Frederick, MD - SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, today released its 8th Arts Vibrancy Index, which identifies Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville as number 7 in the list of 20 Large communities in the United States through an analysis of the level of supply, demand, and government support for the arts in more than 900 communities across the country. Organized into three separate lists based on community population size, totaling 40 communities across the country, this year’s Arts Vibrancy Index is the first to include numerical rankings since 2020, a reflection of arts organizations returning to in-person activities and performances following the easing of pandemic restrictions. Frederick, along with its neighbors Gaithersburg and Rockville, has consistently appeared on the Arts Vibrancy Rankings since the launch of the rankings in 2015. This year, Frederick-Gaithersburg- Rockville is ranked seventh on the annual list of the 20 most arts-vibrant large communities in the nation.

Related research by SMU DataArts shows that Local Arts Agencies (LAAs) like the Frederick Arts Council are powerful catalysts of arts vibrancy which ensure that the arts remain an integral part of community life.

“We feel that the arts are vibrant here in Frederick and now we have some data to prove the ways in which that is true,” said Louise Kennelly, Executive Director. “This achievement is a testament to the passion, creativity, and dedication that our arts organizations and artists bring to the community.”

Fluctuations in a community’s ranking 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 tothe 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.

 - San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA

 - New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ

 - Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

 - Boston, MA

 - Philadelphia, PA

 - Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

 - Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD

 - Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN

 - Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA

 - New Orleans-Metairie, LA

 - Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

 - Cleveland-Elyria, OH

 - Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA

 - Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

 - Pittsburgh, PA

 - Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

 - Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA

 - Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

 - Chicago-Naperville-Evanston, IL

 - 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.

 - Pittsfield, MA

 - Santa Fe, NM

 - Ithaca, NY

 - San Rafael, CA

 - Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

 - Boulder, CO

 - Missoula, MT

 - Canton-Massillon, OH

 - Burlington-South Burlington, VT

 - 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.

 - Jackson, WY-ID

 - Brevard, NC

 - Steamboat Springs, CO

 - Bennington, VT

 - Easton, MD

 - Glenwood Springs, CO

 - Hailey, ID

 - Juneau, AK

 - Brookings, SD

 - Oneonta, NY

The overall Arts Vibrancy Index is composed of 13 unique measures which cover aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, and are adjusted for cost of living and population differences among communities. In this year’s index, the analysis approach was updated to weight the 13 inputs based on their relative explanatory power for the underlying concept of arts vibrancy. This approach improves measurement consistency in the face of data availability delays or other changes in individual datasets from year to year. All financial metrics have been adjusted for cost of living in order to level the playing field. The cost of doing business varies based on local conditions, so the same dollar goes further in some communities than others.