Erie PA named to Most Uplifting Cities in America list

For the second year in a row, Erie has been named one of the top Most Uplifting Cities in America.

The 2025 list from UP Entertainment featured a dozen cities where generosity, optimism, friendliness, volunteerism and spirituality were valued by the greatest percentage of the population, according to a news release. Erie was one of six cities that also made the 2024 list.

UP Entertainment provides uplifting entertainment across cable, satellite and streaming platforms. Its brands include UP Faith & Family, UPtv, aspireTV, aspireTV+, GaitherTV+ and Cine Romántico.

What were the other uplifting cities?

The small- to medium-sized cities on the list were divided into four regions. The cities from each region were:

South: Greenwood, Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi; and Albany, Georgia.
Midwest: Springfield, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City.
Northeast: Buffalo, New York; Rochester, New York; and Erie.
West: Tucson, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Chico, California.

Joining Erie on the list for a second time were Greenwood, Albany, St. Louis, Buffalo and Chico.

Pass it on

The list is part of UP Entertainment’s Uplift Someone initiative that also includes National Uplift Someone Day on Oct. 30. The day was established in 2024 with the National Day Archives to commemorate UP Entertainment’s 20^th anniversary, according to the news release.

The day’s website has numerous suggestions for ways to uplift someone, including giving a stranger a compliment, paying for the food or drinks of the person in line behind you, giving a server an extra generous tip, sharing good news with others, checking in with family and friends, and thanking an educator or first responder.