The American Mustache Institute, a real organization, has published the results of a two-year study based on empirical research into which cities are the most appealing to those who choose to sport facial hair in the region between their nose and lip. Yes, it’s time for America’s top 10 most “mustache-friendly” cities, 2011.

The institute employed behavioral economists, anthropologists, and statisticians to develop a formula to determine environs conducive to the Mustached American lifestyle. The index weighed such factors as whether a city had “high concentrations of restaurants primarily serving Miller Lite” and the per capita aggregate of monster trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. Among other criterion, they examined whether the area had “Employers with proven track records of hiring Mustached Americans or “mustache-positive employers”; large first responders pools (law enforcement, fire & rescue, EMTs, etc.),” and “actors who play law enforcement, relief pitchers, construction.”

The top 10 cities are:

1. Chicago, Ill.
2. Houston, Tex.
3. Pittsburgh, Penn.
4. Oklahoma City, Okla.
5. Detroit, Mich.
6. Milwaukee, Wis.
7. Cleveland, Ohio
8. New York, NY
9. Huntsville, Ala.
10. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

See, it isn’t just schools, taxes, and real estate prices that drive people’s choices on where to live. Sometimes it’s also mustaches.

White Paper: America’s Most Mustache-Friendly Cities [American Mustache Institute]

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