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Ranked: The 5 Best (And 5 Absolute Worst) U.S. Cities For Antique Lovers In 2026

Best Antique Shopping in America
Ellie Burgin / PEXELS
Meredith Holser
By Meredith HolserMay 06, 2026
Meredith Holser
Affiliate and Food Writer

Meredith Holser is the Shopping Editor at Brit + Co, covering everything from seasonal fashion trends and the best grocery finds from Trader Joe's to shoes actually worth splurging on and life-changing beauty products. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.

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If you're a fan of all things antique, where you shop in 2026 matters more than ever. It can be pretty easy to fall into overpriced tourist traps when it comes to antique items—but not in the top five destinations recently uncovered by Elemetal. Marked by rich history and high demand from local shoppers, the cities where the treasures are actually hiding are not what you think.

To determine the places you're most likely to find hidden treasure, researchers at Elemetal ranked 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas on 11 factors like the number of antique stores, vintage shops, estate sales, and more.

See the best (and worst) cities for antiquing in America below!

Best Cities for Antiquing

The Best and Worst Cities for Antiquing in America

Elemetal

What deems a city the ‘best’ for antiquing? According to Elemetal, destinations with rich history, high turnover, and high local demand present shoppers or collectors with more chances of finding valuable antique items. Oftentimes, the best places to look for antiques aren’t limited to a single store—estate sales also play a role for better odds.

These top five cities for antiquing boast all the factors that likely keep older pieces in circulation: high numbers of antique stores per capita, deep regional history, established character, and strong infrastructure that encourages access to valuable antiques.

The 5 best cities for antiquing:

  1. Scranton, Pennsylvania
  2. Akron, Ohio
  3. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  4. Toledo, Ohio
  5. Allentown, Pennsylvania

Worst Cities for Antiquing

The Best Cities for Antiquing in America

Elemetal

The ‘worst’ cities for antiquing ranked last due to lower per-capita access to antique, vintage, and secondhand outlets. Plus, they’re all considered newer cities, meaning there are fewer older estates and less history tied to valuable antique items.

The 5 worst cities for antiquing:

  1. Miami, Florida
  2. Bakersfield, California
  3. Washington, DC
  4. El Paso, Texas
  5. Riverside, California

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Learn more about Elemetal's methodology for ranking the best and worst cities for antiquing here.

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