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National rankings

Towns that borrow the most from their library in the U.S.

Ranked by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. Top 100 towns and cities with 10,000+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Upper Arlington 1 Upper Arlington OH 41.3 per resident Upper Arlington Public Library Easttown 2 Easttown Chester County, PA 32.3 per resident Easttown Library Ocean City 3 Ocean City NJ 31.3 per resident Ocean City Free Public Library
#TownLoans per residentLibraryLoans a year
1 Upper Arlington Upper ArlingtonOH · 36,293 people 41.3 per resident Upper Arlington Public Library 1,499,017
2 Easttown EasttownChester County, PA · 11,067 people 32.3 per resident Easttown Library 354,581
3 Ocean City Ocean CityNJ · 11,261 people 31.3 per resident Ocean City Free Public Library 351,037
4 Falls Church Falls ChurchVA · 14,710 people 30.8 per resident Mary Riley Styles Public Library 449,624
5 Hopkinton HopkintonMiddlesex County, MA · 19,358 people 28.6 per resident Hopkinton Public Library 550,685
6 Perrysburg PerrysburgOH · 25,181 people 27.5 per resident Way Public Library 685,808
7 Yorba Linda Yorba LindaCA · 67,170 people 24.8 per resident Yorba Linda Public Library 1,638,173
8 Whitefish Bay Whitefish BayWI · 14,665 people 24.8 per resident Whitefish Bay Public Library 365,032
9 Chapel Hill Chapel HillNC · 61,607 people 23.6 per resident Chapel Hill Public Library 1,495,215
10 Wilmette WilmetteIL · 27,503 people 23.6 per resident Wilmette Public Library District 664,193
11 Weston WestonMiddlesex County, MA · 11,579 people 23.5 per resident Weston Public Library 274,542
12 Shorewood ShorewoodWI · 13,627 people 22.9 per resident Shorewood Public Library 313,250
13 Stillwater StillwaterMN · 19,355 people 22.8 per resident Stillwater Public Library 442,463
14 East Greenbush East GreenbushRensselaer County, NY · 16,687 people 22.4 per resident East Greenbush Community Library 374,989
15 Camas CamasWA · 27,007 people 21.9 per resident Camas Public Library 604,598
16 Northbrook NorthbrookIL · 34,585 people 21.5 per resident Northbrook Public Library 755,696
17 Skokie SkokieIL · 66,219 people 21.3 per resident Skokie Public Library 1,446,067
18 Mill Valley Mill ValleyCA · 14,012 people 21.3 per resident Mill Valley Public Library 290,311
19 Map of Menlo Park Menlo ParkCA · 32,727 people 20.7 per resident Menlo Park Public Library 685,054
20 Lexington LexingtonMiddlesex County, MA · 34,295 people 20.2 per resident Cary Memorial Library 688,083
21 Palo Alto Palo AltoCA · 67,237 people 19.9 per resident Palo Alto City Library 1,351,949
22 Mountain Brook Mountain BrookAL · 22,029 people 19.9 per resident Mountain Brook - Emmet O`neal Library 435,809
23 Map of Anacortes AnacortesWA · 17,966 people 19.8 per resident Anacortes Public Library 360,886
24 Kirkwood KirkwoodMO · 29,363 people 19.7 per resident Kirkwood Public Library 581,095
25 Millburn MillburnEssex County, NJ · 22,145 people 19.7 per resident Millburn Free Public Library 427,286
26 Cottonwood CottonwoodAZ · 12,580 people 19.7 per resident Cottonwood Public Library 249,592
27 Barrington BarringtonBristol County, RI · 17,126 people 19.6 per resident Barrington Public Library 336,720
28 Sylacauga SylacaugaAL · 12,309 people 19.6 per resident Sylacauga - B. B. Comer Memorial Library 240,058
29 Map of Homewood HomewoodAL · 27,829 people 19.4 per resident Homewood Public Library 540,403
30 Glen Ellyn Glen EllynIL · 28,390 people 19.3 per resident Glen Ellyn Public Library 557,899
