Fort Collins Ranked Among Most Creative U.S. Cities

Places like New York City or Austin, Texas are globally recognized as creative hot spots, with thriving music, arts and entertainment cultures. A company called Creative Vitality Suite recently looked beyond these major creative hubs, and ranked the 30 most creative small cities around the country. In order to determine the top cities, the company created the Creative Vitality Index (CVI). The CVI measures creativity based on each city's occupations, industries, nonprofit groups, and population combined.

Based on their rankings, Fort Collins came in at #21 on the list. According to Creative Vitality Suite,

Ft. Collins, Colorado is ranked number 21 on the Top 30 Creative Small Cities List with a CVI value of 1.08. Independent artists, writers, and performers in Ft. Collins generated $45.8 million in earnings for the city. Theater companies, dinner theaters, and art dealers contributed $70 million in earnings to the area’s overall economy. Over the last 3 years, the city’s creative economy experienced a 32% growth in the number of musical instrument repairers and tuners. Ft. Collins’ arts and cultural nonprofit organizations brought in over $12.5 million in revenue, most of which was generated by arts, humanities, and cultural agencies.

From painted pianos throughout town, stores filled with work by local artisans and arts-oriented nonprofits like the Bohemian Foundation, it's easy to see the creativity flowing around Fort Collins.

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