The Top 40 Most Arts-Vibrant Communities of 2024
We assess community vibrancy using a data-driven approach, relying on data available in all U.S. communities to eliminate the influence of opinion or geographically limited data on the final results. The vibrancy assessment consists of rubrics covering aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture.
The results of this analysis are not based on a simple counting exercise that might benefit areas with higher populations or those with the most arts and culture institutions. Adjusting values on a per capita basis as well as accounting for differences in costs of living enable this analysis to level the playing field as much as possible. Large cities and small communities alike can showcase their vibrant characteristics compared to all other communities across the country.
| Ranking | Top 10 Medium Communities | Region | Population | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Fe, NM | West | 155,664 | 95 |
| 2 | Ithaca, NY | Northeast | 104,777 | 133 |
| 3 | San Rafael, CA | West | 256,018 | 166 |
| 4 | Pittsfield, MA | Northeast | 127,859 | 117 |
| 5 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | Midwest | 261,173 | 91 |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | West | 327,468 | 110 |
| 7 | Missoula, MT | West | 121,041 | 99 |
| 8 | Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ | Northeast | 745,553 | 106 |
| 9 | Syracuse, NY | Northeast | 653,633 | 101 |
| 10 | Ann Arbor, MI | Midwest | 366,376 | 99 |
| Ranking | Top 10 Small Communities | Region | Population | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson, WY-ID | West | 35,831 | 95 |
| 2 | Steamboat Springs, CO | West | 25,007 | 108 |
| 3 | Juneau, AK | Northwest | 31,685 | 129 |
| 4 | Vineyard Haven, MA | Northeast | 20,868 | 133 |
| 5 | Branson, MO | South | 56,821 | 85 |
| 6 | Brevard, NC | South | 33,355 | 87 |
| 7 | Taos, NM | West | 34,580 | 92 |
| 8 | Glenwood Springs, CO | West | 79,147 | 105 |
| 9 | Hailey, ID | West | 26,019 | 98 |
| 10 | Auburn, NY | Northeast | 74,998 | 111 |
We use the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The average for all participating places equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places. See the C2ER website for more information.
Fluctuations in the Top 40 Arts-Vibrant Communities list occur from year to year for several reasons:
- A community’s arts and culture scene may have experienced the opening of an arts district or closing of a performance space.
- Because we calculate the measures on a per capita basis, it could be that growth in arts and culture was on a different trajectory than that of the total population. For instance, a city experiencing a high influx of new residents will drop in the rankings if the area’s supply and demand for the arts and inflow of state and federal grants for the arts do not increase at a commensurate level.
- We include a cost-of-living adjustment to all financial metrics in order to level the playing field, and the cost of living changes in communities over time. The cost of doing business varies based on local conditions, so the same dollar goes further in some communities than others.
- We continue to incorporate fresh data and learn about the role of distance, how concentration versus dispersion of arts organizations and people factors in, and the extent to which a community’s arts and culture activity attracts or implicates its neighboring community members who commute as attendees or employees, for example (see At What Cost? How Distance Influences Arts Attendance, SMU National Center for Arts Research, October 2017). This has led us to make adjustments to our calculations every year.
Top 20 Large Communities
Here you will find details on the top 20 arts-vibrant communities with a population of 1,000,000 or more. We report rankings for all 13 of the underlying measures included in the Index. Subtle distinctions often emerge that illuminate strengths. For more information on how each of these measures is weighted, see our methodology section.
#1 San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA (pop. 1,537,618)
| Arts Providers | 7th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 41st | |
| Arts and culture employees | 2nd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 285th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 7th | |
| Arts Dollars | 1st | |
| Program revenue | 7th | |
| Contributed revenue | 9th | |
| Total expenses | 10th | |
| Total compensation | 1st | |
| Public Support | 15th | |
| State arts funding | 140th | |
| State arts grants | 110th | |
| Federal arts funding | 15th | |
| Federal arts grants | 2nd | |
| Total government support | 13th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture. Among the top 1% on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, program revenue, and contributed revenue.
