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National rankings

Towns with the most-used public libraries in the U.S.

Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. Top 100 towns and cities with 10,000+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Princeton 1 Princeton NJ 22.4 per resident Princeton Public Library North Miami Beach 2 North Miami Beach FL 20.3 per resident North Miami Beach Public Library 3 Concord Middlesex County, MA 19.5 per resident Concord Free Public Library
#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year
1 Princeton PrincetonNJ · 30,756 people 22.4 per resident Princeton Public Library 688,713
2 North Miami Beach North Miami BeachFL · 43,898 people 20.3 per resident North Miami Beach Public Library 885,322
3 ConcordMiddlesex County, MA · 18,223 people 19.5 per resident Concord Free Public Library 349,529
4 Paramus ParamusNJ · 26,568 people 18.3 per resident Paramus Public Library 489,258
5 San Marino San MarinoCA · 12,216 people 17.0 per resident Crowell Public Library 210,365
6 Ocean City Ocean CityNJ · 11,261 people 17.0 per resident Ocean City Free Public Library 190,598
7 Coronado CoronadoCA · 19,015 people 16.7 per resident Coronado Public Library 361,127
8 Map of El Segundo El SegundoCA · 16,769 people 16.0 per resident El Segundo Public Library 271,996
9 Cottonwood CottonwoodAZ · 12,580 people 16.0 per resident Cottonwood Public Library 202,234
10 Mill Valley Mill ValleyCA · 14,012 people 15.5 per resident Mill Valley Public Library 211,385
11 Perrysburg PerrysburgOH · 25,181 people 15.2 per resident Way Public Library 380,744
12 Beverly Hills Beverly HillsCA · 31,624 people 14.6 per resident Beverly Hills Public Library 463,179
13 Sparta SpartaSussex County, NJ · 20,077 people 13.7 per resident Sparta Public Library 268,551
14 Signal Hill Signal HillCA · 11,468 people 13.5 per resident Signal Hill Public Library 154,525
15 Scarsdale ScarsdaleNY · 18,010 people 13.3 per resident Scarsdale Public Library 242,223
16 Upper Arlington Upper ArlingtonOH · 36,293 people 13.0 per resident Upper Arlington Public Library 470,340
17 Coralville CoralvilleIA · 23,234 people 12.9 per resident Coralville Public Library 330,078
18 Show Low Show LowAZ · 12,102 people 12.6 per resident Show Low Public Library 158,000
19 Opelika OpelikaAL · 32,820 people 12.3 per resident Opelika Public Library 402,497
20 Easttown EasttownChester County, PA · 11,067 people 12.1 per resident Easttown Library 132,660
21 Bristol BristolVA · 16,849 people 11.5 per resident Bristol Public Library 197,718
22 Falls Church Falls ChurchVA · 14,710 people 11.5 per resident Mary Riley Styles Public Library 167,901
23 Florham Park Florham ParkNJ · 13,564 people 11.4 per resident Florham Park Free Public Library 142,852
24 Wellesley WellesleyNorfolk County, MA · 30,347 people 11.2 per resident Wellesley Free Library 341,452
25 Roanoke RoanokeTX · 10,286 people 11.2 per resident Roanoke Public Library 120,785
26 Lexington LexingtonMiddlesex County, MA · 34,295 people 11.1 per resident Cary Memorial Library 378,991
27 Bedford BedfordMiddlesex County, MA · 14,727 people 10.9 per resident Bedford Free Public Library 154,176
28 Whitefish Bay Whitefish BayWI · 14,665 people 10.9 per resident Whitefish Bay Public Library 161,348
29 Weston WestonMiddlesex County, MA · 11,579 people 10.9 per resident Weston Public Library 127,022
30 Rutherford RutherfordNJ · 18,894 people 10.6 per resident Rutherford Free Public Library 200,192
31 Port Townsend Port TownsendWA · 10,438 people 10.6 per resident Port Townsend Public Library 111,941
