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America's 10 nerdiest cities (pictures)

Real estate site Movoto unveiled its list of the 10 nerdiest cities in the U.S. We count down to the top city and catch a glimpse of the nerdy activities in each locale. Did your city make the list?

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
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1 of 10 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/popculturegeek/4878845018/">Pop Culture Geek</a>

10. Denver, Colo.

Real estate site Movoto recently compiled a list of the top 10 nerdiest cities in America based on factors like the number of geeky conventions, distance to the nearest Renaissance faire, and ratio of people to computer stores, comic book stores, and live-action role-playing groups.

Coming in at No. 10 on the list is Denver. It has many claims to fame, but it holds a special place in "Star Wars" lore since it hosted the very first "Star Wars" Celebration fan fete back in 1999, right around the time of the release of "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." Here, Imperial Troops gather at the celebration.

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2 of 10 <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KOF_cosplayers_at_FanimeCon_2010-05-30.JPG">BrokenSphere</a>

9. San Jose, Calif.

If you're looking to hang out with a large group of cosplayers dressed as characters from King of Fighters, you might want to look around in the ninth nerdiest city in America, San Jose. The high-tech California town knows how to get its geek on. This charming group attended FanimeCon 2010, just one of the nerdy festivals hosted in San Jose throughout the year.
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3 of 10 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/majuzinha/5824530774/">Maju_Rezende</a>

8. Miami, Fla.

Yes, that's a knight in full armor chilling on the beach in Florida. The Florida Renaissance Festival is held in Miami, which ranks No. 8 on Movoto's list of nerdiest cities. The city may be known for retirees, swimsuits, and sunshine, but it also has a thriving nerd underground that occasionally bubbles over into knights jousting on the beach.
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4 of 10 James Martin/CNET

7. Las Vegas, Nev.

It's no surprise that convention haven Las Vegas slotted in at No. 7 on Movoto's list of nerdiest cities in America. Not only does it host comic book events, but it welcomes one of the biggest nerd-fests ever created every January when CES takes place. This year, CES brought in more than 150,000 geeks to nerd out over all manner of computers and gadgets for one glorious week.
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5 of 10 <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cosplay-boston-01.jpg">John Stephen Dwyer</a>

6. Boston, Mass.

Bostonians aren't afraid to get into costume. These Final Fantasy cosplayers show off their duds at Anime Boston in 2010. The Boston area also sports plenty of comic book stores to keep its resident geeks busy with good reading material. History nerds can get their reenactments on at the King Richard's Faire Renaissance festival, just an hour away.
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6 of 10 <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swamp_Thing_and_Len_Wein.jpg">Lex Larson</a>

5. Minneapolis, Minn.

Minnesota may be known for its lakes, but it's also home to Minneapolis, the fifth nerdiest city in America, according to real estate site Movoto. One of the big annual events is CONvergence in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis. Back in 2005, CONvergence brought in Len Wein, the creator of Swamp Thing. Here, the swampy fella stands next to his creator. Swamp Thing should be right at home with all of those lakes around.
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7 of 10 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommyhuynh/775947496/">Tommy Huynh</a>

4. Sacramento, Calif.

Only two California cities made Movoto's list of nerdiest cities in America and they're not Los Angeles or San Francisco. The state's capitol, Sacramento, however, comes in at No. 4. These costumed "Harry Potter" fans converged for a midnight showing, but nerds have plenty to keep them busy around the town. The Sac-Con comic, toy, and anime show is one attraction in a city known for having its share of comic book stores.
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8 of 10 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/architecturegeek/7037106049/">architecturegeek</a>

3. Seattle, Wash.

With Bill Gates always hanging around, it's no wonder Seattle ranked No. 3 on Movoto's list of nerdiest cities. Where else will you find a female Hellboy (Hellgirl?) hanging out with a bunch of Stormtroopers. This unlikely grouping came together at the Emerald City Comic Con in 2012. Seattle is also home to the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Nerd-tastic!
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9 of 10 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/badlyricpolice/5645902020/">badlyricpolice</a>

2. Portland, Ore.

The rainy weather doesn't put a damper on nerd activities in Portland, Ore. All that dampness just encourages people to stay in, play RPGs, and sew nerdy costumes. The city came in at No. 2 on Movoto's list of nerdiest cities in America. This image of two Red Shirt "Star Trek" zombies was captured at the Stumptown Comics Fest 2011. Talk about a convergence of nerd passions!
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10 of 10 <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cosplay_-_AWA15_-_Link_%283982101814%29.jpg">MIchael Mol</a>

1. Atlanta, Ga.

Congratulations, Atlanta, you are the nerdiest city in America, according to real estate blog Movoto. You have comic and fantasy conventions. You have people dressing up in Renaissance outfits. You have comic book stores and plenty of places for gamers to get their game on. Atlanta's Dragon*Con is a massive international happening, but it's just the tip of the iceberg for nerdy events in this southern city. The city's ratio of one video game store for every 16,016 residents should make this Legend of Zelda cosplayer at Anime Weekend Atlanta very happy.

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