Many of us discovered our inner Martha Stewart during the pandemic. We’re weaving baskets, creating resin jewelry, and decoupaging our dressers. (LawnStarter’s favorite craft project? Turning grass into wall art, of course.)
But whether you’re a needlework novice or a full-blown Etsy-preneur, where you live can make or break the craft hobbyist in you.
To mark National Craft Month this March, LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Crafting.
We strung together 11 key indicators of an ideal “craft city,” where you can easily access supplies, knit and mingle with local makers, and even learn new crafting techniques.
See which cities are America’s DIY art capitals in our ranking below, followed by some highlights and lowlights. (Make sure to read about out LawnStarter’s Grass Art Contest for a chance to win three free mows!)
Table of Contents
- City Rankings
- Highlights and Lowlights
- Methodology
- Small Crafts = Big Business
- LawnStarter Grass Art Contest
City Rankings
See how your city and others fared in our ranking:
OVERALL RANK | City | Overall Score | Access Rank | Community Rank | Education Rank | Events Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York, NY | 52.11 | 37 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
2 | San Francisco, CA | 46.83 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
3 | Miami, FL | 38.16 | 1 | 45 | 56 | 16 |
4 | Seattle, WA | 33.91 | 43 | 2 | 18 | 47 |
5 | Paterson, NJ | 32.36 | 2 | 142 | 114 | 11 |
6 | Atlanta, GA | 31.87 | 108 | 17 | 25 | 1 |
7 | Alexandria, VA | 31.66 | 3 | 29 | 11 | 52 |
8 | Denver, CO | 30.12 | 76 | 5 | 22 | 9 |
9 | Baltimore, MD | 29.45 | 97 | 23 | 16 | 3 |
10 | St. Paul, MN | 29.19 | 34 | 55 | 87 | 5 |
11 | Houston, TX | 27.42 | 149 | 3 | 40 | 23 |
12 | Chicago, IL | 27.26 | 95 | 8 | 23 | 6 |
13 | Austin, TX | 26.85 | 141 | 4 | 24 | 10 |
14 | Portland, OR | 24.72 | 50 | 6 | 9 | 93 |
15 | Orange, CA | 24.67 | 6 | 84 | 104 | 21 |
16 | Minneapolis, MN | 24.53 | 38 | 13 | 4 | 17 |
17 | Fullerton, CA | 24.43 | 7 | 107 | 8 | 39 |
17 | Torrance, CA | 24.43 | 4 | 173 | 84 | 52 |
19 | Philadelphia, PA | 23.67 | 63 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
20 | Garden Grove, CA | 23.44 | 5 | 173 | 114 | 33 |
21 | Jersey City, NJ | 23.16 | 22 | 76 | 110 | 7 |
22 | Santa Ana, CA | 23.01 | 8 | 110 | 59 | 21 |
23 | Huntington Beach, CA | 22.24 | 9 | 64 | 78 | 33 |
24 | Pittsburgh, PA | 22.06 | 16 | 38 | 7 | 51 |
25 | Rochester, NY | 22.00 | 19 | 66 | 3 | 49 |
26 | Long Beach, CA | 20.61 | 25 | 46 | 27 | 19 |
27 | Los Angeles, CA | 20.04 | 146 | 10 | 10 | 14 |
28 | Pasadena, CA | 19.36 | 21 | 71 | 15 | 46 |
29 | Providence, RI | 19.34 | 24 | 74 | 17 | 35 |
30 | Bridgeport, CT | 18.93 | 13 | 82 | 144 | 47 |
31 | Yonkers, NY | 18.41 | 36 | 165 | 126 | 13 |
32 | Anaheim, CA | 18.28 | 46 | 93 | 41 | 15 |
