The Burrow
Jan 28, 2025
Whether you’re an artist, designer, writer, singer, or anything in between; you’ll know that being around likeminded people can be beneficial for boosting your creativity.
If you’re considering where to make the move, then you’ve come to the right place. As home loan comparison experts, we’ve scoured cities across Australia, Europe, and the US, to find the most creative cities in the world, looking at jobs and salaries, as well as factors like museums, galleries and more, per 100,000 people.
Where are the best creative jobs in Australia, and where has the biggest range of museums, galleries, and events? It’s time to find out.
The busiest city in Australia, it probably comes as no surprise that Sydney tops the list as one of the most creative cities in the world, and the best in the country. The reason? Not only does it have the most creative jobs per 100,000 (311), but it also has the highest average monthly salary (AUD$6,747.05), the second most creative courses (235), and events and festivals (18.97).
One of these events is Sydney Arts Festival, which runs for three weeks across January, and hosts a showcase of dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
In second place is Melbourne, which is known for its music scene and coffee culture – already making it a great place for creatives! The city boasts the most architectural buildings and creative courses per 100,000, at 3.46 and 271 respectively; as well as the second most creative jobs (195 per 100,000), and the second highest salaries (AUD$6,283.06 on average).
Some of Melbourne’s most beautiful buildings include the Government House, which dates back to 1876, with its ballroom featuring decadent chandeliers made up of 1,000 crystals, and the Cathedral Arcade, with its ornate stained-glass ceilings.
Tasmania’s capital comes in third place as one of the best cities for creatives, with the most events and festivals (49.67 per 100,000), the second most museums and art galleries (14.59 and 8.67 per 100,000), and the third most architectural buildings (1.58 per 100,000).
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is a great place to start, with rotating exhibitions including many pieces from Tasmanian artists. MONA’s worth a visit too, with a selection of new and old art; as well as a great bar serving wine, coffee, and soft drinks, complete with great views of Berriedale Bay.
Looking at the other best cities for creatives in Australia, Darwin came fourth, Brisbane fifth, Canberra sixth, Perth seventh, and Adelaide eighth; although each of them offers something great for creatives.
Situated in the Northern Territory, Darwin boasts the most museums and art galleries per 100,000 people, at 21.89 and 13.93 respectively; whereas Perth has the third most events and festivals.
The capital, Canberra, came second for architectural buildings, and third for art galleries; whereas Brisbane fared well with creative jobs (at 74 per 100,000, it was the third highest), as well as the third highest average salaries, and creative courses.
Home to a plethora of cultures, fashion, and food, which cities in Europe made the cut for being the most creative?
The city of love tops the European list as the best creative city in Europe, with the most museums and art galleries per 100,000 people (37.89 and 28.26 respectively); and the second most theatres and creative jobs (7.62 per 100,000, and 1,929).
With many fashion houses, design and architectural agencies, and galleries lining the streets of Paris, it’s no wonder the city attracts so many creatives looking for work.
London comes in second place, as one of the most creative cities in the world, with the most creative jobs in Europe by far, at 2,334; as well as the highest average salary (EUR€4,031.85), and the most creative courses (1,891).
London is renowned for its selection of creative universities, with Central Saint Martins the place where many world-renowned fashion and jewellery designers, and artists once came to study – Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano are just a few of their most notable alumni!
In third place for creatives is Amsterdam, with the second most museums and art galleries, as well as the second highest average salaries (EUR€4,025.06), and the third most theatres (6 per 100,000).
Some of the most famous museums and art galleries in the Dutch capital include the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, which hosts the largest collection of his work than anywhere else in the world; as well as Anne Frank’s House, where you’ll get to see where she and her family hid during Nazi-occupied Holland.
Rounding up the other top cities in Europe for creatives, Dublin and Prague came in positions four and five, with Milan, Berlin, Barcelona, Manchester and Brussels making up the top 10.
Prague and Milan scored third and fourth for the most museum and art galleries; and also came in the top three for architectural buildings, alongside Barcelona.
Prague came top for theatres, too (8.02 per 100,000), and Dublin came fifth (4.22); with Dublin and Munich coming third and fourth for the highest average salaries. When it comes to creative courses, the UK’s best, with Manchester and Birmingham coming in second and third, at 383 and 326, respectively.
Finally, we’ve looked at the USA, to see where creatives should flock to, if they want to thrive.
Officially the most creative city in the US is San Francisco, with the most museums, art galleries, architectural buildings, and theatres per 100,000 people; not to mention the highest average monthly salaries, at USD$7,425.99.
Some of the most iconic architectural buildings to discover in San Francisco include the Heineman Building, which, at 20 feet wide, is the narrowest building in the city; and the Transamerica Pyramid, which was initially picketed against as it was deemed to be so ‘ugly’, but helps to let more sunlight into the streets, with its pyramid design.
New York City comes in second place, with the greatest number of creative jobs per 100,000 people, at 3,088, and the most creative courses, at 22; as well as the second most events and festivals, at 246.17 per 100,000 people.
Home to Parsons School of Design, New York School of the Arts, and the Fashion Institute of Technology; emerging creatives flock to the city to start their training, ready to launch their careers at the likes of Condé Nast, LVMH, and Glossier – all of which are headquartered in New York.
Rounding off our top three, and one of the most creative cities in the world, is Seattle. Not only does the city have the most events and festivals per 100,000 people, at 260.64, but it also has the second most museums, theatres, and art galleries, as well as the second highest average monthly salaries, at USD$6,623.96.
Some of the theatres you can visit during your time here include Paramount Theatre and 5th Avenue Theatre, which both showcase Broadway specials; as well as Seattle Repertory Theatre, which hosts more of the classics.
Chicago and Denver came in fourth and fifth place; with San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Austin, and Dallas making up the top 10 most creative cities in the US.
Denver and Colorado have the third and fourth most museums per 100,000, Denver and New York the third and fourth most galleries, and Chicago and Denver the third and fourth most theatres.
When it comes to events and festivals, Phoenix and Charlotte placed third and fourth, at 226.96 and 211.56 per 100,000 people respectively; and Chicago and LA came second and third for architectural buildings.
The cities that placed second and third for creative jobs were LA and Chicago (1,323 and 980 per 100,000 people); and for salaries, San Jose and San Diego placed third and fourth. Finally, when it comes to creative courses, Phoenix and Philadelphia scored second and third, at 11 and 10 per 100,000 people, respectively.
Stephen Zeller, General Manager of Money at Compare the Market AUS, states that those wanting to move to a city to pursue a creative career should make sure to compare home loan options if they’re planning on buying a home.
“Regardless of what you’re doing for work, if you’re moving to a new area, it’s always prudent to save money, especially on a mortgage,” says Mr Zeller.
“Comparing home loans can help you look for a competitive rate to save on interest, as well as helping you weigh up fees and features. Even just a few percentage points difference in interest could save thousands to tens of thousands over the course of a mortgage, depending on the size of the loan.”
This campaign contains 3 datasets, looking at 48 locations in total, based on how good they are for creatives. There are 8 locations for Australia, 20 for Europe, and 20 for the USA.
To do this, 8 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then converted to a per 100,000 people basis where necessary, and were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then weighted and summed, to give each location a total score out of 10. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.
The factors used are as follows:
The factors were all normalised with a high score giving a high value, and a low score giving a low value. All data is correct as of 11/12/2024. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.