#2 New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (pop. 11,933,690)
| Arts Providers | 3rd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 5th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 4th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 470th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 3rd | |
| Arts Dollars | 2nd | |
| Program revenue | 11th | |
| Contributed revenue | 16th | |
| Total expenses | 18th | |
| Total compensation | 3rd | |
| Public Support | 6th | |
| State arts funding | 14th | |
| State arts grants | 11th | |
| Federal arts funding | 20th | |
| Federal arts grants | 6th | |
| Total government support | 21st |
Among the top 1% on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, and federal arts grants.
#3 Boston, MA (pop. 2,024,981)
| Arts Providers | 41st | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 143rd | |
| Arts and culture employees | 5th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 222nd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 41st | |
| Arts Dollars | 5th | |
| Program revenue | 70th | |
| Contributed revenue | 38th | |
| Total expenses | 19th | |
| Total compensation | 5th | |
| Public Support | 10th | |
| State arts funding | 23rd | |
| State arts grants | 18th | |
| Federal arts funding | 21st | |
| Federal arts grants | 12th | |
| Total government support | 88th |
Within the top 1% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#4 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (pop. 5,034,156)
| Arts Providers | 48th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 94th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 25th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 422nd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 48th | |
| Arts Dollars | 7th | |
| Program revenue | 10th | |
| Contributed revenue | 18th | |
| Total expenses | 31st | |
| Total compensation | 34th | |
| Public Support | 4th | |
| State arts funding | 7th | |
| State arts grants | 37th | |
| Federal arts funding | 9th | |
| Federal arts grants | 13th | |
| Total government support | 1st |
Among the top 1% on measures related to program revenue, state arts dollars, and federal arts dollars.
#5 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (pop. 3,693,729)
| Arts Providers | 49th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 67th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 21st | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 506th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 49th | |
| Arts Dollars | 30th | |
| Program revenue | 98th | |
| Contributed revenue | 36th | |
| Total expenses | 33rd | |
| Total compensation | 45th | |
| Public Support | 3rd | |
| State arts funding | 4th | |
| State arts grants | 40th | |
| Federal arts funding | 6th | |
| Federal arts grants | 10th | |
| Total government support | 64th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to program revenue and state arts dollars. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to federal arts grants.
#6 Philadelphia, PA (pop. 2,142,440)
| Arts Providers | 68th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 138th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 26th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 401st | |
| Arts and culture firms | 68th | |
| Arts Dollars | 3rd | |
| Program revenue | 32nd | |
| Contributed revenue | 10th | |
| Total expenses | 26th | |
| Total compensation | 8th | |
| Public Support | 13th | |
| State arts funding | 37th | |
| State arts grants | 33rd | |
| Federal arts funding | 23rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 16th | |
| Total government support | 33rd |
Among the top 1% on measures related to contributed revenue, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to federal arts grants.
#7 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN (pop. 2,046,828)
| Arts Providers | 4th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 15th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 9th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 459th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 4th | |
| Arts Dollars | 19th | |
| Program revenue | 5th | |
| Contributed revenue | 132nd | |
| Total expenses | 21st | |
| Total compensation | 84th | |
| Public Support | 51st | |
| State arts funding | 57th | |
| State arts grants | 80th | |
| Federal arts funding | 93rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 67th | |
| Total government support | 63rd |
Among the top 1% on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita, and program revenue.
#8 Newark, NJ (pop. 2,266,862)
| Arts Providers | 16th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 39th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 37th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 624th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 16th | |
| Arts Dollars | 24th | |
| Program revenue | 58th | |
| Contributed revenue | 30th | |
| Total expenses | 76th | |
| Total compensation | 22nd | |
| Public Support | 25th | |
| State arts funding | 17th | |
| State arts grants | 52nd | |
| Federal arts funding | 80th | |
| Federal arts grants | 41st | |
| Total government support | 60th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, arts and culture employees per capita, and state arts dollars.
