Cincinnati has once again made the list of the most arts-vibrant communities in the United States.
The rankings from SMU DataArts placed the Queen City at No. 19 on the 2024 Arts Vibrancy Index among the top 20 large communities. The Cincinnati region – which includes parts of southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana – claimed the No. 11 position last year. That’s a nine-spot jump from its debut on the list in 2020. The region has made the list every year since then.
“In the Cincinnati region, our community recognizes that the arts are not just a nice-to-have, they are a necessary part of the economy to the tune of $1.6 billion in economic impact over the last four years,” said Alecia Kintner, president and CEO of ArtsWave, the region’s main source for arts funding and the community’s local arts agency. “This report is yet another proof point that our arts in Cincinnati are a significant driver of the vibrancy that is coming to define our region.”
About the rankings
The index, which receives support from the National Center for Arts Research, identifies the 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the United States. It does so through an analysis of the level of supply, demand and government support for the arts.
Among the study’s metrics, Cincinnati ranks in the top 1% for earned program revenue, such as ticket sales, and in the top 2% for total compensation for arts workers.
“This highlights the strength of our arts industry and our ability to attract high-quality creative talent that enhances our region’s growing reputation as a national creative hub,” Kintner said. “This growth is the result of decades of strategic, philanthropic investment in the arts by individuals and businesses and the index provides a tangible way to showcase the return on that investment.”
The report reviews more than 900 communities. There are three groups based on population size – large, medium and small. Greater Cincinnati is in the large category, which is for regions with populations of more than 1 million people. The Cincinnati region is the only place in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana to make the list of large communities. Other Midwest cities on the list are Chicago, Milwaukee and Nashville.
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