Most Tolerant Cities: San Francisco Ranks Third In Nation (PHOTOS)

San Franciscans have always regarded their city as a tolerant place. (We invented porn, for Pete's sake.) But this week, The Daily Beast made it official.

In a recent survey and article, The Daily Beast determined which U.S. cities were the most tolerant, based on factors including hate crimes, diversity and attitudes towards same-sex marriage -- and San Francisco came in at an impressive number three. Our fair city trailed only Honolulu, Hawaii at number two and Durham, North Carolina at number one.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS)

The Daily Beast included only cities with a population greater than 250,000, and considered three principal factors: number of reported hate crimes per 100,000 residents in 2010, according to the FBI (weighted 25 percent); state statistics on anti-discrimination laws, attitudes regarding same-sex marriage and religious tolerance (weighted 25 percent and according to projections by Columbia University and a Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life survey); and the diversity of the urban population in terms of race and number of same-sex couples (weighted 50 percent).

San Francisco scored points for our high number of same-sex couples and relatively strong diversity, but lost top ranking for a surprisingly high number of reported hate crimes. But, as the San Francisco Chronicle reminded us, Californians actually report hate crimes more often than residents of any other state, instead of letting them slip under the radar.

Check out more reasons why San Francisco is one of America's most tolerant cities (and all-around best places to live, if we do say so ourselves) in the slideshow below:

Comments

[doomer]

06:41 PM on 02/01/2012

Seems to me if the article is going to reference Berkeley and Oakland we should say that the Bay Area as a whole is tolerant. Show the East Bay some love.

[thebearclaw007]

01:24 PM on 01/20/2012

I lived in San Francisco for 12 years. It may be one of the most tolerant cities in the US, but it's a trash heap.

[etiennemacchias]

10:06 AM on 01/19/2012

Actually, Occupy Wall Street was organized and began in Vancouver, Canada.

[Tommygun264]

04:47 AM on 01/20/2012

Although the name OWS started later, the seeds of the movement in the US first took root in Madison, Wisconsin; when the people occupied the State Capitol building and the surrounding streets in the dead of winter for weeks to protest the overreach of Governor Walker and the pub-dominated Legislature; both of which are currently being recalled. Over 1,000,000 signatures have been gathered, more than voted for Walker in the first place and just under 1/5 of the entire state's population.

[xhawk2]

09:19 AM on 01/19/2012

Sure, San Francisco really cares about tolerance...unless you're Jewish, Christian, conservative, or a member of the military.

[DJAndy]

12:32 AM on 01/20/2012

So very true

[Tommygun264]

04:50 AM on 01/20/2012

Do you live there? Have you ever even been there? As a Christian and former member of the USAF who actually spent time in San Francisco during my enlistment and a frequent visitor, I can say with great certainty that you are full of Santorum.

[saj485]

04:43 PM on 01/20/2012

Of course he's never been, he just likes to listen to his mouth run.

[ragdolly]

02:19 AM on 01/23/2012

I spent 2 weeks twice a year for ten years in the city and got to know it well, by back- packing around the city and working with the homeless. The last couple of years were difficult, because the city is so filthy. There are a lot of people in SF who panhandle for a living because they like it, or perform for money on the street which is sort of interesting.
I met a lot of sick and sad people, and a lot of a people who loved street life.

[splenetic]

02:43 AM on 01/19/2012

The same people who think that it's still 1942 in Berlin, probably think that it's still 1962 in Durham, and are shocked by its ranking. It's 2012 in Durham and it's cool in Durham and a lot of other places in the South, too. Heck, even Texas has Austin and Florida has Key West.

[vinnieboiblue]

11:49 AM on 01/18/2012

Hawaii will always be a tolerant place, it is ironic this being brought up on the week of MLK's Birthday. Hawaii was one of his favorite places to visit due to people of many different backgrounds living on a group of Islands, who worked side by side, embraced the differences and looked at the overall picture of wanting the same things in life- The American Dream and working to get it, and prove to others, We could get along and prosper while at it.

I am glad to see my State, near the top, and I know sure things are not all that hunkydori, none the less, its far better than places I have been and seen.