#9 Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD (pop. 1,339,600)
| Arts Providers | 43rd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 92nd | |
| Arts and culture employees | 89th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 525th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 42nd | |
| Arts Dollars | 31st | |
| Program revenue | 33rd | |
| Contributed revenue | 35th | |
| Total expenses | 60th | |
| Total compensation | 41st | |
| Public Support | 12th | |
| State arts funding | 12th | |
| State arts grants | 48th | |
| Federal arts funding | 26th | |
| Federal arts grants | 28th | |
| Total government support | 2nd |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, state arts grants, and federal arts grants.
#10 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX (pop. 2,421,115)
| Arts Providers | 14th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 30th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 41st | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 411st | |
| Arts and culture firms | 13th | |
| Arts Dollars | 25th | |
| Program revenue | 60th | |
| Contributed revenue | 97th | |
| Total expenses | 35th | |
| Total compensation | 24th | |
| Public Support | 40th | |
| State arts funding | 130th | |
| State arts grants | 41st | |
| Federal arts funding | 46th | |
| Federal arts grants | 32nd | |
| Total government support | 224th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, total expenses, and federal arts dollars.
#11 Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL (pop. 7,091,738)
| Arts Providers | 33rd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 64th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 23rd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 482nd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 35th | |
| Arts Dollars | 27th | |
| Program revenue | 73rd | |
| Contributed revenue | 24th | |
| Total expenses | 55th | |
| Total compensation | 36th | |
| Public Support | 28th | |
| State arts funding | 73rd | |
| State arts grants | 59th | |
| Federal arts funding | 36th | |
| Federal arts grants | 43rd | |
| Total government support | 47th |
Within the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, contributed revenue, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#12 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (pop. 9,721,138)
| Arts Providers | 1st | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 1st | |
| Arts and culture employees | 19th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 574th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 1st | |
| Arts Dollars | 72nd | |
| Program revenue | 106th | |
| Contributed revenue | 43rd | |
| Total expenses | 111th | |
| Total compensation | 104th | |
| Public Support | 230th | |
| State arts funding | 466th | |
| State arts grants | 476th | |
| Federal arts funding | 132nd | |
| Federal arts grants | 97th | |
| Total government support | 78th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to number of independent artists per capita and arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita.
#13 Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (pop. 3,106,868)
| Arts Providers | 12th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 57th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 32nd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 447th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 12th | |
| Arts Dollars | 15th | |
| Program revenue | 99th | |
| Contributed revenue | 28th | |
| Total expenses | 61st | |
| Total compensation | 12th | |
| Public Support | 110th | |
| State arts funding | 434th | |
| State arts grants | 207th | |
| Federal arts funding | 75th | |
| Federal arts grants | 30th | |
| Total government support | 29th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to contributed revenue, total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, and federal arts grants.
#14 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (pop. 1,559,792)
| Arts Providers | 159th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 176th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 12th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 450th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 162nd | |
| Arts Dollars | 4th | |
| Program revenue | 17th | |
| Contributed revenue | 86th | |
| Total expenses | 3rd | |
| Total compensation | 18th | |
| Public Support | 63rd | |
| State arts funding | 112th | |
| State arts grants | 64th | |
| Federal arts funding | 102nd | |
| Federal arts grants | 81st | |
| Total government support | 45th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to total expenses. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to program revenue, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#15 Rochester, NY (pop. 1,081,152)
| Arts Providers | 81st | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 255th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 6th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 440th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 82nd | |
| Arts Dollars | 61st | |
| Program revenue | 446th | |
| Contributed revenue | 56th | |
| Total expenses | 128th | |
| Total compensation | 42nd | |
| Public Support | 17th | |
| State arts funding | 48th | |
| State arts grants | 101st | |
| Federal arts funding | 19th | |
| Federal arts grants | 39th | |
| Total government support | 12th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to federal arts dollars and federal arts grants.
