’ behavior on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most rude, locals rank their city as 4.9. While various factors can impact social behaviors, with the upcoming presidential election, 1 in 2 say their city’s residents have become more rude.
Where Americans are least rude by city
While in some cities you’re most likely to encounter unfavorable behaviors from those around you, there are other cities where that’s least likely the case. The cities that ranked as least rude in 2024 are Omaha, NE, Minneapolis, MN, and San Diego, CA.
Whether you’re experiencing the midwestern charm in Omaha, neighborly support in Minneapolis, or the friendly laid-back reputation of those in San Diego, these cities generally exhibit a welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors.
Looking back at 2022, cities like San Diego, CA, ranked significantly kinder, moving down 15 spots on the rudest cities list. The top cities that improved most on rudeness by moving down on the list the most spots were Washington D.C., Detroit, MI, San Jose, CA, and Milwaukee, WI.
This shows that it’s possible for the general norm in a city to frequently change, resulting in a more positive experience for those who reside in or visit it.
Rudest behaviors exhibited by Americans in 2024
Methodology
In this study, we surveyed Americans across the country once again to determine if rudeness levels have changed since 2022 when our first study was published. Similar to the original study, we asked a variety of questions regarding the rude behaviors Americans witness in their city. We included everything from residents’ politeness toward strangers and servers to inconsiderate usage of phones in public and more. We then applied scores to responses that indicated a higher frequency of rudeness and calculated the average score for each city. We then adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 representing the rudest.
In addition to the 30 cities included in the original study, we surveyed 16 new cities. We then analyzed the ranking from 2022 compared to each city’s ranking in 2024 to determine how residents’ behavior has changed.
