# The smallest town you have seen a hooker in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784 "2019-05-10T15:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/1 "2019-05-10T15:58:45Z")
Once when I was visiting a friend in Monticello, Iowa he pointed out a lady walking downtown and declared, “That’s the town hooker” which I thought was hilarious. I thought this was a fairly small town but Wiki claims there are 52,000 citizens. But even then the impression I got was that everyone knew her. So what is the smallest town you have actually seen a hooker in? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/2 "2019-05-10T16:08:29Z")
My city, [Chillicothe, Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chillicothe,_Ohio) has about 21,000 residents. We have a serious opioid problem, and dozens of hookers, none of whom I know. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/3 "2019-05-10T16:19:56Z")
I took an Amtrak from DC to Glacier National Park. All of the stops from North Dakota to East Glacier, MT were in little towns, some of them with populations under 2,000. Within a block of the train station at every single stop was a bar, a casino, and a motel/inn. I didn’t get off the train so I couldn’t verify one way or another that’s what they were, but I assumed at least some of the women hanging out in front of any of these places were prostitutes. Apparently prostitution arrests are exceptionally rare in North Dakota so maybe they were just trashy local women, but I’ve no doubt prostitution does exist there. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/4 "2019-05-10T16:46:11Z")
I’d imagine in smaller towns, it’s more of a part time/opportunistic sort of thing, not a full-time job. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/5 "2019-05-10T16:55:42Z")
Out in Nevada, where there is legalized prostitution, there are lots of small towns with obvious brothels – Elko, Ely, Wells, Carlin. I drove through some of these, just to see (honest!) But I don’t think that’s what the OP had in mind. The smallest town where I’ve seen a lady who was undoubtedly prostitute “in the wild” was New York City. > **[Prostitution in Nevada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada)** > > Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is legally permitted in some form. Prostitution is legal in 10 of Nevada's 17 counties, although only six allow it in every municipality. Seven counties have at least one active brothel, which mainly operate in isolated, rural areas. The state's most populated counties, Clark (which contains Las Vegas) and Washoe (which contains Reno), are among those that do not permit prostitution. It is also illegal in Nevada's capital, Carson City, an indepen... ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/6 "2019-05-10T17:08:22Z")
We were recently in a small bar/restaurant in Saltsburg, PA (population 873). My gf went to the ladies room and a woman down the bar slid over and asked if I wanted to have some fun. She quoted me $200 for me _and my gf_, who she thought was cute. I told her we had plans for the evening, but thanked her just the same. I told my gf about the encounter on our drive home. She said I handled the situation well. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/7 "2019-05-10T17:18:51Z")
My home town has about 1800 people at the moment. It was significantly smaller when I moved away 25 years ago. We didn’t have prostitutes plying their trade in the open, as far as I can remember. It was more of a “everyone knows who to go visit/pick up in the bar” kind of situation. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/8 "2019-05-10T17:27:14Z")
Define _seen_. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/9 "2019-05-10T17:45:10Z")
In Rocket Boys, Homer Hickam talked about the Coalwood town prostitute, and the town population was around 2000. That’s pretty small. However, I have never been sure I’ve ever seen one in the wild, so to speak. Just because a woman is walking down the street at 6am in a skin tight party dress doesn’t mean she’s a whore. Can’t assume anything. “I said, baby, what’s the goin’ price? She told me to go to hell!” ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/10 "2019-05-10T18:16:37Z")
Glassport PA (population 4k and change) and Charleroi PA spring to mind; and they aren’t all that hard to spot. I believe I’ve seen a few in a couple places in the Wyoming Valley as well. In a lot of the old rust and hard-coal towns hooking is about the only industry left. Some is knowing the places to look (Charleroi you want to check the laundromat) but its not all that tough. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/11 "2019-05-10T18:18:26Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Once when I was visiting a friend in Monticello, Iowa he pointed out a lady walking downtown and declared, “That’s the town hooker” which I thought was hilarious. I thought this was a fairly small town but Wiki claims there are 52,000 citizens. > [@](#): > > Monticello is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,796. > **[Monticello, Iowa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monticello,_Iowa)** > > Monticello is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,040. > Monticello is located at 42°14′20″N 91°11′21″W / 42.23889°N 91.18917°W / 42.23889; -91.18917 (42.238759, -91.189067). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.33 square miles (16.39 km2), of which 6.29 square miles (16.29 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water. Monticello is 824 feet above sea level. > For many years, U.S. Route... There are a couple dozen Monticello places in the U.S.–so you might have hit one of those by mistake. There are truckstops at most interstate exits and many are in very small towns–it is possible some of these have prostitutes working in the parking lot or vicinity. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/12 "2019-05-10T19:33:46Z")
Barstow, CA (population 22,639 in 2010) is the smallest place I’ve been propositioned. I was refilling my water jugs outside a grocery store before heading out into the desert on a camping trip. It was only about 9 am. Didn’t ask for a price quote. It makes sense, as there are a lot of truck stops in Barstow as that is where I-40 splits off from I-15. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/13 "2019-05-10T19:42:26Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > Didn’t ask for a price quote. Dude! _Always_ ask for a price quote. I’ll assume you knew enough to get a receipt, rather than just relying on your cancelled check. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/14 "2019-05-10T20:02:33Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > There are truckstops at most interstate exits and many are in very small towns–it is possible some of these have prostitutes working in the parking lot or vicinity. I had some reason to be in an upstairs storage room of a truck stop near West Memphis. There was a large flat couch and a rather attractive woman reading a magazine. She gave me an inquiring glance when I walked in, but lost interest when it became apparent I was on some errand. I’ve always wonder if she were a hooker. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/15 "2019-05-10T20:47:40Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [Monticello, Iowa - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monticello,_Iowa) > > There are a couple dozen Monticello places in the U.S.–so you might have hit one of those by mistake. Looks like it. I might have used the ZIP code instead of the population. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/16 "2019-05-10T20:52:39Z")
If there are ten people in town, look around. If you can’t spot the prostitute, it’s you. Isn’t that the saying? I may be confusing this with another saying. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/17 "2019-05-10T20:55:30Z")
It’s not a “town,” but there was a lady in our condo complex (maybe 500 residents?) who we were pretty sure was a call girl. She was very nice and liked our dogs, so I had no problems with her. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/18 "2019-05-10T21:05:27Z")
I thought “liking” dogs costs extra. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/19 "2019-05-10T22:24:14Z")
Population 2. Never did figure out why they didn’t get married 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784/20 "2019-05-10T22:44:01Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Population 2. Never did figure out why they didn’t get married 😃 There is a money joke there, but it just isn’t working out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-smallest-town-you-have-seen-a-hooker-in/833784.md?page=2)