Is Knoxville the Most Romantic City in the US? Amazon thinks so

When you think of the most romantic city in the U.S., Knoxville, Tennessee immediately comes to mind, right?

No? Well think again. Amazon.com gave the Southern city top honors in the love department in a survey released Thursday, saying that over the last few years, Knoxville has gained momentum on the romance scale. In fact, it's gained so much momentum, that it leapt to No. 1 - all the way from its spot at No. 14 last year.

Each year, Amazon announces its list of the top 20 most romantic cities in the U.S. A team at the Seattle-based company compiles data based on sales of romance novels and relationship books, romantic comedy movies, Barry White albums, and sexual wellness products on a per capita basis in cities with over 100,000 residents.

Alexandria, Virginia topped the list for the past two years. But this year, Knoxville turned up the heat, taking the first place position and knocking Alexandria to the No. 2 spot.

Cupid did not strike the Big Apple. New York City is the least romantic city in the U.S., according to Amazon customers' purchase habits. Winston-Salem, N.C., Patterson, N.J., and El Monte, Calif., also took bottom spots.

Florida came out on top as the most romantic state with four cities -- Orlando, Miami, Clearwater, and Gainesville -- ranking among the top 20 most romantic cities. Miami also came out on top as the sexiest city for the third year in a row, winning the top spot in the sexual wellness category.

Other big movers and shakers this year were Dayton, Ohio, climbing 10 spots since last year, and Springfield, Mo., which wasn't even on the radar last year and is now ranked No. 3.

Here's a look at the full list:

1. Knoxville, Tenn.

2. Alexandria, Va.

3. Springfield, Mo.

4. Orlando, Fla.

5. Cincinnati, Ohio

6. Vancouver, Wash.

7. Miami, Fla.

8. Murfreesboro, Tenn.

9. Dayton, Ohio

10. Columbia, S.C.

11. Pittsburgh, Penn.

12. Clearwater, Fla.

13. St. Louis, Mo.

14. Erie, Pa.

15. Clarksville, Tenn.

16. Everett, Wash.

17. Gainesville, Fla.

18. Las Vegas, Nev.

19. Rochester, N.Y.

20. Tallahassee, Fla.

An unrelated survey released by Orbitz this week rated the sexiest cities in the U.S. With a few exceptions, the list is completely different. The Orbitz results were based on a user survey. Here's a look at how the online travel giant ranked U.S. cities:

1. Las Vegas, Nev.

2. Miami, Fla.

3. New York, N.Y.

4. Aspen, Colo.

5. San Francisco, Calif.

6. New Orleans, La.

7. Los Angeles, Calif.