Thrifty Thinking: Best Cities for Thrifting

 

Trendy threads, vintage vestures, or sophisticated staples — no matter your style, buying secondhand can give your wallet (and the Earth) a break.  To mark National Thrift Shop Day on Aug. 17, Lawn Love ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Thrifting.  In each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we looked at the number of thrift stores, consignment shops, flea markets, Goodwill boutiques, outlets, and other specialty thrift shops. They also considered Google search interest in thrifting-related keywords over the past year. Check out the 10 thriftiest (and 10 least thrifty) cities below, followed by key insights from their report. (Click here to see where your city ranks.)

Best Cities for Thrifting Rank City 1 New York, NY 2 Houston, TX 3 Los Angeles, CA 4 San Antonio, TX 5 San Diego, CA 6 Phoenix, AZ 7 Indianapolis, IN 8 Austin, TX 9 Miami, FL 10 Chicago, IL Worst Cities for Thrifting Rank City 1 Spring Valley, NV 2 Sunrise Manor, NV 3 Enterprise, NV 4 Miramar, FL 5 Moreno Valley, CA 6 North Las Vegas, NV 7 Paradise, NV 8 Irvine, CA 9 Elk Grove, CA 10 Thornton, CO

Key insights: Secondhand Empire: Unique New York (No. 1) brings home the gold, ranking first overall and in every category, proving to be the destination for finding secondhand treasures. NYC has more thrift shops and flea markets than any other big city to explore distinctive decor and furnishings. Hundreds of consignment shops also make it easy to hunt down the latest looks at bargain prices.  Thrifting through the Texas Triangle: Texas thrifted its way to the premium rack of our ranking, with three Lone Star State cities — Houston (No. 2), San Antonio (No. 4), and Austin (No. 8) — in our top 10. You’ll find more than used Western wear here: Houston, for example, has the most Habitat for Humanity ReStores among the 200 biggest cities to satisfy your secondhand home decor needs. SA and H-Town also have an affinity for flea markets, each with at least 15 to check out.  Semi-sustainable Southwest: The Southwest is filled with secondhand style icons and influencers, but the area can be hit-or-miss for your thrifting needs. Stylish SoCal cities Los Angeles (No. 3) and San Diego (No. 5), as well as Phoenix (No. 6), are your best bets.  Nevada and California cities, however, line the bottom of our ranking. They include Vegas suburbs and Moreno Valley, California (fifth worst). Avid thrifters in these areas must head to Las Vegas (No. 14 best) or LA for their secondhand styles.    Our full ranking and analysis are available here: https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-for-thrifting/  Why is Lawn Love ranking the Best Cities for Thrifting? The U.S. secondhand market is projected to see its fastest growth, 24%, this year. And secondhand stores aren’t just great for clothes — they offer many items to freshen up your outdoor living space, too. Breathe new life into used home improvement materials and outdoor furnishings from flea markets, Habitat for Humanity ReStores, and other thrift shops — then hire a local Lawn Love pro to complete your yard’s new look.  More from Lawn Love: Best Cities to Resell Clothes Best Cities for Yard and Garage Sales Best Cities for Farmers Markets Most Expensive Cities for Home Improvement Best States for Beekeeping Best States for Pioneer Women Best Cities for Outdoor Weddings Best Cities for Book Lovers