3 Washington cities rank in top 50 US places for beer drinkers; Seattle didn't take the top spot

To outsiders, the stereotypical Seattlite may be donning plaid and a beanie and sipping on a craft IPA.

While it does reign true that Seattle is a standout on the beer scene, two other Washington cities ranked higher on SmartAsset's 2021 list of best cities for beer drinkers.

To conduct its study and come up with its list, SmartAsset compared 366 U.S. cities on a variety of metrics like total number of breweries, number of breweries per 100,000 residents, average number of beers per brewery, and the average price of a pint.

The number one city in the U.S. for beer lovers according to SmartAsset's findings was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh boasts a total of 28 breweries, with a total of 9.4 per 100,000 residents. But the real stunner? A pint in the Steel City only costs an average of $4.

Our Pacific Northwest neighbors in Bend, Oregon, took the second spot on the list. Bend offers a whopping 24.5 breweries for every 100,000 residents. It's hardly fair considering Bend only has a population of about 102,000, making its total number of breweries 25.

Other cities that made the top 10 included Milwaukee (home of infamous Miller Brewing Company); Cincinnati; Asheville, North Carolina; Fort Collins, Colorado; Austin, Texas; New Orleans; Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine.

Surprisingly, the first Washington city to make the list was not Seattle: it was Bellingham, ranking 22nd in the nation. With 12 total breweries, an average of 79.7 beers per brewery, 19.5 bars per 100,000 residents and the low cost average of $5 for a pint, this college city to the north is the place for beer lovers.

The second Washington city that made the 2021 list still wasn't Seattle, it was Spokane, coming in at number 36 (and tied with Oklahoma City). Spokane is home to 24 breweries with an average of 21.4 beers per brewery. And here, a pint will run you an average of $5 in Hooptown, USA.

Seattle finally hit the ranks of the top 50, coming in at number 42. Even with a total of 69 breweries, the city's high population puts the number of breweries per 100,000 residents at just 9. The average cost of a pint is higher as well, at an average of $7.

The very last city on the list to round out the top 50 was Bloomington, Indiana, with a mere 5 breweries. With that being said, the average cost of a pint is only going to set you back $3.50 in the Hoosier State.