America's Most Creative Cities

Totaling more than 40 million workers nationwide, from educators to architects, what Florida defines as the "creative class" is credited as, "a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the United States." A decade since its introduction, Florida has revisited his seminal text and, along with his Martin Prosperity Institute colleague Kevin Stolarick, has updated his ranking of America's metros with the largest concentrations of the creative class.

"Durham, North Carolina, where the creative class makes up 48.4 percent of the workforce, tops the list. San Jose, California, is second, followed by greater Washington, D.C.; Ithaca, New York; and Boulder, Colorado." Noted absences from the top of the rankings include New York City (34th) and Los Angeles (60th).

According to Florida, "The geography of the creative class has become more uneven over the past decade. Back when I did the initial metro rankings using 1999 data, the highest share of the creative class was about 35 percent. Today, it's pushing 50 percent....On the flip side, there is one metro where the creative class makes up less than 20 percent of the workforce and 48 where it accounts for between 20 and 25 percent."