Sorry Boston, Chicago is more Irish than you, according to study

Photo byStephen LeonardionUnsplash

March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, and if you're in Chicago, that gives you a lot to celebrate.

According to a whimsical study of Irishness in America, Chicago is the country's second "Most Irish City", behind only Manhattan.

Yes, Chicago beat out Boston and Philadelphia, traditional Irish strongholds, to become the second most Irish city in America.

How was the ranking determined?

The study looked at four factors to assess their level of Irishness:

• Community - the actual number of Irish people and share of the Irish population
• Food and drink - number of Irish pubs and fish and chips vendors
• Cultural enrichment - number of Irish cultural groups, Irish landmarks, dance schools, and St. Patrick's Day events
• Organizations - number of local and state-wide Irish-based organizations

How did Chicago place second?

New York City had a huge advantage as it has the largest Irish population in the country. At 386,000, it's almost double that of the city of Chicago (at 200,000). That means Irish people comprise about 8% of the population.

However, nearby Naperville, Illinois came in number 1 in terms of the highest share of Irish people - in other words, the highest proportion of Irish people for its population.

Given this, it's no surprise that the Windy City is the most likely to celebrate Irish culture. In fact, the city won first place in the category of Most St. Patrick's Day Celebrations.

Chicago also took second place in the category of Most Irish Pubs and Restaurants. Once again, behind only New York City.

Chicago can also claim to be third in terms of the Most Irish Dance Schools, behind NYC and Los Angeles. It also ranked a respectable fourth in terms of Most Local Irish Organizations.

So with all this, Chicago's ranking was a no-brainer. Just in time to dye the Chicago River and drink a green beer.