#16 New Orleans-Metairie, LA (pop. 1,246,176)
| Arts Providers | 64th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 54th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 31st | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 240th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 66th | |
| Arts Dollars | 21st | |
| Program revenue | 30th | |
| Contributed revenue | 42nd | |
| Total expenses | 11th | |
| Total compensation | 147th | |
| Public Support | 38th | |
| State arts funding | 267th | |
| State arts grants | 194th | |
| Federal arts funding | 18th | |
| Federal arts grants | 22nd | |
| Total government support | 25th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to program revenue, contributed revenue, and total expenses.
#17 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (pop. 2,509,489)
| Arts Providers | 28th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 50th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 28th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 369th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 27th | |
| Arts Dollars | 28th | |
| Program revenue | 227th | |
| Contributed revenue | 49th | |
| Total expenses | 45th | |
| Total compensation | 20th | |
| Public Support | 55th | |
| State arts funding | 110th | |
| State arts grants | 71st | |
| Federal arts funding | 79th | |
| Federal arts grants | 37th | |
| Total government support | 172nd |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita, total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, and federal arts grants.
#18 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (pop. 2,985,871)
| Arts Providers | 50th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 49th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 24th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 430th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 51st | |
| Arts Dollars | 37th | |
| Program revenue | 79th | |
| Contributed revenue | 165th | |
| Total expenses | 32nd | |
| Total compensation | 32nd | |
| Public Support | 16th | |
| State arts funding | 51st | |
| State arts grants | 303rd | |
| Federal arts funding | 7th | |
| Federal arts grants | 90th | |
| Total government support | 14th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to federal arts dollars. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita and total expenses.
#19 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (pop. 2,265,051)
| Arts Providers | 167th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 237th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 43rd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 367th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 169th | |
| Arts Dollars | 9th | |
| Program revenue | 8th | |
| Contributed revenue | 71st | |
| Total expenses | 65th | |
| Total compensation | 13th | |
| Public Support | 21st | |
| State arts funding | 13th | |
| State arts grants | 45th | |
| Federal arts funding | 83rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 75th | |
| Total government support | 9th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to program revenue. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture and state arts dollars.
#20 Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA (pop 2,423,870)
| Arts Providers | 45th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 164th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 34th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 322nd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 45th | |
| Arts Dollars | 34th | |
| Program revenue | 107th | |
| Contributed revenue | 66th | |
| Total expenses | 37th | |
| Total compensation | 33rd | |
| Public Support | 31st | |
| State arts funding | 46th | |
| State arts grants | 61st | |
| Federal arts funding | 47th | |
| Federal arts grants | 56th | |
| Total government support | 145th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, and state arts dollars.
Top 10 Medium Communities
Here you will find details on the top 10 arts-vibrant communities with populations between 100,000 and 1,000,000. We report rankings for all 13 of the underlying measures included in the Index. Subtle distinctions often emerge that illuminate particular strengths. For more information on how each of these measures is weighted, see our methodology section.
#1 Santa Fe, NM (pop. 155,664)
| Arts Providers | 23rd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 2nd | |
| Arts and culture employees | 51st | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 50th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 26th | |
| Arts Dollars | 26th | |
| Program revenue | 277th | |
| Contributed revenue | 6th | |
| Total expenses | 17th | |
| Total compensation | 281st | |
| Public Support | 2nd | |
| State arts funding | 36th | |
| State arts grants | 13th | |
| Federal arts funding | 3rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 4th | |
| Total government support | 112th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, contributed revenue, and federal arts grants.
#2 Ithaca, NY (pop. 104,777)
| Arts Providers | 9th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 45th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 17th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 123rd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 8th | |
| Arts Dollars | 87th | |
| Program revenue | 141st | |
| Contributed revenue | 15th | |
| Total expenses | 229th | |
| Total compensation | 457th | |
| Public Support | 1st | |
| State arts funding | 2nd | |
| State arts grants | 3rd | |
| Federal arts funding | 4th | |
| Federal arts grants | 7th | |
| Total government support | 7th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita, state arts dollars, and state arts grants.
