Our new research reveals the most creative cities, analysing the number of art galleries, craft workshops and music venues.
Creativity means different things in different places, but America is home to cities where galleries, workshops and live music rooms shape everyday life. From packed gig venues to craft studios on every corner, the country has no shortage of creative energy. But which cities are the most creative of all?
To find out, the online casino team at Betway has analysed cities across the US, ranking them on the number of art galleries, craft workshops and music venues in each.
Where are the top 10 most creative cities in the US?
Helping to settle the debate once and for all, read on to find out which cities have earned their place in our ranking of America’s 10 most creative cities.
The top 10 most creative cities in the US
Rank | US City | Art Galleries | Craft Workshops | Music Venues (2km) | Concert searches
| Creativity Score |
1 | New York, NY | 824 | 42 | 240 | 11,400 | 99.00 |
2 | San Francisco, CA | 204 | 105 | 9 | 3,130 | 68.80 |
3 | Chicago, IL | 501 | 20 | 18 | 4,980 | 65.36 |
4 | Los Angeles, CA | 105 | 47 | 8 | 2,050 | 64.04 |
5 | Portland, OR | 119 | 54 | 9 | 7,090 | 57.88 |
6 | Minneapolis, MN | 84 | 28 | 11 | 2,740 | 54.47 |
7 | Philadelphia, PA | 125 | 9 | 4 | 1,890 | 54.04 |
8 | Atlanta, GA | 116 | 15 | 6 | 2.090 | 53.46 |
9 | Nashville, TN | 52 | 25 | 20 | 3,150 | 52.70 |
10 | Miami, FL | 188 | 8 | 7 | 2.340 | 52.32 |
New York takes the crown as the most creative city in America, scoring 99.00 and finishing over 30 points clear of San Francisco in second. The city has 824 art galleries, the most in the study and 323 more than Chicago, the next best. Its live music scene is in a league of its own, with 240 music venues. That is more than the other 14 cities in the top 15 combined (146). Add in 42 craft workshops and it is easy to see why the Big Apple sits on top.
San Francisco lands in second place with a score of 68.80, driven by its craft scene. The city has 105 craft workshops, the most of any city in the study and almost double Portland in second for craft (54). It also has 204 art galleries, the third most overall behind New York and Chicago. Music venues are fewer, with nine in total, but its galleries and workshops are enough to keep it ahead of Chicago.
Chicago is third overall with a score of 65.36, just 3.44 points behind San Francisco. Its 501 art galleries are the second most in the study and more than double third-placed San Francisco (204). The Windy City also holds its own for live music, with 18 music venues, the fourth most of any city. A further 20 craft workshops add to its creative scene.
Los Angeles takes fourth place with a score of 64.04, just 1.32 points behind Chicago. Its craft scene is the standout, with 47 craft workshops, the third most in the study. The city also has 105 art galleries and eight music venues.
Portland completes the top five on 57.88. The Oregon city has 54 craft workshops, the second most of any city and behind only San Francisco. It also has 119 art galleries and nine music venues, a consistent mix that sees it finish ahead of Minneapolis (54.47) in sixth.
Minneapolis (54.47), Philadelphia (54.04), Atlanta (53.46), Nashville (52.70) and Miami (52.32) complete the top 10. Seattle (51.98), Austin (51.96), Denver (51.63), Detroit (50.65) and New Orleans (49.50) make up the rest of the top 15.
Where are the most creative cities in Canada?
Helping to settle the debate once and for all, read on to find out which cities have earned their place in our ranking of Canada’s most creative cities.
The most creative cities in Canada
Rank | City | Art Galleries | Craft Workshops | Music Venues | “Concerts Near Me” Searches | Creativity Score |
1 | Toronto | 199 | 8 | 41 | 1,950 | 99.00 |
2 | Vancouver | 107 | 6 | 13 | 730 | 62.64 |
3 | Montreal | 152 | 9 | 62 | 680 | 58.50 |
4 | Hamilton | 22 | 12 | 59 | 830 | 56.92 |
5 | Quebec City | 41 | 15 | 5 | 50 | 49.50 |
Toronto takes the crown as the most creative city in Canada, scoring 99.00 and finishing over 36 points clear of Vancouver in second. The city has the most art galleries in the study (199) and the most searches for concerts near me by some distance (1,950). That is more than double second-placed Hamilton (830). Toronto also has 41 music venues, the third most, and eight craft workshops.
Vancouver lands in second place with a score of 62.64. The west coast city has 107 art galleries, the third most in the study, and 730 searches for concerts near me, also third. Music venues (13) and craft workshops (six) are fewer, but its gallery count and search interest keep it ahead of Montreal.
Montreal takes third place on 58.50 and has the most music venues of any city in the study with 62. It also has 152 art galleries, the second most behind Toronto. A further nine craft workshops and 680 searches for concerts near me round out its scene.
Hamilton finishes fourth with a score of 56.92, just 1.58 points behind Montreal. The city has 59 music venues, the second most behind Montreal, and 830 searches for concerts near me, also second. Its 12 craft workshops are the second most of any city. Just 22 art galleries hold it back.
Quebec City completes the ranking on 49.50. It has the most craft workshops of any city in the study (15), ahead of Hamilton (12). It also has 41 art galleries. Music venues (five) and searches for concerts near me (50) are the lowest of the five cities.
Methodology and sources
To find out which are North America’s most creative cities, we ranked major North American cities based on the following metrics:
Number of art galleries – Tripadvisor
Number of craft workshops – Tripadvisor
Number of music venues (within 2km) – Yelp
Search volume for “concerts near me”
These metrics were weighted and combined to calculate a final score for each city.
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