2022’s Artsiest Cities in America
Life is better when your city is full of phenomenal art and performances that inspire you. To mark International Artists Day on Oct. 25, Lawn Love compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities to rank 2022’s Artsiest Cities in America.
We looked for cities with plenty of art museums, galleries, performance theaters, and music venues to visit. We also considered art classes and schools, opera houses, movie lover-friendliness, recording studios, and supply shops among 22 total metrics.
Check out the 10 best (and 10 worst) cities for art lovers below, followed by key insights from our report. (See where your city ranks.)
Most Artsy Cities in America
| Rank | City |
| 1 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2 | Miami, FL |
| 3 | New York, NY |
| 4 | Seattle, WA |
| 5 | Washington, DC |
| 6 | Pasadena, CA |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN |
| 8 | Boston, MA |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA |
I can see why Pasadena and Los Angeles ended up on this list. I personally visited both cities this summer. In fact, the picture I used for this post was taken right in Pasadena. It is a mural on the outside of a little shop called Mercadito Monarca.
Least Artsy Cities in America
| Rank | City |
| 1 | West Valley City, UT |
| 2 | Laredo, TX |
| 3 | Kansas City, KS |
| 4 | Warren, MI |
| 5 | Brownsville, TX |
| 6 | Miramar, FL |
| 7 | Thornton, CO |
| 8 | Joliet, IL |
| 9 | North Las Vegas, NV |
| 10 | Grand Praire, TX |
Key insights:
- West Coast wonders: From the days of abstract expressionism to decades of bohemian riffraff, San Francisco’s arts industry continues to boom today. The Golden City brings home the gold overall and in Entertainment and Supplies. San Francisco has the most art museums, theaters, music venues, cultural centers, art supply stores, and music shops per square mile out of all the cities in our ranking.
San Fran boasts breathtaking landscapes and weather for California impressionists wishing to paint en plein air, and Southern California is similarly special for artists. Pasadena (No. 6) has the most art classes, art schools, and dance studios per 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, Los Angeles (No. 9) has the highest number of art installations. - Artistic empires: With high populations and hordes of tourists, even the largest indoor theaters in the world can feel a bit crowded. Even still, people flock to New York (No. 3), Washington (No. 5), and Chicago (No. 14) for great art, theater, and music.
NYC has it all — it has the most universities with a visual and performing arts program and is the best city for movie lovers. Additionally, NYC has a high number of art museums, music venues, opera houses, art installations, and art fairs. Washington and Chicago both offer the same but also appease with many art space rentals and vinyl record stores. - Skilled fish, small pond: Just because a city is small-ish doesn’t mean it lacks art. Minneapolis (No. 7) had high scores across the board, with many art museums, theaters, art galleries, and music venues to stay entertained and creative. Providence, Rhode Island (No. 11), the self-proclaimed “Creative Capital,” and Cincinnati (No. 13) each stand out with numerous music venues and art tours.
Unfortunately, not all small cities have a thriving arts scene. Laredo, Texas, Kansas City, Kansas, and Warren, Michigan, each fared poorly, alongside West Valley City, Utah, which dropped all the way to the bottom of our ranking.
