SMU DataArts Releases the Top 40 Most Arts-Vibrant Communities of 2024
- Posted Dec 12, 2024
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA maintains #1 position on the list of most arts-vibrant large communities
Syracuse, NY; Auburn, NY; Branson, MO and Taos, NM secure rankings for the first time since the list was first published in 2015
Dallas (SMU), December 12, 2024 – SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, today released its annual ranking of the 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the United States, organized into three separate lists based on community size. The list is based on their 2024 Arts Vibrancy Index data, which is developed through a data-driven approach that analyzes the level of supply, demand, and government support for the arts using data available in more than 900 communities across the country.
The Index reflects fluctuations in arts activity, participation, funding, access and employment that occurs in each community; however the Arts Vibrancy Index has consistently shown that highly arts-vibrant communities are dispersed broadly throughout the U.S., with every region of the country represented in the top rankings. This finding arises naturally out of objective analysis of the data, not from any selection of communities to achieve geographic representation. From Ohio to Colorado, New York to Alaska, arts vibrant communities recognize regional artistic diversity and community success.
Key Movements & New Communities:
- Four new communities made it into the Top Arts-Vibrant communities lists this year.
- Syracuse, NY joined the list of medium communities
- Auburn, NY; Branson, MO; Taos, NM joined the list of small communities
- Wilmington, DE returned to the list after an absence since 2020. After a brief lapse in 2023, Newark, NJ-PA and Vineyard Haven, MA return to the list.
- Seventeen communities have made the list every year since 2015, although many of their rankings have shifted over time.
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA remains in the top position on the list of large communities.
- Boston, MA ranked in the third spot on the list of large communities, its highest position ever.
- Santa Fe, NM ranked first among medium communities.
- Jackson, WY ranked first among small communities for the fifth year in a row.
“In the face of rising costs, shifting funding sources and long-standing inequities in access, funding and employment, arts communities have continued to demonstrate their resilience and the undeniable richness they bring to towns and cities across the country,” stated Dr. Jennifer Benoit-Bryan, Director of SMU DataArts. “The Arts Vibrancy Index helps the arts community – leaders, businesses, governments, funders – better understand the dynamics of arts activities that occur in local areas. Over the years, it’s been rewarding to see the diverse ways the reports have been used: from funders who use data to analyze how their investments can increase arts vibrancy in the communities they serve to arts leaders who use the reports and interactive maps in their decision-making for relocating their operations or determining markets for touring shows. The Index has been indispensable in shining light on the arts in communities all across the country.”
In addition to the top arts-vibrant communities listed in the Arts Vibrancy Index, all 50 states are compiled in a separate ranking, where New York remains in the top position for 2024. Arts-vibrancy scores for every county in the United States can be viewed on an interactive map that identifies arts and cultural strengths that are present in every community.
Large Communities (population 1 million +)
On the list of the most arts-vibrant communities with populations of 1 million or more, Boston, MA ranks its highest position ever at number 3; Rochester, NY returns to the top 20 list following an absence since 2018; and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI rose to the 14th spot after its 2023 debut at 18th position.
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
- New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ
- Boston, MA
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Philadelphia, PA
- Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
- Newark, NJ
- Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
- Chicago-Naperville-Evanston, IL
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
- Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA
- Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
- Rochester, NY
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA
Medium Communities (population 100,000 – 1 million)
Home to populations ranging from 100,000 to 1 million people, the nation's medium sized communities include Syracuse, NY, a new addition to the list this year, while Wilmington, DE returned after an absence since 2020.
- Santa Fe, NM
- Ithaca, NY
- San Rafael, CA
- Pittsfield, MA
- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
- Boulder, CO
- Missoula, MT
- Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ
- Syracuse, NY
- Ann Arbor, MI
Small Communities (population <100,000)
Defined as areas with populations under 100,000, the nation's small communities see Auburn, NY; Branson, MO; Taos, NM join the list for the first time ever, while Jackson, WY-ID holds the top ranked spot for the fifth year in a row.
- Jackson, WY-ID
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Juneau, AK
- Vineyard Haven, MA
- Branson, MO
- Brevard, NC
- Taos, NM
- Glenwood Springs, CO
- Hailey, ID
- Auburn, NY
The Arts Vibrancy Index is composed of 13 unique measures which cover aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, and are adjusted for cost of living and population differences among communities. For more information on how the Arts Vibrancy Index is calculated, metrics, data sources, more detail on specific communities and the interactive map, please visit www.culturaldata.org/what-we-do/arts-vibrancy-index.
ABOUT SMU DATAARTS
SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, is a project of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. The mission of SMU DataArts is to provide the evidence-based insights needed to collectively build strong, vibrant, and equitable arts communities. Its research efforts range from academic papers published in leading journals, applied research undertaken with community partners, and actionable insights shared directly with arts practitioners. Its programs provide business intelligence tools and resources to help arts leaders leverage data to answer critical management questions and connect research analyses to their own work. Recent publications include research reports on the scope of federal COVID-19 relief funding for the arts, national operating trends for arts and cultural organizations; the alchemy that drives high performing arts organizations of color; audience diversity, equity and inclusion in large performing arts organizations; impact of investments made in diverse creative communities; and more.
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