32 Millburn MillburnEssex County, NJ · 22,145 people 10.5 per resident Millburn Free Public Library 226,969
33 Pittsford PittsfordMonroe County, NY · 30,543 people 10.3 per resident Pittsford Community Library 314,685
34 Burlington BurlingtonWA · 10,003 people 10.2 per resident Burlington Public Library 106,610
35 Elmhurst ElmhurstIL · 45,671 people 10.1 per resident Elmhurst Public Library 460,603
36 La Grange La GrangeIL · 15,998 people 10.1 per resident Lagrange Public Library 165,559
37 Shorewood ShorewoodWI · 13,627 people 10.1 per resident Shorewood Public Library 138,190
38 Tarrytown TarrytownNY · 11,784 people 10.1 per resident Warner Library 120,131
39 Rancho Mirage Rancho MirageCA · 17,563 people 9.9 per resident Rancho Mirage Public Library 167,403
40 Rye RyeNY · 16,428 people 9.9 per resident Rye Free Reading Room 164,694
41 Palo Alto Palo AltoCA · 67,237 people 9.8 per resident Palo Alto City Library 665,809
42 Hinsdale HinsdaleIL · 17,175 people 9.8 per resident Hinsdale Public Library 170,247
43 Westerly WesterlyWashington County, RI · 23,333 people 9.7 per resident Westerly Public Library 227,178
44 Brunswick BrunswickCumberland County, ME · 22,336 people 9.7 per resident Curtis Memorial Library 266,850
45 Brattleboro BrattleboroWindham County, VT · 12,122 people 9.6 per resident Brooks Memorial 116,937
46 West Caldwell West CaldwellEssex County, NJ · 10,995 people 9.6 per resident West Caldwell Public Library 105,652
47 Springville SpringvilleUT · 35,849 people 9.4 per resident Springville Public Library 332,712
48 Westford WestfordMiddlesex County, MA · 24,690 people 9.4 per resident J. V. Fletcher Library 229,800
49 North Little Rock North Little RockAR · 64,538 people 9.3 per resident North Little Rock Public Library System 623,038
50 Glen Rock Glen RockNJ · 12,154 people 9.3 per resident Glen Rock Public Library 112,767
51 Map of Greendale GreendaleWI · 14,594 people 9.2 per resident Greendale Public Library 134,575
52 Palos Heights Palos HeightsIL · 12,152 people 9.2 per resident Palos Heights Public Library 110,826
53 River Forest River ForestIL · 11,992 people 9.2 per resident River Forest Public Library 107,294
54 West Plains West PlainsMO · 12,441 people 9.1 per resident West Plains Public Library 111,363
55 Redwood CityCA · 82,447 people 9.0 per resident Redwood City Public Library 735,895
56 Map of Shrewsbury ShrewsburyWorcester County, MA · 38,876 people 9.0 per resident Shrewsbury Free Public Library 358,961
57 Needham NeedhamNorfolk County, MA · 32,459 people 8.9 per resident Needham Free Public Library 286,538
58 Pequannock PequannockMorris County, NJ · 15,641 people 8.9 per resident Pequannock Township Public Library 138,799
59 Haddonfield HaddonfieldNJ · 12,595 people 8.9 per resident Haddonfield Public Library 112,320
60 Waldwick WaldwickNJ · 10,164 people 8.9 per resident Waldwick Public Library 89,410
61 Lower Merion Lower MerionMontgomery County, PA · 64,174 people 8.8 per resident Lower Merion Library System 557,374
62 Barrington BarringtonBristol County, RI · 17,126 people 8.8 per resident Barrington Public Library 151,679
63 Wyckoff WyckoffBergen County, NJ · 17,050 people 8.8 per resident Wyckoff Free Public Library 146,474
64 Brookline BrooklineNorfolk County, MA · 63,266 people 8.7 per resident Brookline Public Library 546,039
65 Map of Livingston LivingstonEssex County, NJ · 31,488 people 8.7 per resident Ruth L. Rockwood Memorial Library 272,999
66 Ridgewood RidgewoodNJ · 26,308 people 8.7 per resident Ridgewood Public Library 225,592