33 | Glendale, CA | 17.81 | 20 | 130 | 49 | 60 |
34 | Lakewood, CO | 17.62 | 27 | 106 | 14 | 56 |
35 | Cincinnati, OH | 17.33 | 30 | 35 | 104 | 55 |
36 | Eugene, OR | 17.29 | 28 | 33 | 1 | 185 |
37 | St. Louis, MO | 17.24 | 15 | 18 | 80 | 180 |
38 | Louisville, KY | 17.06 | 17 | 130 | 74 | 75 |
39 | Buffalo, NY | 16.60 | 47 | 148 | 73 | 18 |
40 | San Diego, CA | 16.42 | 140 | 9 | 29 | 50 |
41 | Sacramento, CA | 16.27 | 56 | 28 | 37 | 41 |
42 | Tacoma, WA | 16.26 | 32 | 54 | 34 | 76 |
42 | Richmond, VA | 16.26 | 45 | 39 | 13 | 82 |
44 | Newark, NJ | 16.08 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 12 |
45 | Fort Collins, CO | 16.03 | 55 | 36 | 19 | 56 |
46 | Colorado Springs, CO | 15.92 | 119 | 11 | 57 | 40 |
47 | Syracuse, NY | 15.51 | 12 | 130 | 55 | 159 |
48 | Oakland, CA | 15.10 | 115 | 43 | 6 | 35 |
49 | Bellevue, WA | 15.02 | 26 | 41 | 104 | 111 |
50 | Orlando, FL | 14.96 | 54 | 22 | 114 | 70 |
51 | Boston, MA | 14.91 | 129 | 14 | 46 | 28 |
51 | Sunnyvale, CA | 14.91 | 33 | 57 | 21 | 120 |
53 | Irvine, CA | 14.49 | 87 | 49 | 49 | 20 |
54 | Vancouver, WA | 14.45 | 29 | 24 | 166 | 144 |
55 | Hollywood, FL | 14.38 | 18 | 142 | 89 | 138 |
56 | Metairie, LA | 14.33 | 10 | 173 | 166 | 183 |
57 | Las Vegas, NV | 14.18 | 49 | 21 | 128 | 106 |
58 | Hialeah, FL | 13.79 | 14 | 154 | 119 | 168 |
59 | Washington, DC | 13.77 | 103 | 15 | 28 | 81 |
60 | Tempe, AZ | 13.34 | 31 | 115 | 48 | 125 |
61 | Pomona, CA | 13.24 | 61 | 154 | 98 | 27 |
62 | Plano, TX | 13.15 | 40 | 55 | 128 | 100 |
63 | Naperville, IL | 13.08 | 48 | 148 | 144 | 65 |
64 | Corona, CA | 12.90 | 65 | 173 | 84 | 29 |
65 | Phoenix, AZ | 12.87 | 160 | 20 | 81 | 25 |
66 | Oxnard, CA | 12.81 | 35 | 154 | 158 | 84 |
67 | Milwaukee, WI | 12.70 | 80 | 39 | 112 | 54 |
68 | Worcester, MA | 12.61 | 91 | 125 | 58 | 26 |
69 | Modesto, CA | 12.47 | 39 | 115 | 188 | 95 |
70 | Honolulu, HI | 12.40 | 58 | 130 | 31 | 77 |
71 | Grand Rapids, MI | 12.39 | 41 | 99 | 32 | 148 |
72 | San Jose, CA | 12.38 | 134 | 25 | 36 | 67 |
73 | Oceanside, CA | 12.33 | 73 | 121 | 122 | 29 |
74 | Escondido, CA | 12.18 | 72 | 107 | 140 | 37 |
75 | Salinas, CA | 12.17 | 23 | 165 | 158 | 136 |
76 | Rockford, IL | 12.02 | 66 | 87 | 60 | 65 |
77 | Dallas, TX | 11.78 | 165 | 16 | 68 | 59 |
78 | Riverside, CA | 11.75 | 92 | 103 | 128 | 29 |
79 | Santa Rosa, CA | 11.62 | 52 | 107 | 188 | 74 |
80 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 11.21 | 44 | 61 | 89 | 164 |
81 | Akron, OH | 11.20 | 84 | 48 | 71 | 79 |
82 | Tampa, FL | 10.97 | 74 | 63 | 67 | 84 |
82 | Tucson, AZ | 10.97 | 104 | 31 | 38 | 108 |
84 | Ontario, CA | 10.87 | 111 | 165 | 119 | 38 |
85 | Aurora, IL | 10.78 | 70 | 99 | 181 | 64 |
85 | Raleigh, NC | 10.78 | 124 | 26 | 44 | 109 |
87 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 10.62 | 116 | 154 | 98 | 42 |
