Which U.S. Cities Are the Most Vain?

Americans, in general, think they're pretty hot. Miami residents think they're especially smoking, as do Chicagoans, and perhaps not as surprisingly, residents of the city that sometimes goes by "Hotlanta."

Cleveland, meanwhile, has a complex about its looks, Philadelphia wants to go on a diet, and New Yorkers think well of themselves but are displeased with their derrieres. Those are among the findings of a new poll of 4,000 respondents on vanity conducted by Mandala Research and released Wednesday by LivingSocial. It found that 32 percent of those surveyed rated themselves as an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, and 56 percent claimed they deserved at least a 7.

According to respondent's self-ratings, the nation’s 10 vainest cities are: 1. Miami; 2. Chicago; 3. Atlanta; 4. Philadelphia; 5. Phoenix; 6. Los Angeles; 7. Seattle; 8. Washington; 9. New York; 10. Tampa-St. Petersburg.

The nation’s most insecure (or maybe just most humble) cities are: 1. Cleveland; 2. Dallas; 3. Detroit; 4. Denver; 5. Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Why does LivingSocial commission the poll? Well, the daily deal company has a vested interest in cosmetic procedures and spa treatments, among its most popular offerings.

The most common cosmetic procedures, according to respondents who said they knew someone who had said procedure done, were: breast implants, 23 percent; laser hair removal, 20 percent; Botox/Dysport, 13 percent; and nose jobs, liposuction, and facelifts, all tied for 12 percent.

Some other statistics from cities around the country:

• New York City—not coincidentally hometown of bootylicious pop star Jennifer Lopez—tops the nation in butt implants, with one in 10 New Yorkers saying they know someone who has had the procedure.
• Orlando claims it has the fewest short men of any major city in the country.
• Philadelphia, known for its cheesesteaks, thinks it’s the fattest city, claiming to have more overweight residents than any other major metropolitan area in the country.
• Los Angeles, home of many a red-carpet event, which comes in at a perhaps surprising No. 6 on the vanity scale, nonetheless tops the nation in boob jobs and Botox procedures.
• Washington claims to have the most beautiful women and the lion’s share of bald men and metrosexual men, although what the ladies think of either or both is not clear.

While many respondents thought highly of themselves, those polled had a much more discerning eye when it came to others, with half of respondents (50 percent) saying people in their city are overweight, only 46 percent agreeing that women in their city are beautiful, and only one in three (36 percent) saying that men in their city are handsome.

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Teresa Novellino writes for Portfolio.com