#3 San Rafael, CA (pop. 256,018)
| Arts Providers | 5th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 18th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 10th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 265th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 6th | |
| Arts Dollars | 6th | |
| Program revenue | 45th | |
| Contributed revenue | 27th | |
| Total expenses | 34th | |
| Total compensation | 4th | |
| Public Support | 101st | |
| State arts funding | 248th | |
| State arts grants | 229th | |
| Federal arts funding | 86th | |
| Federal arts grants | 21st | |
| Total government support | 35th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#4 Pittsfield, MA (pop. 127,859)
| Arts Providers | 244th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 149th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 7th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 68th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 258th | |
| Arts Dollars | 23rd | |
| Program revenue | 332nd | |
| Contributed revenue | 51st | |
| Total expenses | 63rd | |
| Total compensation | 10th | |
| Public Support | 8th | |
| State arts funding | 9th | |
| State arts grants | 10th | |
| Federal arts funding | 22nd | |
| Federal arts grants | 26th | |
| Total government support | 156th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, state arts dollars, and state arts grants.
#5 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI (pop. 261,173)
| Arts Providers | 99th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 195th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 8th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 634th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 99th | |
| Arts Dollars | 38th | |
| Program revenue | 325th | |
| Contributed revenue | 110th | |
| Total expenses | 12th | |
| Total compensation | 80th | |
| Public Support | 27th | |
| State arts funding | 6th | |
| State arts grants | 4th | |
| Federal arts funding | 134th | |
| Federal arts grants | 106th | |
| Total government support | 419th |
Scores in the top 2% on measures related to total expenses, state arts dollars, and state arts grants.
#6 Boulder, CO (pop. 327,468)
| Arts Providers | 6th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 12th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 139th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 581st | |
| Arts and culture firms | 5th | |
| Arts Dollars | 11th | |
| Program revenue | 6th | |
| Contributed revenue | 94th | |
| Total expenses | 22nd | |
| Total compensation | 61st | |
| Public Support | 162nd | |
| State arts funding | 218th | |
| State arts grants | 227th | |
| Federal arts funding | 153rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 141st | |
| Total government support | 203rd |
Among the top 1% on measures related to program revenue. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, and total expenses.
#7 Missoula, MT (pop. 121,041)
| Arts Providers | 27th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 25th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 129th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 46th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 28th | |
| Arts Dollars | 315th | |
| Program revenue | 796th | |
| Contributed revenue | 334th | |
| Total expenses | 281st | |
| Total compensation | 164th | |
| Public Support | 22nd | |
| State arts funding | 38th | |
| State arts grants | 8th | |
| Federal arts funding | 42nd | |
| Federal arts grants | 18th | |
| Total government support | 517th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to state arts grants. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture organizations per capita, and state arts dollars.
#8 Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ (pop. 745,553)
| Arts Providers | 112th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 88th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 49th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 249th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 116th | |
| Arts Dollars | 97th | |
| Program revenue | 226th | |
| Contributed revenue | 52nd | |
| Total expenses | 126th | |
| Total compensation | 96th | |
| Public Support | 36th | |
| State arts funding | 11th | |
| State arts grants | 31st | |
| Federal arts funding | 138th | |
| Federal arts grants | 135th | |
| Total government support | 110th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to state arts dollars and state arts grants.
#9 Syracuse, NY (pop. 653,633)
| Arts Providers | 136th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 242nd | |
| Arts and culture employees | 68th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 276th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 135th | |
| Arts Dollars | 76th | |
| Program revenue | 21st | |
| Contributed revenue | 500th | |
| Total expenses | 40th | |
| Total compensation | 169th | |
| Public Support | 37th | |
| State arts funding | 30th | |
| State arts grants | 112th | |
| Federal arts funding | 68th | |
| Federal arts grants | 44th | |
| Total government support | 91st |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to program revenue, state arts dollars, and federal arts grants.