[dnrichard]

09:26 AM on 01/18/2012

1967. Summer of love was 1967.

[Atwill]

09:12 AM on 01/18/2012

I was born and raised in San Fran. wish I was still there, but alack and alais, life put me here. oh well.

[rockysparks]

09:07 AM on 01/18/2012

I would just like to point out that Durham, North Carolina --- a city in the South, which is frequent;ly denigrated as a backwater by West Coast people who have never been there --- was listed as No. 1 over Honolulu and third place San Francisco. Just sayin' ...

[dem4theday]

09:42 PM on 01/18/2012

Part of durhams awesomeness is that 20 miles outside of town and for hundreds of miles past that in any direction, if you arent white male southern baptist you are probably very close to a beating at the hands of those who are!

[splenetic]

02:49 AM on 01/19/2012

Wipe the dust off the Jayne Mansfield pin-up calendar in the garage. See the year on it? It's not that year anymore.

[rockysparks]

07:10 PM on 01/19/2012

Wow. That must mean its WORSE 20 miles outside of San Francisco, according to the article ...

[Windfish]

06:28 AM on 01/18/2012

When you treat tolerance as an end unto itself, you often become intolerant. Only virtues are ends unto themselves, and tolerance is not a virtue. Tolerating evil, for example, is not acceptable. That is why tolerance could only ever be a practical principle that is used with discretion toward the accomplishing of moral ends - moral ends that are open to legitimate discussion. Those who treat tolerance as an end in itself, though, shut down the discussion before it even starts and, in the name of tolerance, shout down any who insist on discussion. Such people are doomed to irony; in the name of tolerance, they become not only intolerant, but bigoted.

With that in mind, the most "tolerant" cities are usually the least.

[360Dunk]

10:10 PM on 01/18/2012

Despite your convoluted gobbledygook, Windfish, the most tolerant cities really are. I've lived all over the nation and can say objectively that San Francisco is amongst the best in the tolerance department.

[Rex Devious]

07:42 PM on 01/21/2012

I think you should stick with the dictionary definition of the word as it doesn't match the way you've used it. Anymore than "kindness" can be applied to assisting ax murderers find sales on axes.

You seem to be using the word "passive" in place of the word "tolerant".

But here, decide for yourself:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tolerance

[BAMUDA]

05:23 AM on 01/18/2012

Just read the article... listing the design errors would take more work than they put into the article itself. Besides, tolerance is shallow and insufficient.... give us harmony....

[jmoser1973]

07:19 AM on 01/18/2012

baby steps. I would settle for across the board tolerance at this point. Hoping for harmony one day.

[BAMUDA]

09:10 AM on 01/18/2012

respectfully.... settling has become part of the problem...

[Tumunzahar]

12:01 AM on 01/18/2012

They give 25% weight to reported hate crimes in this ranking. Is it bad to have more reported hate crimes? Or good because people are more likely to report hate crimes in a city where they feel safe doing so?

[MrPragmatic]

09:56 PM on 01/17/2012

We're number three! Yeah!

[ramal]

08:52 PM on 01/17/2012

A bad day in San Francisco is usually preferable to a good day in most other American cities.

[OccupyFacts]

09:15 PM on 01/17/2012

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/blogs/law-and-disorder all good days.

[MrPragmatic]

09:54 PM on 01/17/2012

Really? How very provincial of you, dear. I guess you don't get out much.

[ramal]

09:59 PM on 01/17/2012

Sadly true. But can you blame me when one so often encounters people like yourself?

[forestlady]

10:54 AM on 01/18/2012

Mr. P, I lived many decades in the Bay Area and have travelled all over the world. You're wrong, quite simply. San Francisco is a wonderful place, unlike any other. Sadly, I don't live there any more but I sure do miss it.
The people are friendly and compassionate, there is always something interesting going on and all the wonderful eccentrics make it a place where boredom doesn't exist.

[massivesnow]

08:43 PM on 01/17/2012

I really miss living in the Puget Sound metro area. I moved back to Northern Minnesota to be closer to my parents. I miss the diversity back there, but I'm pretty surprised how little bigotry I've experienced here. Maybe it's because no one has a whole lot of money.