31 Princeton PrincetonNJ · 30,756 people 19.2 per resident Princeton Public Library 589,479
32 Berkeley BerkeleyCA · 120,257 people 19.1 per resident Berkeley Public Library 2,391,628
33 Oak Park Oak ParkIL · 53,292 people 19.1 per resident Oak Park Public Library 1,042,246
34 Elmhurst ElmhurstIL · 45,671 people 19.1 per resident Elmhurst Public Library 872,941
35 Paramus ParamusNJ · 26,568 people 19.1 per resident Paramus Public Library 508,906
36 Pacific Grove Pacific GroveCA · 14,951 people 18.9 per resident Pacific Grove Public Library 283,262
37 ConcordMiddlesex County, MA · 18,223 people 18.8 per resident Concord Free Public Library 337,017
38 Hanover HanoverGrafton County, NH · 11,685 people 18.8 per resident Howe Library 223,906
39 Springville SpringvilleUT · 35,849 people 18.7 per resident Springville Public Library 663,067
40 Rancho Mirage Rancho MirageCA · 17,563 people 18.7 per resident Rancho Mirage Public Library 317,858
41 Bellingham BellinghamWA · 93,438 people 18.5 per resident Bellingham Public Library 1,802,921
42 Bloomfield BloomfieldOakland County, MI · 44,097 people 18.5 per resident Bloomfield Township Public Library 819,627
43 JamestownOttawa County, MI · 10,039 people 18.3 per resident Patmos Library 176,010
44 Lower Merion Lower MerionMontgomery County, PA · 64,174 people 18.2 per resident Lower Merion Library System 1,158,593
45 Sudbury SudburyMiddlesex County, MA · 19,306 people 18.2 per resident Goodnow Library 344,804
46 Wellesley WellesleyNorfolk County, MA · 30,347 people 18.1 per resident Wellesley Free Library 553,870
47 Downers Grove Downers GroveIL · 50,054 people 18.0 per resident Downers Grove Public Library 905,268
48 Pittsford PittsfordMonroe County, NY · 30,543 people 17.9 per resident Pittsford Community Library 548,103
49 Arcadia ArcadiaCA · 55,170 people 17.8 per resident Arcadia Public Library 991,536
50 Wauwatosa WauwatosaWI · 48,529 people 17.6 per resident Wauwatosa Public Library 871,541
51 Manheim ManheimLancaster County, PA · 44,237 people 17.5 per resident Manheim Township Public Library 769,107
52 Arlington Heights Arlington HeightsIL · 76,005 people 17.4 per resident Arlington Heights Memorial Library 1,349,033
53 Glenview GlenviewIL · 47,752 people 17.4 per resident Glenview Public Library 849,870
54 Winter Park Winter ParkFL · 30,274 people 17.4 per resident Winter Park Public Library 529,456
55 Map of Wheaton WheatonIL · 53,557 people 17.2 per resident Wheaton Public Library 926,687
56 Amherst AmherstHillsborough County, NH · 11,861 people 17.2 per resident Amherst Town Library 204,558
57 Shaler ShalerAllegheny County, PA · 27,538 people 17.1 per resident Shaler North Hills Library 481,653
58 Upper St. Clair Upper St. ClairAllegheny County, PA · 20,863 people 17.1 per resident Upper St. Clair Township Library 362,104
59 Burlingame BurlingameCA · 30,525 people 17.0 per resident Burlingame Public Library 642,950
60 Deming DemingNM · 15,221 people 16.9 per resident Marshall Memorial Library 249,922
61 Bedford BedfordMiddlesex County, MA · 14,727 people 16.9 per resident Bedford Free Public Library 239,627
62 Scarsdale ScarsdaleNY · 18,010 people 16.8 per resident Scarsdale Public Library 306,756
63 Port Townsend Port TownsendWA · 10,438 people 16.7 per resident Port Townsend Public Library 176,298
64 San FranciscoCA · 830,235 people 16.6 per resident San Francisco Public Library 14,036,159
65 Portsmouth PortsmouthNH · 22,545 people 16.6 per resident Portsmouth Public Library 367,974
66 Springfield SpringfieldMontgomery County, PA · 21,005 people 16.6 per resident Free Library of Springfield Township 344,585
