Which cities are best for buying secondhand items?

To mark National Thrift Shop Day on Aug. 17, Lawn Love ranked 2023’s Best Cities for Thrifting.

We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories. We looked at access to thrift stores, consignment shops, flea markets, and specialty reuse stores — like Goodwill boutiques and Habitat for Humanity ReStores — among 10 total metrics.

See the 10 thriftiest (and 10 least thrifty) cities below, followed by key stats from our report.

Key insights:

• Secondhand empire: New York shops to 1st place overall, where thrifters enjoy the highest number of both flea markets, 37, and thrift stores, 91, in our ranking — 33 more than in Houston (No. 3), with the 2nd-highest. NYC also claims the most clothing swap groups — tied with Los Angeles (No. 2).

• Cali consignment: Los Angeles jumps to 2nd place overall, earning less than 2 points behind New York (No. 1) and nearly 25 points ahead of our No. 3 city, Houston. The City of Angels is a top destination for clothes, especially high-end labels, boasting the most consignment shops, 301. LA also thrifts through the most estate sales and Goodwill boutiques. 

• Texas Triangle thrifting: For the 2nd year in a row, Houston (No. 3 overall), San Antonio (No. 4), and Austin (No. 10) thrift into our top 10, and Dallas joins them this year at No. 6. All four cities have abundant thrift stores, consignment shops, and estate sales. Houston stands out with the most Habitat for Humanity ReStores in our ranking. 

• Sustainable potential: Despite high Local Interest in thrifting, Colorado cities Lakewood (No. 175 overall) and Thornton (No. 193), as well as Ontario, California (No. 190), are no treasure troves for thrifters. These three cities lack secondhand shops, highlighting a demand for more thrifting options.

• Buying in bulk: Resellers rejoice in Houston (No. 3 overall), which boasts the most Goodwill Outlets, followed by Indianapolis (No. 14) and California cities Sacramento (No. 23) and Santa Ana (No. 42) tiedfor 2nd place. Goodwill Outlets and other bin stores are lucrative for those who thrift large quantities to upcycle or resell. 

• Selective attire: Some big cities disappoint in General Access to secondhand items despite high Local Interest. They include cities like San Francisco (No. 27), Washington (No. 48), and Boston (No. 91). SF makes up for it with the 8th-highest number of consignment shops and plentiful clothing swap groups.