88 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 10.57 | 42 | 173 | 128 | 138 |
89 | Fontana, CA | 10.26 | 109 | 154 | 152 | 42 |
90 | Salem, OR | 10.17 | 62 | 88 | 20 | 152 |
91 | Mesa, AZ | 9.95 | 85 | 80 | 97 | 94 |
92 | Toledo, OH | 9.89 | 81 | 92 | 103 | 91 |
93 | Thornton, CO | 9.84 | 90 | 165 | 166 | 56 |
94 | Aurora, CO | 9.79 | 133 | 80 | 144 | 45 |
95 | Garland, TX | 9.71 | 57 | 148 | 158 | 100 |
96 | Albuquerque, NM | 9.62 | 89 | 27 | 96 | 149 |
97 | Salt Lake City, UT | 9.54 | 101 | 30 | 65 | 135 |
98 | Stockton, CA | 9.50 | 67 | 154 | 140 | 90 |
99 | Dayton, OH | 9.49 | 51 | 99 | 152 | 134 |
100 | St. Petersburg, FL | 9.46 | 93 | 76 | 26 | 123 |
101 | Cleveland, OH | 9.43 | 107 | 68 | 47 | 107 |
102 | New Orleans, LA | 9.41 | 152 | 42 | 54 | 73 |
103 | Springfield, MA | 9.40 | 147 | 173 | 166 | 24 |
104 | Madison, WI | 9.32 | 68 | 60 | 42 | 156 |
105 | Elk Grove, CA | 9.25 | 77 | 130 | 140 | 92 |
106 | Charlotte, NC | 9.24 | 163 | 19 | 92 | 97 |
107 | Arlington, VA | 9.10 | 121 | 76 | 98 | 80 |
108 | McKinney, TX | 9.07 | 100 | 93 | 122 | 86 |
109 | Overland Park, KS | 9.00 | 69 | 96 | 158 | 111 |
110 | Scottsdale, AZ | 8.94 | 157 | 47 | 104 | 67 |
111 | Irving, TX | 8.86 | 117 | 93 | 181 | 72 |
112 | Spokane, WA | 8.62 | 53 | 53 | 136 | 193 |
113 | San Bernardino, CA | 8.56 | 180 | 130 | 77 | 42 |
114 | Tulsa, OK | 8.53 | 138 | 97 | 128 | 69 |
114 | Glendale, AZ | 8.53 | 64 | 65 | 144 | 152 |
116 | Indianapolis, IN | 8.42 | 161 | 44 | 88 | 78 |
117 | Greensboro, NC | 8.41 | 127 | 88 | 72 | 96 |
118 | Arlington, TX | 8.30 | 123 | 142 | 94 | 86 |
119 | Savannah, GA | 8.24 | 131 | 97 | 43 | 99 |
120 | Frisco, TX | 8.08 | 99 | 115 | 144 | 100 |
121 | Kansas City, MO | 8.02 | 179 | 37 | 45 | 111 |
121 | Chandler, AZ | 8.02 | 83 | 112 | 119 | 126 |
123 | Moreno Valley, CA | 7.98 | 178 | 173 | 188 | 29 |
124 | Fort Worth, TX | 7.96 | 177 | 34 | 128 | 86 |
125 | Tallahassee, FL | 7.90 | 105 | 99 | 136 | 116 |
125 | Columbus, OH | 7.90 | 132 | 71 | 51 | 121 |
127 | Joliet, IL | 7.85 | 128 | 173 | 166 | 71 |
128 | Pasadena, TX | 7.84 | 59 | 173 | 158 | 147 |
128 | Omaha, NE | 7.84 | 88 | 68 | 53 | 171 |
130 | Boise, ID | 7.73 | 60 | 67 | 128 | 185 |
131 | San Antonio, TX | 7.65 | 174 | 32 | 86 | 119 |
132 | Gilbert, AZ | 7.51 | 96 | 115 | 114 | 126 |
133 | Knoxville, TN | 7.40 | 79 | 62 | 166 | 160 |
134 | Cary, NC | 7.33 | 86 | 59 | 128 | 169 |
135 | Wichita, KS | 7.26 | 125 | 115 | 111 | 117 |
136 | Baton Rouge, LA | 7.24 | 78 | 154 | 136 | 137 |
137 | Mesquite, TX | 7.18 | 112 | 173 | 188 | 100 |
138 | Santa Clarita, CA | 7.16 | 182 | 125 | 122 | 62 |
139 | Birmingham, AL | 7.14 | 153 | 115 | 35 | 110 |
140 | Chula Vista, CA | 7.08 | 106 | 142 | 102 | 133 |
141 | Springfield, MO | 7.01 | 75 | 121 | 64 | 181 |
142 | Norfolk, VA | 6.90 | 120 | 165 | 75 | 126 |