67 Bristol BristolVA · 16,849 people 16.4 per resident Bristol Public Library 283,071
68 Los Lunas Los LunasNM · 18,618 people 16.2 per resident Los Lunas Public Library 279,859
69 Seattle SeattleWA · 754,195 people 16.1 per resident Seattle Public Library 12,869,536
70 Naperville NapervilleIL · 150,692 people 16.1 per resident Naperville Public Library 2,413,742
71 Map of Deerfield DeerfieldIL · 19,518 people 16.1 per resident Deerfield Public Library 309,145
72 Effingham EffinghamIL · 12,342 people 16.1 per resident Effingham Public Library 197,424
73 Mountain View Mountain ViewCA · 83,732 people 16.0 per resident Mountain View Public Library 1,384,350
74 Coronado CoronadoCA · 19,015 people 16.0 per resident Coronado Public Library 344,970
75 San Anselmo San AnselmoCA · 12,679 people 16.0 per resident San Anselmo Public Library 198,664
76 Kearney KearneyNE · 34,246 people 15.9 per resident Kearney Public Library 546,736
77 Littleton LittletonMiddlesex County, MA · 10,280 people 15.8 per resident Reuben Hoar Library 159,741
78 Upper DublinMontgomery County, PA · 27,122 people 15.7 per resident Upper Dublin Public Library 419,052
79 Mount Prospect Mount ProspectIL · 55,472 people 15.6 per resident Mount Prospect Public Library 888,935
80 Western Springs Western SpringsIL · 13,446 people 15.6 per resident Thomas Ford Memorial Library 213,088
81 Map of Livingston LivingstonEssex County, NJ · 31,488 people 15.5 per resident Ruth L. Rockwood Memorial Library 484,714
82 Batavia BataviaIL · 27,151 people 15.5 per resident Batavia Public Library District 406,365
83 Newport Beach Newport BeachCA · 83,845 people 15.4 per resident Newport Beach Public Library 1,265,179
84 Bedford BedfordHillsborough County, NH · 23,746 people 15.4 per resident Bedford Public Library 367,972
85 Park Ridge Park RidgeIL · 38,667 people 15.3 per resident Park Ridge Public Library 605,649
86 La Grange La GrangeIL · 15,998 people 15.3 per resident Lagrange Public Library 250,514
87 Map of Frisco FriscoTX · 219,304 people 15.2 per resident Frisco Public Library 3,428,055
88 Orem OremUT · 97,182 people 15.2 per resident Orem Public Library 1,453,106
89 Roanoke RoanokeTX · 10,286 people 15.1 per resident Roanoke Public Library 163,186
90 Schaumburg SchaumburgCook County, IL · 131,761 people 15.0 per resident Schaumburg Township District Library 1,956,249
91 Provo ProvoUT · 114,766 people 15.0 per resident Provo City Library 1,703,497
92 Map of Brentwood BrentwoodTN · 45,556 people 15.0 per resident The John P. Holt Brentwood Library 678,079
93 Papillion PapillionNE · 25,244 people 15.0 per resident Papillion Public Library 356,325
94 Acton ActonMiddlesex County, MA · 24,155 people 15.0 per resident Acton Memorial Library 356,630
95 Hoover HooverAL · 92,642 people 14.9 per resident Hoover Public Library 1,381,220
96 Brighton BrightonMonroe County, NY · 36,834 people 14.9 per resident Brighton Memorial Library 554,327
97 Winchester WinchesterMiddlesex County, MA · 23,406 people 14.8 per resident Winchester Public Library 334,152
98 Map of Collegedale CollegedaleTN · 11,330 people 14.8 per resident Collegedale Public Library 169,575
99 Spanish Fork Spanish ForkUT · 44,946 people 14.7 per resident Spanish Fork Public Library 671,915
100 Hinsdale HinsdaleIL · 17,175 people 14.7 per resident Hinsdale Public Library 255,225

How this ranking works

We rank every town by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 10,000 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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