As an aspiring musician, have you ever wondered what city in the US would be the best place for you to start a music career? Well, Rent.com has answered your question. They have compiled a list of the Top 50 cities across the US for musicians based on affordability and music venues. And that’s not all the report covers—it also lists the 10 worst cities in the US for musicians to live.
While it is the most expensive city on the list for living expenses, the best city in the US for musicians is San Francisco—think Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane. Some of the greatest music across different genres came from the ’60s and ’70s. Legendary venues include The Fillmore, The Chapel, The Saloon, The Bottom of the Hill, and The Independent. It’s also known for music festivals, most notably the Outside Lands and the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
Next on the top 10 list are Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Pittsburg, Los Angeles, Boston, and Glendale, CA. Check out all the details below.
| Rank | City | Population | Music Businesses Per Density | Proportion of Music-Related Occupations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 881,549 | 2.77 | 4.92% |
| 2 | Washington, DC | 705,749 | 1.13 | 5.80% |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | 429,606 | 1.02 | 4.42% |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | 753,675 | 0.58 | 4.45% |
| 5 | New York, NY | 8,336,817 | 0.57 | 4.50% |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | 506,811 | 0.57 | 4.12% |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | 300,286 | 0.60 | 3.06% |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,979,576 | 0.40 | 6.26% |
| 9 | Boston, MA | 692,600 | 0.94 | 2.81% |
| 10 | Glendale, CA | 199,303 | 0.33 | 6.33% |
For the remaining cities, check out the list here on Rent.com.