Considering the broadly positive trends of thrifting and vintage items, you could say pretty much everywhere is hot for vintage. However, some recent research points to some regions and cities being a little hotter than others. In future posts global regions will be discussed. For now, the focus will be only on the U.S.

Check out this map to see if you live in a vintage hot zone. 2026 research from Capital One.

Store concentration, unsurprisingly, lines up very consistently with population estimates for each state. So, total population and total thrift store numbers run parallel for the most part. This is good news, as it seems to point for a supply and demand equilibrium. What that means is – if you want to find a thrift store, it shouldn’t be a problem!

Best Rated Thrifting By City

It’s one thing to know where the vintage and thrift store are. It’s even more important to know how good the shopping is! While this is a somewhat subjective thing, and everyone seems to have their own favorites, there is some research that can help. Data pulled from Yelp informs this city rating chart pointing out which cities are rated highest – and lowest – according to shoppers. Speaking of shopper’s favorites, here are some of mine!

It’s probably a good thing there are so many shopping options in bigger cities like New York, Dallas, and Philadelphia, as they rank among cities with the most poorly rated stores per 10k residents. What that means is that while there are a lot of stores to choose from, you may have a hard time sifting through them all to find good ones before you even start sifting through the vintage gems.

So, while population centers have the highest number of options for secondhand, thrifting, and vintage shopping, the Northeast dominate the highest rated list. In fact, four of the top five highest rated cities for thrifting are in New England. The other is in Alaska. This is great news for people who live in places often left off the maps and Top-10 lists!

Good News For Small Towns

Do you live in Rutland, Vermont? Looking for some entertainment or to save some money? Go check out some of the thrift stores that help make your city #1 on on the list of highly rated thrift stores per 10k residents!

Looking for ways to keep warm or do your part for the planet while living in Wasilla, Alaska? Good news, your city is #2 on the list!

All-in-all, the vintage scene is wonderful, in part, because it’s an accessible option for people wherever they live. Whether you live in a highly populated area, or in the middle of nowhere, USA, you’re probably pretty close to a great thrift store. And, unlike other markets, the vintage market seems to get hotter the further you are from the centers of population! Happy Thrifting, America!