Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name—and the neighborhood bar does the trick. But some metropolitan areas have more drinking establishments than others, and real-estate website Trulia quantified where the local watering holes are in abundance. “Of course, people go out to eat everywhere and people drink everywhere,” said Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economist. “What this is showing is the types of places where that tends to happen [more].” Topping the list is none other than New Orleans, where people flock for Mardi Gras every year and where there are 8.6 bars for every 10,000 households, according to Trulia’s analysis of census data. Unlike the list of top restaurant towns, the top bar towns are more affordable to live in. In New Orleans, the median price per square foot of homes listed for sale is $99. See related slide show: Top 10 cities to live in if you like restaurants. At left, Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, famous for its live music and many bars.

2. Milwaukee

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Milwaukee ranks high on this list, given the many breweries that thrive in the area, including the big MillerCoors and microbreweries such as Sprecher. Its Major League Baseball team is even named the Brewers. The long presence of breweries in the area contributes to a strong drinking culture, Kolko said. The Milwaukee metropolitan area has 8.5 bars for every 10,000 households. The median list price of a home in the area is $109 per square foot.

Beer Corner USA

3. Omaha, Neb.

Top restaurant towns are situated near the coasts, but most of the top bar towns are in Middle America. Omaha, Neb., has 8.3 bars for every 10,000 households. And it’s a bargain to live here, with median list prices at $79 per square foot. At left, Max & Joe's, in Omaha.

Piotrus

4. Pittsburgh

Another common thread in some of these top bar towns is that they traditionally have had a strong manufacturing base. While Pittsburgh stands out as having “economically transformed” over recent years, its roots are in manufacturing, Kolko said. The area has 7.9 bars for every 10,000 households. And the median list price for homes in the area is $91 per square foot. At left, Jack's Bar in Pittsburgh.

Bar 145

5. Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio is fifth on the list of the top bar towns, with 7.2 bars for every 10,000 households. Again, it’s affordable to live here: The median list price per square foot in Toledo is $71. At left, Bar 145 in Toledo.

Al’s Wine & Whiskey Lounge

6. Syracuse, N.Y.

You might notice another trend forming on this list: Many of the cities that are top bar towns are located in the northern half of the U.S. “Cold places have more bars,” Kolko said. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Northerners drink more than Southerners. It’s just that in colder climates, people are probably spending more time drinking indoors, he said. Syracuse, N.Y., for example, has 7 bars for every 10,000 households. The median price per square foot of homes listed for sale in Syracuse: $86. At left, Al’s Wine & Whiskey Lounge in Syracuse.

Time-Stop Photography

7. Buffalo, N.Y

Nothing goes better with Buffalo wings than a frosty glass of beer. Maybe that’s part of the reason why Buffalo, N.Y. comes in seventh on the list of bar towns. The area has 6.8 bars for every 10,000 households. The median list price for a home in Buffalo is $91 per square foot. At left, the Thirsty Buffalo bar.

Perbacco

8. San Francisco (tie)

Milwaukee has its beer and San Francisco has its wine. The fact that San Francisco is surrounded by wine country’s vineyards and wineries adds to the area’s drinking culture—and the number of bars established there, Kolko said. San Francisco has six bars for every 10,000 households. It’s also the priciest city to live in on this list: The median price per square foot of homes listed for sale in San Francisco is $459. San Francisco is first on the list of top restaurant towns. At left, the bar at Perbacco in downtown San Francisco.

Fremont Street Bars

8. Las Vegas (tie)

It would just be wrong to leave a party town like Las Vegas off this list. Las Vegas also has six bars for every 10,000 households, in a tie with San Francisco. But this metropolitan area has the least expensive housing costs, in no small part due to its high foreclosure rate. The median list price is $69 per square foot in Las Vegas. At left, the Fremont East district.

Shore Bird

10. Honolulu

The Honolulu area comes in tenth on the list, with 5.9 bars for every 10,000 households. And perhaps that’s only logical, since it is such a popular vacation destination. It’s also one of the more expensive places to live on the list: The median list price per square foot for a home here is $390. At left, the Shore Bird bar and restaurant in Honolulu.