#10 Ann Arbor, MI (pop. 366,376)
| Arts Providers | 294th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 180th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 45th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 148th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 299th | |
| Arts Dollars | 66th | |
| Program revenue | 55th | |
| Contributed revenue | 255th | |
| Total expenses | 36th | |
| Total compensation | 103rd | |
| Public Support | 33rd | |
| State arts funding | 21st | |
| State arts grants | 21st | |
| Federal arts funding | 97th | |
| Federal arts grants | 64th | |
| Total government support | 328th |
Within the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita, total expenses, and state arts grants.
Top 10 Small Communities
In this section, we list each community’s percentile ranking on Arts Providers, Arts Dollars and Government Support. All 10 communities listed here are considered Micropolitan Statistical Areas by the Census Bureau, meaning they are counties with a principal city that has a population between 10,000 and 50,000, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of integration with that core city. The Census Bureau names the MSA for the principal city rather than the county. However, it is important to keep in mind that all MSAs are made up of at least one county, so we capture the activity of the entire county, not just the principal city. Many of these communities might be described as small artist colonies or tourist destinations supported by part-time residents.
We report rankings for all 13 of the underlying measures included in the Index. Subtle distinctions often emerge that illuminate particular strengths. For more information on how each of these measures is weighted, see our methodology section.
#1 Jackson, WY-ID (pop. 35,831)
| Arts Providers | 10th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 4th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 62nd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 3rd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 10th | |
| Arts Dollars | 13th | |
| Program revenue | 312th | |
| Contributed revenue | 4th | |
| Total expenses | 6th | |
| Total compensation | 708th | |
| Public Support | 5th | |
| State arts funding | 22nd | |
| State arts grants | 6th | |
| Federal arts funding | 16th | |
| Federal arts grants | 11th | |
| Total government support | 8th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, arts and culture organizations per capita, and contributed revenue.
#2 Steamboat Springs (pop. 25,007)
| Arts Providers | 8th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 13th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 329th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 942nd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 9th | |
| Arts Dollars | 8th | |
| Program revenue | 796th | |
| Contributed revenue | 17th | |
| Total expenses | 1st | |
| Total compensation | 122nd | |
| Public Support | 54th | |
| State arts funding | 271st | |
| State arts grants | 174th | |
| Federal arts funding | 13th | |
| Federal arts grants | 15th | |
| Total government support | 867th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to total expenses. Scores in the top 2% on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, and federal arts grants.
#3 Juneau, AK (pop. 31,685)
| Arts Providers | 134th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 913th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 829th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 910th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 124th | |
| Arts Dollars | 56th | |
| Program revenue | 677th | |
| Contributed revenue | 638th | |
| Total expenses | 268th | |
| Total compensation | 9th | |
| Public Support | 7th | |
| State arts funding | 197th | |
| State arts grants | 123rd | |
| Federal arts funding | 1st | |
| Federal arts grants | 1st | |
| Total government support | 867th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to Federal arts dollars and Federal arts grants. Scores among the top 1% on measures related to Total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#4 Vineyard Haven, MA (pop. 20,868)
| Arts Providers | 509th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 289th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 117th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 120th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 523rd | |
| Arts Dollars | 40th | |
| Program revenue | 632nd | |
| Contributed revenue | 58th | |
| Total expenses | 258th | |
| Total compensation | 7th | |
| Public Support | 18th | |
| State arts funding | 72nd | |
| State arts grants | 67th | |
| Federal arts funding | 24th | |
| Federal arts grants | 5th | |
| Total government support | 40th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture, and federal arts grants. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to federal arts grants.
