Nashville ranked most macho U.S. city

NASHVILLE, March 24 (UPI) -- More monster truck rallies and fewer minivans helped Nashville earn the title of "Manliest City" in the United States, a research firm says.

Those were just two of the criteria Bert Sperling of Sperling's BestPlaces used in conducting its research for Mars Snackfood US to determine the Tennessee city is more macho than any other in the nation. Nashville also won points for its high number of NASCAR enthusiasts, popularity of hunting and fishing and concentration of BBQ restaurants.

Second place went to Charlotte, N.C., while Oklahoma City came in No. 3, followed by Cincinnati and Denver. Rounding out the first 10 of the Top 50 are St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Indianapolis and Toledo, Ohio.

Other things that make a city more macho, according to the survey, are the number of professional sports teams it has and the popularity of power tools. Cities lost points for having too many home furnishing stores and reading too many beauty magazines.

The snack company says its list is "a fun way to let the men of America know exactly where they stand against their brethren coast-to-coast."

Which major U.S. metropolis came in 50th? New York City, the survey says. It seems New Yorkers aren't big on fishing, home improvement or drag racing, though they did score high in bowling.