Most strip clubs per capita? | Business

A news magazine distributed to millions of people across the United States claims Portland, Ore., has the nation's best bike culture - and Springfield, Ore., has the most strip clubs per capita in America.

In Sunday's cover story "America by the Numbers," PARADE magazine says Springfield leads the nation with 9.3 strip clubs per 100,000 residents. The article, presented in infographic form, cites a 2009 blog post from the Portland, Ore., alternative news weekly The Mercury as the source of the information.

Springfield city officials told KVAL News they are only aware of 5 strip clubs in town as of 2011 - and even then, Census estimates for 2009 put Springfield's population at that time at around 55,000 people. That would make any expression of anything per 100,000 people in Springfield a projection.

PARADE, founded in 1941, is a national newsmagazine inserted in hundreds of Sunday newspapers across the country with claimed circulation of 32.2 million and readership of 74 million, according to its website. The PARADE website also claims distribution via the Seattle Post Intelligencer, a newspaper that ceased publication in 2009.

KVAL News is talking to Springfield city leaders and residents about the publicity. Watch KVAL 13 TV News at 11 p.m. and KVAL.com on Tuesday for more on the story.