#5 Branson, MO (pop. 56,821)
| Arts Providers | 2nd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 71st | |
| Arts and culture employees | 1st | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 846th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 2nd | |
| Arts Dollars | 781st | |
| Program revenue | 630th | |
| Contributed revenue | 515th | |
| Total expenses | 702nd | |
| Total compensation | 925th | |
| Public Support | 585th | |
| State arts funding | 457th | |
| State arts grants | 434th | |
| Federal arts funding | 813th | |
| Federal arts grants | 915th | |
| Total government support | 786th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to arts and culture employees per capita. Among the top 1% on measures related to arts, culture & entertainment firms per capita.
#6 Brevard, NC (pop. 33,355)
| Arts Providers | 328th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 74th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 437th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 349th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 340th | |
| Arts Dollars | 42nd | |
| Program revenue | 627th | |
| Contributed revenue | 1st | |
| Total expenses | 385th | |
| Total compensation | 369th | |
| Public Support | 94th | |
| State arts funding | 162nd | |
| State arts grants | 287th | |
| Federal arts funding | 60th | |
| Federal arts grants | 8th | |
| Total government support | 490th |
Ranks first in the nation on measures related to contributed revenue. Scores among the top 1% on measures related to federal arts grants.
#7 Taos, NM (pop. 34,580)
| Arts Providers | 78th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 43rd | |
| Arts and culture employees | 213th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 27th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 83rd | |
| Arts Dollars | 95th | |
| Program revenue | 19th | |
| Contributed revenue | 59th | |
| Total expenses | 149th | |
| Total compensation | 283rd | |
| Public Support | 41st | |
| State arts funding | 39th | |
| State arts grants | 17th | |
| Federal arts funding | 74th | |
| Federal arts grants | 57th | |
| Total government support | 867th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, arts and culture organizations per capita, and program revenue.
#8 Glenwood Springs, CO (pop. 79,147)
| Arts Providers | 69th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 27th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 672nd | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 134th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 69th | |
| Arts Dollars | 17th | |
| Program revenue | 74th | |
| Contributed revenue | 34th | |
| Total expenses | 30th | |
| Total compensation | 28th | |
| Public Support | 220th | |
| State arts funding | 329th | |
| State arts grants | 276th | |
| Federal arts funding | 143rd | |
| Federal arts grants | 59th | |
| Total government support | 548th |
Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to number of independent artists per capita, contributed revenue, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#9 Hailey, ID (pop. 26,019)
| Arts Providers | 454th | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 6th | |
| Arts and culture employees | 829th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 109th | |
| Arts and culture firms | 861st | |
| Arts Dollars | 29th | |
| Program revenue | 796th | |
| Contributed revenue | 78th | |
| Total expenses | 16th | |
| Total compensation | 46th | |
| Public Support | 107th | |
| State arts funding | 153rd | |
| State arts grants | 87th | |
| Federal arts funding | 117th | |
| Federal arts grants | 36th | |
| Total government support | 867th |
Among the top 1% on measures related to number of independent artists per capita. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to total expenses, and total compensation paid to those working in arts and culture.
#10 Auburn, NY (pop. 74,998)
| Arts Providers | 82nd | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists | 661st | |
| Arts and culture employees | 54th | |
| Arts and culture nonprofits | 33rd | |
| Arts and culture firms | 79th | |
| Arts Dollars | 385th | |
| Program revenue | 158th | |
| Contributed revenue | 319th | |
| Total expenses | 343rd | |
| Total compensation | 269th | |
| Public Support | 19th | |
| State arts funding | 15th | |
| State arts grants | 28th | |
| Federal arts funding | 58th | |
| Federal arts grants | 77th | |
| Total government support | 85th |
Scores in the top 2% on measures related to state arts dollars. Scores in the top 5% of all MSAs on measures related to arts and culture organizations per capita, and state arts grants.
Abbott Gilbane
Marketing Director, Center for the Arts in Jackson, WY
“It is so valuable for us to show our donors and patrons that our efforts to serve the arts by connecting our creative community are recognized nationally through the Arts Vibrancy Rankings.”