The Top 100 Most Arts-Vibrant Communities of 2025
Published January 8, 2026
As this year marks the 10th anniversary of SMU DataArts’ Arts Vibrancy Index, we’re expanding the list to showcase the top 100 most arts-vibrant communities across the United States—up from 40 in previous years. For the first time, all communities are presented in a unified list regardless of size, reflecting the reality that vibrant arts and culture flourish everywhere—from small mountain towns to major metropolitan areas. Read our legacy story.
Communities are measured using Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), which are metropolitan and micropolitan regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau that capture the economic and cultural reach of a county or group of counties and their socially-integrated surrounding areas.
- Jackson,WY-ID
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
- New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ
- Santa Fe, NM
- Washington, DC-MD
- Ithaca, NY
- New Haven, CT
- Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
- Boston, MA
- Nantucket, MA
- Pittsfield, MA
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
- Juneau, AK
- Boulder, CO
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- San Rafael, CA
- Branson, MO
- Torrington, CT
- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
- Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA
- Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
- Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL
- Rifle, CO
- Durango, CO
- Missoula, MT
- Taos, NM
- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
- Brevard, NC
- Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Rochester, NY
- Newark, NJ
- Brattleboro, VT
- Flint, MI
- Bozeman, MT
- Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, CA
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, VA-WV
- Hudson, NY
- Sheridan, WY
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Heber, UT
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
- Galesburg, IL
- Cleveland, OH
- Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
- Burlington-South Burlington, VT
- St. Louis, MO-IL
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Vineyard Haven, MA
- Ann Arbor, MA
- Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ
- Eugene-Springfield, OR
- Camden, NJ
- Syracuse, NY
- Kingston, NY
- Traverse City, MI
- Fallon, NV
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- Kansas City, MO-KS
- Cheyenne, WY
- Auburn, NY
- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
- Portland-South Portland, ME
- Port Townsend, WA
- Waterbury-Shelton, CT
- Bemidji, MN
- Richmond, VA
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
- Summerville, GA
- Moscow, ID
- Rapid City, SD
- Pierre, SD
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
- Bennington, VT
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Kearney, NE
- Kalispell, MT
- Asheville, NC
- Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Columbus, OH
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Akron, OH
- Dover, DE
- Kahului-Wailuku, HI
- Charleston-North Charleston, SC
- Spearfish, SD
- Tucson, AZ
- Madison, WI
Dive into the details on measurements that drive cultural vitality.
Highlights from the Analysis
Small Communities Among Top Performers
- Jackson, WY-ID (#1), Nantucket, MA (#10) and Juneau, AK (#13) demonstrate that the most vibrant arts ecosystems aren’t determined by just population size—small communities with strong cultural infrastructure rank among the nation’s top communities.
California’s Cultural Dominance
- The Golden State claims three spots in the top 20, including San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City (#2), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale (#12), and San Rafael (#19).
Southern Arts Centers
- Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN (#8) and New Orleans-Metairie, LA (#16) showcase the South’s vibrant cultural scenes.
Geographic Diversity in the Top 20
- Communities from all four major regions appear in the top 20, with representation from the West, Northeast, South, and Midwest—proving arts vibrancy flourishes nationwide.
10-Year Veterans
Seventeen communities have appeared in the Arts Vibrancy Index rankings every single year since 2015, demonstrating sustained commitment to arts and culture through changing economic conditions and evolving cultural landscapes.
| Community Name | 2025 Arts Vibrancy Ranking |
|---|---|
| Jackson, WY-ID | #1 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA | #2 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ | #3 |
| Santa Fe, NM | #4 |
| Washington, DC-MD* | #5 |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | #8 |
| Boston, MA | #9 |
| Pittsfield, MA | #11 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | #12 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA* | #16 |
| Philadelphia, PA | #17 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI* | #18 |
| San Rafael, CA | #19 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA | #23 |
| Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD* | #24 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL* | #26 |
| Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA | #40 |
Frequent Mentions
These twenty-two communities have appeared in the rankings at least three times since 2020, signaling sustained cultural vitality in the post-covid era.
| Community Name | 2025 Arts Vibrancy Ranking |
|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | #6 |
| Juneau, AK | #13 |
| Boulder, CO | #14 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | #25 |
| Rifle, CO** | #27 |
| Missoula, MT* | #29 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI* | #31 |
| Brevard, NC | #32 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | #34 |
| Newark, NJ | #36 |
| Bozeman, MT | #39 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | #42 |
| Hudson, NY | #44 |
| Cleveland, OH | #50 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | #51 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | #54 |
| Vineyard Haven, MA | #55 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | #56 |
| Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ | #57 |
| Steamboat Springs, CO* | #83 |
| Bennington, VT | #85 |
| Hailey, ID | #166 |
While these rankings spotlight individual communities, arts vibrancy doesn’t exist in isolation. State-level policies, funding structures, and cultural infrastructure create the foundation for local arts ecosystems to flourish.
Our 2025 Arts Vibrancy Ranking for All 50 States offers a complementary view of how entire states support and sustain arts and culture. Discover which states lead the nation—and which made dramatic leaps in the rankings.
Arts Vibrancy Index 2025: Rankings for All 50 States
While the 2025 rankings show overall stability—with New York maintaining its #1 position for the third year running—Connecticut's rise to #3 in the rankings demonstrates how dynamic a state's creative ecosystem can be. See how states compare on measures of arts supply, demand, and public support for the arts.
*These CBSAs and Metro Divisions were updated by the Office of Management and Budget based on the 2020 census, and their newly defined geographical boundaries and names are reflected in the 2025 Index.
**Rifle, CO was previously listed in the index as Glenwood Springs, CO. The name change reflects a change made by the Office of Management and Budget, but the geographical area under consideration did not change and Glenwood Springs remains a part of the CBSA.
About Arts Vibrancy
Arts vibrancy measures the health and vitality of arts and culture ecosystems across communities. We assess vibrancy using a data-driven approach through indicators of arts supply, demand, and public support, adjusted for cost of living and population size.
For this index, "communities" are defined as Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs)—metropolitan and micropolitan regions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. CBSAs include a core urban area and surrounding counties with strong economic and social ties, capturing the full reach of a region's cultural ecosystem. This approach ensures we're measuring the true impact of arts and culture beyond city limits.
Why These Rankings Matter
These rankings help:
-
Policymakers identify opportunities to strengthen cultural infrastructure
-
Arts organizations understand their competitive landscape and advocate for resources
-
Communities benchmark their progress and learn from peer communities
-
Researchers and funders track trends in arts ecosystem development
Communications Toolkit
Our complimentary and easy-to-use communications toolkit offers a customizable press release and creative assets to help spread the word about arts vibrancy in your town, city, and/or state. View the Toolkit