2021’s Best Cities for Naked Gardening

Naked Gardening Day held on the first Saturday of May has gardeners stripping down to their birthday suits and yes work in their gardens. Where can naturists and nudists bare it all outdoors while they tend to their carrots — without getting snagged by thorny legal issues?

To mark World Naked Gardening Day on May 1, LawnStarter exposes 2021’s Best Cities for Naked Gardening. We compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities across nine key metrics. Among the factors we looked at? The nudist population, legality of nudity, and gardener-friendliness, of course.

Dig into the 10 best cities for gardening au naturale (and the 10 cities to stay clothed in) below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from LawnStarter’s report.

Highlights and Lowlights:

• Fun in the Sun(shine State): Florida cities sit at the top(less) spots of our Best Cities for Naked Gardening ranking. Miami is No. 1 overall, with high scores in the nudist- and garden-friendliness categories. But a deeper dive into the data is even more revealing: Orlando, Miami, and Tampa claim three of the top four spots in nudist populations per 100,000 residents. It’s no wonder then that the Florida legislature is working to increase legal protections for nudists.
• Flashy West: Six of the top 10 cities in our ranking are on the West Coast, Seattle at No. 3, Portland at No. 5, and California cities — Anaheim, Riverside, Irvine, and Santa Ana — in the other four spots. Seattle and Portland boast nudist-friendly laws, landing at Nos. 1 and 5 in that category, and both cities host annual naked bike rides. Clearly the Pacific Northwest doesn’t mind a little skin. The Golden State cities in our top 10 surprise us with this strange paradox: While their state and local policies aren’t the most favorable toward nudists, these cities performed well on Google search volume for “nudist” and “World Naked Gardening Day.” Apparently, California residents in these cities, especially those with a green thumb, don’t mind the rules and can’t wait to take their clothes off in the garden.
• Un-bare-ably Cold: Here’s a big tip for the would-be naked gardener: Always check the weather. While the Worst Cities for Naked Gardening are spread throughout the country, many experience relatively chilly conditions into early May. Our bottom city is Lincoln, Nebraska, which ranked low in gardener-friendliness (No. 91) and weather metrics like wind speed (No. 70). Other cooler spring cities include Detroit, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee. Residents of these cities might be more likely to bundle up instead of stripping down on World Naked Gardening Day.

Additional Highlights and Lowlights

Orlando Florida has the biggest nudist population per 100,000 residents and Paradise Nevada has the lowest number.

Hialeah Florida is the most urban garden friendly while Anchorage Alaska is the least urban garden friendly.

LawnStarter’s full ranking and analysis can be found here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-world-naked-gardening-day/