67 Mahwah MahwahBergen County, NJ · 25,491 people 8.7 per resident Mahwah Free Public Library 220,788
68 Lynnfield LynnfieldEssex County, MA · 13,064 people 8.7 per resident Lynnfield Public Library 112,970
69 Naperville NapervilleIL · 150,692 people 8.6 per resident Naperville Public Library 1,290,965
70 Arlington Heights Arlington HeightsIL · 76,005 people 8.6 per resident Arlington Heights Memorial Library 665,853
71 Vestavia Hills Vestavia HillsAL · 38,616 people 8.6 per resident Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest 328,862
72 PullmanWA · 32,229 people 8.6 per resident Pullman (Neill) Public Library 289,184
73 Wilmette WilmetteIL · 27,503 people 8.6 per resident Wilmette Public Library District 242,730
74 Westwood WestwoodNorfolk County, MA · 16,318 people 8.6 per resident Westwood Public Library 138,983
75 Map of Summit SummitNJ · 22,705 people 8.5 per resident Summit Free Public Library 192,459
76 Map of Deerfield DeerfieldIL · 19,518 people 8.5 per resident Deerfield Public Library 163,653
77 Siloam Springs Siloam SpringsAR · 18,699 people 8.5 per resident Siloam Springs Public Library 144,575
78 Map of Brown Deer Brown DeerWI · 12,564 people 8.5 per resident Brown Deer Public Library 110,166
79 Skokie SkokieIL · 66,219 people 8.4 per resident Skokie Public Library 568,874
80 Downers Grove Downers GroveIL · 50,054 people 8.4 per resident Downers Grove Public Library 420,948
81 Fostoria FostoriaOH · 12,344 people 8.4 per resident Kaubisch Memorial Public Library 109,148
82 Cerritos CerritosCA · 47,867 people 8.3 per resident Cerritos Public Library 396,216
83 Northbrook NorthbrookIL · 34,585 people 8.3 per resident Northbrook Public Library 294,090
84 Plainsboro PlainsboroMiddlesex County, NJ · 24,167 people 8.3 per resident Plainsboro Free Public Library 200,707
85 Lower Moreland Lower MorelandMontgomery County, PA · 14,070 people 8.3 per resident Huntingdon Valley Library 115,218
86 Ottawa OttawaKS · 12,678 people 8.2 per resident Ottawa Library 103,948
87 Norwell NorwellPlymouth County, MA · 11,361 people 8.2 per resident Norwell Public Library 92,335
88 Cambridge CambridgeMA · 118,796 people 8.1 per resident Cambridge Public Library 963,891
89 Portsmouth PortsmouthNH · 22,545 people 8.1 per resident Portsmouth Public Library 178,685
90 North Liberty North LibertyIA · 21,125 people 8.1 per resident North Liberty Community Library 182,817
91 Lake Forest Lake ForestIL · 19,416 people 8.1 per resident Lake Forest Library 156,843
92 Duxbury DuxburyPlymouth County, MA · 16,185 people 8.1 per resident Duxbury Free Library 130,161
93 Groton GrotonMiddlesex County, MA · 11,390 people 8.1 per resident Groton Public Library 90,515
94 South Pasadena South PasadenaCA · 26,068 people 8.0 per resident South Pasadena Public Library 211,410
95 Newport Beach Newport BeachCA · 83,845 people 7.9 per resident Newport Beach Public Library 653,667
96 Columbus ColumbusNE · 24,488 people 7.9 per resident Columbus Public Library 192,592
97 East Greenbush East GreenbushRensselaer County, NY · 16,687 people 7.9 per resident East Greenbush Community Library 131,953
98 Fort Morgan Fort MorganCO · 11,605 people 7.9 per resident Fort Morgan Public Library 92,204
99 Tenafly TenaflyNJ · 15,319 people 7.8 per resident Tenafly Free Public Library 120,011
100 River Edge River EdgeNJ · 12,091 people 7.8 per resident River Edge Free Public Library 94,222

How this ranking works

We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 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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