Making a living as an artist is hard. Sure, some savants are identified as child prodigies or have a performance art piece that goes viral, but in many cases you work for free until you’ve done enough networking and portfolio building to be commissioned. Even then, work can be unreliable. A full time career in your field would be great, if creative jobs weren’t more competitive than getting the first comment on a Kardashian’s Instagram picture. If you’re in a city like L.A. or New York waiting for your big break, good luck making rent – especially if you’ve got an expensive art school loan looming over your head. You could get a day job to make ends meet, but when will you have the time or energy for your craft?
Maybe this isn’t you at all. Or maybe you’ve been telling friends for months that you’re going to pull a Thoreau and head into the woods to write the next great American novel, only your lease isn’t up yet and the WiFi is terrible out there. So if this is you, where can you go? Is there a city out there with available jobs in creative industries where the cost of living is actually reasonable?
The answer is yes, there is that city. At least ten of them.
To find the best places to go for artistic careers, we looked at the metropolitan statistical areas with the least competition (determined by the number of applications per ad) for the highest number of Art/Media/Writer and TV/Film/Musician jobs posted through ZipRecruiter. We also factored in the cities offering the most benefits across all local job postings in those industries as well as the median price of rent in each city, because it’s hard to create your masterpiece in a two-bedroom you share with six roommates you met online.
Fear not, starving artists. Here are the ten best cities to work at a job you love and still be able to afford dinner.
Though Salt Lake City’s economy is driven primarily by its transportation and service sectors, it comes as no surprise that the city just a short drive from the Sundance Film Festival grounds is a prime location for creative work. In addition to its reputation for both screening and shooting films, SLC is home to a variety of diverse artistic mediums. Theatres are popular venues for traveling Broadway productions, and an eclectic music scene thrives with the support of free local concerts and publications like SLUG Magazine. A multitude of annual arts festivals and beautiful landscapes should inspire some creativity – as well as the low competition for art and media industry jobs.
Median Rent: $1,250
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2. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
Milwaukee has a rich music history as the home to artists like Liberace, Les Paul and The Violent Femmes, but the city also has a low competition rate for positions in the fields of writing, media, and design. With relatively low rent, allegedly the world’s largest annual music festival, and a nickname like Brewtown, Milwaukee could be the ideal place to do what you love.
Median Rent: $1,077
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3. Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
Cincinnati’s revitalization of its downtown into a center for arts and entertainment may have made it one of the best cities to travel to in 2015, but our data shows it could also be a great city to settle down in – especially if you’re looking for a creative career. Low competition for jobs representing nearly every art discipline, a strong community for creatives that supports a range of causes from artists with disabilities to public works projects, and a low cost of living all make the city a great place for artists to work and live.
Median Rent: $985
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- TV/Video Producer
- Art Instructor
- Writer – Content Marketing Specialist
- Proposal Writer
- Digital Sculptor
Art, performance, and a vibrant creative culture are deeply rooted in Memphis’ history. The city is full of theatres, music venues, museums, and artistic opportunities – consider the variety of available jobs and the lowest rent of any city on our list is just an added bonus.
Median Rent: $854
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It would be hard not to include a city where The Flaming Lips own a psychedelic-muraled building on a list about places for creative minded folks to take root, but OKC earns our #5 spot for so much more. Oklahoma City boasts a thriving underground art scene and is home to numerous collectives, art, music, and film festivals, and other opportunities for showcase and performance.
Median Rent: $1,154
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6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Seattle is a cultural trendsetter, but their creative opportunities don’t stop at grunge rock and coffee shops. The city is prominent center for both high art, underground movements, popular trends and counter culture. The juxtaposition has created an inspiring community, and a wealth of creative work opportunities.
Median Rent: $1,911
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Austin draws a diverse population with its arts scene, thriving economy, and nationally recognized cultural events like South by Southwest Film Festival and the Fun Fun Fun Fest music festival. And really, what artist wouldn’t be at least a little curious about a city with a motto like Keep Austin Weird?
Median Rent: $1,885
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Art has acted as a major catalyst for Pittsburgh’s economy. Since the collapse of its former driving industries like steel manufacturing, the city has been stimulated by a revitalized downtown arts district as well as an overall diversified economy. The nonprofit arts industry is prominent in the area, and the city holds a long tradition of inventiveness in music and film.
Median Rent: $1,057
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9. Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
Omaha’s artistic prowess is exemplified by the dedication shown in various disciplines across the city. The Holland Performing Arts Center, Orpheum Theatre, and Joslyn Art Museum all call Omaha home, and the city has been featured prominently in films like Election and About Schmidt.
Median Rent: $1,287
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10. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
Though Portland’s vibrant artistic spirit may be somewhat satirized in pop culture, the city certainly has the reputation to back it up. The City of Roses is home a huge number of museums, independent galleries, small theatres, coffee shops with open mic nights – in all seriousness, Portland’s strong community support of a wide range of disciplines makes the city a great place to work and live.
Median Rent: $1,677
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