Body

8 U.S. Cities with the Least Tattoos

The residents in these towns are ink-free -- the only sleeves they wear are made of cotton

by Charli Schuler

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Think tattoos are sexy ... or sleazy? Well, to hear men's magazines and tabloid fodder (cough, Sandra Bullock) tell it, you'd think tattoos were part of a magical formula for an instant hook-up. About half of the women on "Maxim's" Hot 100 and "Playboy's" Top 25 Sexiest lists are inked (think Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry and Jessica Alba). Even Miley Cyrus and big-screen sweetheart Reese Witherspoon have reportedly boarded the tattoo train -- contributing to the trend's rise in popularity since the '70s. That said, there are still quite a few places in the U.S. where tattoos have yet to shed their stigma.

And as of 2008, approximately 14 percent of the country's adults had at least one tattoo, according to a Harris Interactive poll, with the least tattooed people being above age 65 and living in the East and Midwest regions, according to a 2003 Harris Interactive poll. In 2006, a Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology study found that nearly 75 percent of Americans between ages 18 and 50 were not tattooed. And while the Harris poll, which was based on survey responses by more than 2,000 Americans, reported that people with tattoos thought they were "sexy," "rebellious," "attractive" and "spiritual," those without ink said that tattoos seemed "rebellious," less "sexy" or "attractive," less "spiritual," and less "healthy." (Ouch.)

To find out which towns in America might dare to dock Scarlett Johansson's sexy meter for her big forearm tattoo, we went through every state in several public directories, including Yellow Pages, Google listings, Tattoo Yellow Pages and AAA Tattoo Directory, to narrow down the states with the fewest listed tattoo parlors. Then we looked up which cities in those states had the fewest listed tattoo parlors per capita with populations based on the latest U.S. Census numbers. We also took into consideration the city's demographics, its proximity to youth-populated urban centers, and the fact that not all tattoo parlors were listed. See which cities made the list, and let us know if you think we left a good one out!

SEE NEXT PAGE: No. 8: Cheyenne, Wyo.

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Older comments

These seem like smaller cities/towns so it's not too surprising.

by Chris213 Friday, November 9, 2012 at 06:33AM Report as inappropriate

how interesting

by LittleBunny Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 08:05PM Report as inappropriate

haha i used to live in montana and it's true that very very veryyyy few people have a tattoo. now that i think about it, i dont think i even knew anybody there who did have one!!

by LeSucre Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 02:32AM Report as inappropriate

Art is beautiful!

by lisiana_de_bem_justino Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 07:59PM Report as inappropriate

Most people with body art are proud because the art has meaning or a story. Many of the people I know including myself are happy to answer questions or even sometimes explain why a certain art piece was chosen. So if you are curious ask, it could put your questions to rest. Just know that many people before getting tattooed had a lot of the same questions as you and generally will be happy to describe the procedure to you. As for if it hurts I would equate it to a sunburn, But each person is different and a professional artist can help you know what areas are the most and least painful.

by JavierEastman Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 11:15PM Report as inappropriate

To say "99% of all tat wearers are uneducated ignorant dolts" is foolish and close minded. Forgive me but I don't see any logic in making up statistics just to get your point across. You have no idea about any one other then yourself and perhaps you should remind yourself of that before you begin to insult others, because to do so is, in fact, ignorant. It's not your body so why should you have a say? I have four myself, a frog for my grandmother who died which doubles as a friendship tattoo for my best friend from high school, tiger lilies for a past boyfriend who passed away, a celtic symbol that means protection because of everything I've had to deal with in my life and a sun to remind me that things can always be better. How can you tell me I'm wrong to have these marks that remind me of my life and past. I'm proud to wear them and yet for some reason this make me less?

by Bon_Bon Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 05:30PM Report as inappropriate

My Beautiful Neice got a lot of them on her legs when she was younger. Then she went to college and got a High paying job with the goverment and was unable to wear skirts or dresses without wearing very dark tights. She is now in the process of getting them removed. I personally think you should think long and hard before getting one. They are permanent and very expensive and time consuming to get them removed.

by stephanie_kyelberg Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 05:05PM Report as inappropriate

I don't do tattoos and don't like them on others. Someone asked something about wearing clothes & makeup. Don't think the makeup is permanent and clothes are removable so comparing them as "altering" your appearance is not a good argument. Most men I've dated do not like them and view them as trashy. I agree that most older people who have them regret getting them. I see people like Kat VonD as disgusting.

by Mitsy Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 12:48PM Report as inappropriate

Someone did some poor research. I can think of more than 6 tattoo shops in Anchorage, not to mention a notable tattoo artist.

by kresenda_keith Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 04:09PM Report as inappropriate

Tattoos have always been a lifestyle choice for people who live in cities with active seaports traditionally, .sailors wore a solid gold earring so their shipmates could pay for their burial if they died far from home. They were probably tattooed so that they could be identified if they fell overboard and drowned without anybody knowing it days or weeks later. It's a cute article, but I bet tattoos are part of a regional tradition that's totally absent in say, Kansas or North Dakota.

by Magret Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 07:49PM Report as inappropriate