143 | Palmdale, CA | 6.88 | 172 | 173 | 152 | 61 |
144 | Murfreesboro, TN | 6.78 | 98 | 110 | 52 | 178 |
145 | Little Rock, AR | 6.75 | 143 | 148 | 30 | 126 |
146 | Fremont, CA | 6.72 | 168 | 154 | 63 | 89 |
146 | Olathe, KS | 6.72 | 126 | 125 | 188 | 111 |
148 | Miramar, FL | 6.62 | 71 | 173 | 140 | 164 |
148 | Lincoln, NE | 6.62 | 94 | 154 | 33 | 193 |
150 | Lancaster, CA | 6.56 | 181 | 173 | 158 | 62 |
151 | Sioux Falls, SD | 6.49 | 114 | 173 | 69 | 149 |
152 | Hayward, CA | 6.40 | 145 | 130 | 114 | 105 |
152 | Reno, NV | 6.40 | 110 | 83 | 122 | 163 |
154 | Detroit, MI | 6.38 | 198 | 57 | 79 | 83 |
155 | Newport News, VA | 6.00 | 130 | 154 | 61 | 140 |
156 | Fort Wayne, IN | 5.96 | 122 | 130 | 101 | 155 |
157 | Oklahoma City, OK | 5.93 | 191 | 70 | 91 | 98 |
158 | Fresno, CA | 5.86 | 113 | 71 | 181 | 172 |
159 | Durham, NC | 5.61 | 151 | 51 | 126 | 142 |
160 | Chattanooga, TN | 5.40 | 136 | 91 | 158 | 142 |
161 | Nashville, TN | 5.28 | 197 | 51 | 76 | 122 |
162 | Des Moines, IA | 5.22 | 118 | 121 | 82 | 196 |
163 | Lexington, KY | 5.11 | 183 | 85 | 93 | 124 |
163 | Virginia Beach, VA | 5.11 | 166 | 103 | 113 | 131 |
165 | El Paso, TX | 5.06 | 176 | 129 | 139 | 117 |
166 | Grand Prairie, TX | 4.82 | 175 | 173 | 188 | 100 |
167 | Bakersfield, CA | 4.67 | 142 | 130 | 152 | 144 |
168 | Henderson, NV | 4.57 | 137 | 103 | 166 | 167 |
169 | McAllen, TX | 4.55 | 102 | 173 | 166 | 198 |
170 | Kansas City, KS | 4.44 | 190 | 113 | 166 | 111 |
171 | Winston-Salem, NC | 4.38 | 185 | 148 | 39 | 158 |
172 | Fayetteville, NC | 4.22 | 148 | 76 | 166 | 170 |
173 | Mobile, AL | 4.10 | 158 | 130 | 166 | 140 |
174 | Montgomery, AL | 4.05 | 173 | 173 | 166 | 126 |
175 | Cape Coral, FL | 3.90 | 164 | 85 | 166 | 161 |
176 | Shreveport, LA | 3.88 | 156 | 165 | 158 | 149 |
177 | Memphis, TN | 3.87 | 188 | 130 | 83 | 144 |
178 | Jacksonville, FL | 3.85 | 195 | 50 | 108 | 162 |
179 | Amarillo, TX | 3.80 | 139 | 90 | 166 | 195 |
180 | Killeen, TX | 3.78 | 144 | 165 | 181 | 164 |
181 | Jackson, MS | 3.70 | 169 | 173 | 66 | 177 |
182 | Paradise, NV | 3.42 | 135 | 173 | 181 | 185 |
183 | Peoria, AZ | 3.37 | 186 | 125 | 144 | 152 |
184 | Lubbock, TX | 3.33 | 159 | 148 | 152 | 175 |
185 | Chesapeake, VA | 2.95 | 199 | 173 | 144 | 131 |
186 | North Las Vegas, NV | 2.92 | 170 | 173 | 95 | 185 |
187 | Huntsville, AL | 2.83 | 171 | 113 | 144 | 181 |
188 | Spring Valley, NV | 2.69 | 154 | 173 | 152 | 185 |
189 | Midland, TX | 2.63 | 150 | 154 | 188 | 198 |
190 | Corpus Christi, TX | 2.55 | 162 | 121 | 188 | 196 |
191 | Clarksville, TN | 2.54 | 155 | 173 | 188 | 183 |
192 | Macon, GA | 2.44 | 196 | 130 | 166 | 156 |
192 | Augusta, GA | 2.44 | 193 | 142 | 70 | 192 |
194 | Sunrise Manor, NV | 2.30 | 167 | 173 | 181 | 185 |
195 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 2.20 | 187 | 173 | 181 | 174 |
