The Best U.S. Cities For Spiritual Sojourns
It’s a new year and that means new adventures! From psychic readings to self-care, you might want to incorporate spirituality into your next itinerary, and here are the best places to do that.
A new study has revealed the best cities in the U.S. to practice spirituality, and the results may surprise you, as they did us! In order to establish the rankings, psychics at the Spiritual guidance platform Nebula examined seven factors to determine the overall result. These included the number of crystal shops, yoga studios, green spaces, and sacred landmarks in each U.S. city.
The city was then awarded a score out of 10 for each factor, with 10 being the highest possible score. The study then calculated a final index score out of 100 for each city, determining the final ranking. The cities with the highest final scores are considered to be the best locations to practice spirituality.
Iva Naskova, a Nebula psychic, commented on the study: “Spirituality, often defined as seeking a connection with something greater than oneself, can influence our daily lives and shift our perspectives. This sense of connection can be nurtured in various ways, from yoga to tarot card readings.
“This study highlights which cities are better suited for practicing spirituality than others and emphasizes that religion isn’t always the motivation for practicing spirituality in daily routines, as seen through those who connect with spirituality through yoga or crystal rituals.
The top 10 best cities to practice spirituality
The number 1 place was claimed by Atlanta, which the study found to be the best U.S. city to practice spirituality, with a final score of 69.23 out of 100. The city, located in Georgia, received a high score for its number of green spaces and yoga studios in the area. According to the study, 54.38% of the city consists of green spaces and there are 74 yoga studios around the area. Did you know there are over 100 Hindu temples in Atlanta, such as the Krishna Life Temple and Monastery? They have a women’s ashram and lots of meditation. There’s also Queer Yoga in the Park among many other spiritual events especially for POC. Just ask Southern Fried Queer Pride.
Tampa is named the second-best city to practice spirituality, with an overall score of 68.46 out of 100. The city, located in Florida, was ranked highly for having a total of 33 crystal shops in the area. The study also found that Tampa has a total of 64 yoga studios, making the city one of the top locations for practicing spiritual self-care. While you’re there, check out queer-friendly Royal Suzie for all your metaphysical supplies. And check out all the classes at Lucky Cat Yoga and Wellness.
Minneapolis is in third place, receiving a final score of 68.12 out of 100. The Minnesota-based city was awarded the highest possible score of 10 for having a high number of crystal shops in the area, which is a total of 42. The study calculated that there are a total of 9.88 crystal shops per 100,000 residents in Minneapolis, making the city a spiritual hotspot. For example, check out The Bloom Bums, a queer-owned mobile crystal shop based out of the Minneapolis Farmers Market Annex.
Oakland is crowned the fourth-best city for practicing spirituality, with a final score of 61.70 out of 100. The California city was ranked highly for having many sacred or religious landmarks in the area. Oakland is well-known for its religious community and its selection of places of worship. Check out Sacred Roots for a wide range of wellness and healing options for LGBTQ+ people and BIPOC. And House of Our Queer is a spiritual playspace run by witch and healer Bex Mui.
New Orleans is in fifth place, with an overall score of 61.34 out of 100. The city, located in Louisiana, received the highest possible score of 10 for having 105 yoga studios in the area. New Orleans also received a high score for having many religious or sacred landmarks in the city. Sama Studio offers queer yoga here.
Seattle ranks sixth, with a final score of 61.18 out of 100. The city, located in Washington, was ranked highly for having 47.64% of green spaces and a large number of sacred or religious landmarks in the area. The best-rated LGBTQ-friendly churches near Seattle include Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Bethany Community Church, St Joseph Parish Church, Overlake Christian Church, Rainier Beach UMC, Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church, and Crossroads Bible Church.
Washington D.C. is named the seventh-best city for practicing spirituality, with an overall score of 59.93 out of 100. The city received high scores for having a large number of green spaces and yoga studios in the area. The Mystic Eye has been described as having a queer following, while The Metaphysical Center hosts a retreat for gay men called GaySpirits, designed to explore the spiritual lives of gay men. There is also the Center for Spiritual Living DC at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center.
Boston is in eighth place, with a final score of 59.33 out of 100. The city, located in Massachusetts, received the highest possible score of 10 for its large number of sacred or religious landmarks in the area. According to the study, Boston has a total of 3.84 spiritual landmarks per 100,000 residents – the highest figure in the study. Trinity Church Boston has an LGBTQ fellowship.
Miami is named as the ninth-best city for practicing spirituality, receiving a final score of 57.33 out of 100. The vibrant city in Florida ranks highly for having a total of 22 crystal shops and 93 yoga studios in the area. Check out the Queer Yoga Club here.
Tucson appears in tenth place, with an overall score of 57.18. The study found that there is a total of 53 crystal shops and 51 yoga studios in the Arizona-based city, making Tucson one of the top locations for practicing spirituality.
Here are the worst cities for spiritual pursuits:
According to Nebula’s study, Virginia Beach was named the worst location for individuals looking to practice spirituality, with a final score of 25.43 out of 100. Despite its vast array of churches, the city received a low rating for having a low number of sacred or religious landmarks in the area.
Other low-ranking cities include Long Beach, which received a final score of 25.99, and Wichita, with an overall score of 26.61 out of 100.
“Thanks to the influence of social media, there has been a noticeable rise in people seeking to practice spirituality, particularly those within younger generations. Tarot card readers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram have encouraged others to take an interest in daily horoscopes and zodiac signs,” Naskova continued.
“It will be interesting to see if cities take this rise in spirituality into account and whether we’ll see more crystal shops and yoga studios opening across America.”
