Pittsburgh ranked 15th among 20 most arts-vibrant large communities in the nation

“The economic impact of the arts in Allegheny County continues to grow,” says Morgan Kasprowicz, Arts Council Director of Research and Special Projects. “And the arts bring tremendous value to the City of Pittsburgh.”

As the Arts Council also found through a year-long study of Allegheny County nonprofit arts and culture impact in partnership with Americans for the Arts, the arts tell stories that ignite curiosity and compassion for ourselves and our neighbors, bring people out of their homes and into their communities, inject dollars into local transportation and hospitality industries, support jobs, and invite people from outside of our region here to experience it all alongside us. 

Fluctuations in a community’s ranking in the Arts Vibrancy Index occur from year to year for a variety of reasons, including the opening of an arts district or closing of a performance space as well as local economic conditions.

Arts-vibrant communities can be found in every region of the United States—a finding which arises from an objective analysis of the data, and not from selecting communities by hand to achieve geographic representation.

“The arts and culture sector was hit hard by the pandemic, and some organizations and communities are still recovering. The Index is an opportunity for communities to affirm and celebrate the individuals and organizations that are the sources of arts vibrancy in their region, whether that’s artists who have mastered a local craft tradition over generations, a cultural festival that families enjoy year after year, or a cherished historic theater, museum, or arts-education center. For organizations, funders, local citizens, and public officials, the Arts Vibrancy Index is a powerful resource that leverages data-driven evidence to illuminate how the arts contribute to an area’s economy and public life,” stated Dr. Zannie Voss, Director of SMU DataArts. “One way that public leaders can spark arts vibrancy in their communities is by expanding funding for local arts agencies, which spurs arts employment, stimulates more artistic activity, and increases the strength of geographically dispersed arts-vibrant cultural resources throughout communities.”

The Lists

In addition to the top arts-vibrant communities listed in the Arts Vibrancy Index, 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. (Also known as Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Areas, these communities have boundaries that are defined by the United States Census Bureau.)

Large Communities (population: 1 million +)
On the list of the most arts-vibrant communities with populations of 1 million or more, one city is new to the list: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA, sits at the top of the list for the first time since 2018 and Philadelphia, PA, has moved into the top 5 for the first time ever. After debuting in the 20th spot in 2020, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, has skyrocketed to the 11th spot.

1. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
2. New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ
3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
4. Boston, MA
5. Philadelphia, PA
6. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
7. Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD
8. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
10. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
11. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
12. Cleveland-Elyria, OH
13. Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA
14. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
15. Pittsburgh, PA
16. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
17. Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA
18. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
19. Chicago-Naperville-Evanston, IL
20. St. Louis, MO-IL

Medium Communities (population: 100,000 – 1 million)
Medium communities are home to populations ranging from 100,000 to 1 million people. Canton-Massillon, OH, is new to this list, while Santa Fe, NM; San Rafael, CA; and Pittsfield, MA, have appeared on the list of top medium communities every year since 2015. Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, are returning to this list following their 2022 debuts.

1. Pittsfield, MA
2. Santa Fe, NM
3. Ithaca, NY
4. San Rafael, CA
5. Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
6. Boulder, CO
7. Missoula, MT
8. Canton-Massillon, OH
9. Burlington-South Burlington, VT
10. Ann Arbor, MI 

Small Communities (population <100,000)
Small communities are defined as areas with populations under 100,000. Jackson, WY-ID, and Bennington, VT, have made the list of small communities every year since 2015, with Jackson maintaining its ranking as first among small communities for the past four years.

1. Jackson, WY-ID
2. Brevard, NC
3. Steamboat Springs, CO
4. Bennington, VT
5. Easton, MD
6. Glenwood Springs, CO
7. Hailey, ID
8. Juneau, AK
9. Brookings, SD
10. Oneonta, NY