196 | Laredo, TX | 2.17 | 184 | 173 | 200 | 175 |
197 | Anchorage, AK | 1.78 | 200 | 142 | 109 | 173 |
198 | Columbus, GA | 1.69 | 192 | 165 | 188 | 179 |
199 | Brownsville, TX | 1.28 | 189 | 173 | 188 | 198 |
200 | Enterprise, NV | 1.23 | 194 | 173 | 188 | 185 |
Highlights and Lowlights
New York, The City That Never Stops Crafting
The Big Apple is this year’s DIY Art Capital of America. New York City handily beat out the other 199 cities in our ranking, thanks to its strong performance in three out of four categories: Community (No. 1), Education (No. 2), and Events (No. 4).
How crazy are New Yorkers about crafts? The city is one of few that hosts a seasonal Renegade Craft Fair, one of the largest in the nation featuring goods made by hundreds of local craftspeople.
At No. 37, New York was pulled down in the Access category by a lack of big craft chains like Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, which are more prolific in cities with more generous real estate. But that won’t stop New Yorkers from getting their hands dirty — there’s no shortage of independent arts and crafts supply stores in the city, ranking No. 7 in this metric.
Meet Your Maker (at Craft Week)
Among our top 10 cities are four crafty bigshots: San Francisco at No. 2, Atlanta at No. 6, as well as Baltimore and St. Paul, Minnesota, in ninth and 10th places.
Each of these cities has hosted a national craft week organized by the American Craft Council. These events not only showcase artisans from across the country, but they’re also packed with fun and educational activities, including workshops, studio tours, and “maker meetups.”
Head over to one of these handy hubs if you’re serious about your craft and want to meet the big players in the industry.
Enterprise, Beam Up Some Crafters
For a city whose name literally means “a project or undertaking,” Enterprise, Nevada, is the least enterprising of our crafty cities at No. 200 overall.
Scoring only 1.23 points total, Enterprise ranked near the bottom of every category. There are few stores to buy craft supplies, no maker community, and only one art class available to the public within 5 miles of the city center — and it’s in Las Vegas.
This is a baffling result for a town whose population is nearly a quarter children under 18, average per-household (earned) income is over $102,000 annually, and second-biggest industry is arts, entertainment, and recreation.
What gives? It’s unclear, but the crafty population in Enterprise will likely find more creative encouragement in nearby Las Vegas (No. 57).
Methodology
We ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities from best (No. 1) to worst (No. 200) for crafting based on their overall scores (out of 100 possible points), averaged across all the weighted metrics listed below.
Metric | Weight | Min. Value | