We’ve all met a snob or two in our lives. But have you been to a city that feels downright snobby? Travelers and residents alike reveal the snobbiest U.S. cities from their experiences.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is the epitome of snobbiness, according to over 250 users of an online forum discussing snobby cities. One of the biggest reasons? “Very old money,” according to one commenter.
Another commenter disagrees. “For me, snobbiest people don’t live in places like Greenwich, CT, but rather in ones like Fairfield, CT, or Tenafly, NJ. Not the most affluent, but pretty close to it.”
2: Portland, Oregon
A Portland native was surprised by how snobby their home felt after they moved and returned to visit. “People there are simply unfriendly,” they said. While they acknowledged there are unfriendly people everywhere, they feel the “average person there [in Portland] has a smug look and doesn’t want to talk to you.”
3: Montecito, California
Montecito is the snobbiest city in the US, according to a former visitor. They describe it as the place to go “when Santa Barbara is just too poor and gross for you.” Another snob factor? “Average listing price is like $5 million.”
4: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
One commenter describes Martha’s Vineyard as feeling “untouchable” to them, citing it at the top of their list as the snobbiest city in America. Another person said that Nantucket is right up there beside Martha’s Vineyard.
5: Aspen, Colorado
Aspen may be a looker, but dozens of commenters agree it has a snobby vibe. One person’s reaction when they hear someone say they own a “little” place in Aspen is, “Oh, puke, of course you do.” However, a person who lived in Aspen for two skiing seasons believes “the snobby people are visitors, not locals.” They explain, “The people that work and live there are mountain hippies by and large.”
6: Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale should be renamed “Snottsdale,” according to one traveler. “I swear North Phoenix is the unofficial Hollywood USA.” They blame laws keeping the city free of poor people and ultra-pristine as the reason for it feeling so snobby.
7: Los Angeles, California
The city where stars are made also happens to be where snobs are born if one traveler’s experience is any indication. They describe snobs in LA as being self-absorbed, talking unnecessarily loudly, and “feeling like they had to let everyone know that they were more important.”
8: Mountain Brook, Alabama
Mountain Brook, a suburb of Birmingham, is another city that has a reputation for being snobby because of old money. One forum user describes Mountain Brook as being “One of the wealthiest communities in the US [and] 95% white.”
9: Boulder, Colorado
If you want to avoid snobby folks, many Americans advise taking Boulder off your list of places to visit. One person jokes that if “you want to really suffer” with being around snobs, head to Beat Book Shop.
10: Miami, Florida
Verbal insults are like a sport in Miami, according to one fed-up former Miami visitor. They clarified that Miami’s snobbiness was particularly notable around the South Beach area, and while not everyone they encountered had snobby characteristics, the non-snobs felt few and far between.
11: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Commenters were divided on Ann Arbor being on the list of snobbiest cities in the US. While some described the city as ultra-pretentious, many felt that while Ann Arbor may be the snobbiest city in Michigan, it likely isn’t the snobbiest state in America.
12: Palos Verdes, California
In coastal California, accessibility to good waves is a make-or-break point for whether a city is snobby. A commenter pointed out that Palos Verdes once had a group of people that would chase non-locals off “their” surfing beaches. To top it off, it’s a “very rich suburb of Los Angeles,” making it prime for snobiness.
13: Newport, Rhode Island
If wealth indicates snobbiness, Newport seems to fit this title with ease, according to one person. “My image of Newport, Rhode Island is that you need to [show] them a seven-figure bank statement before they even let you in.” Yet again, a separate commenter pointed out that, from their experience, it’s Neport’s visitors that are snobby, not its locals.
14: Bay Area, California
“Most of the Bay Area” is snobby, claims an in-the-know commenter. Many people chimed in with their experiences, agreeing that areas like Marin County, Sebastopol, and Los Gatos breed snobs.
15: St Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is allegedly a snob’s playground. A Kansas City resident says, from their experience, St. Louis residents “constantly compare EVERYTHING to the equivalent that they have in St. Louis.” The kicker? Everything is apparently “soooo much better” in St. Louis.
16: New York City, New York
One commenter accuses New York City residents of being snobs over “the dumbest things.” Case in point? Pizza. “It’s just pizza,” they say. There’s no need to be a snob about it.
17: Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is hands-down the snobbiest city in the US, according to a local who lives near, but not in, the city. They describe it as being the place where “D.C. elitists and politicians [live] right outside the nation’s capital.”
18: Atherton, California
Yet another Californian city made the cut for the snobbiest cities in the US. This time, it’s for political reasons. “[Atherton voted] against affordable housing being built because it would look bad compared to all the mansions.”
Source: Reddit.
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