Creative Cities: The Most Arts-Vibrant Areas Across the Midwest

Pierre, South Dakota. Akron, Ohio. Greenwood, Indiana. 

These three, along with 15 other Midwestern communities, made 2025’s top 100 arts-vibrant areas across the U.S.  

In its tenth study, SMU DataArts released its Arts Vibrancy Index—a measure of “supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture at the community level.” 

Adjusted for cost of living and population, researchers analyzed arts providers, government support, and arts dollars in communities in all 50 states.  

Minnesota’s Minneapolis/St. Paul/Bloomington region ranked #18 out of 100, the “most vibrant” arts-wise in the Midwest. That’s followed by Chicago/Naperville/Schaumburg, Illinois, and Kalamazoo/Portage, Michigan, at #26 and #31, respectively. 

Photo Credit: The Darkroom Chicago

We talked with arts leaders in a couple of these top communities, including Galesburg, Illinois, and Spearfish, South Dakota. 

“We have this deep-rooted history of supporting the arts,” says Tuesday Çetin, executive director of the Galesburg Community Arts Center in Illinois. “Arts have been just part of the fabric of Galesburg for generations.” 

The Arts Center has been around for over 100 years, old enough to witness Galesburg’s longstanding railroad industry. The city’s Amtrak train station connects to Chicago, bringing students and artists to and from Galesburg cyclically, Çetin says. The city is also home to Blick Art Materials and late artists Carl Sandburg and Dorothea Tanning. 

Photo Credit: Joanna Mechaley

Galesburg boasts historic venues like its symphony, civic theatre, and performing arts theatre. Jazz music often rings out; poetry keeps pens moving; folks come out to see new visual art works. 

“The arts thrive here in our area,” Çetin says. “It is something that’s deeply invested in by individuals and community members. And I think for a smaller Rust Belt community, it’s the fabric that has kept a very consistent economy going.” 

Across Iowa and far west into South Dakota is Spearfish, South Dakota—a fellow art-loving city less than half the population size of Galesburg. 

Award-winning artist Anna Robins is a filmmaker, composer, and arts advocate in Spearfish. She nods to Spearfish’s enormous arts and music festival each year, a robust music scene, ‘Termesphere’ artist, and opera house.  

“With a lot of small towns around us, the interesting thing about this area is there’s so much crossover between town,” Robins says, noting the “crossover” extends to cultures, landscapes, and people. 

“Spearfish has a vibrant art scene because there’s all these other small towns around us that come here to gather and to express and to display.” 

The Midwest Numbers

The Arts Vibrancy Index defines communities based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s CBSAs (Core Based Statistical Areas). Those are “core urban areas” and adjacent counties “with strong economic and social ties.” The top Midwest areas on the list are: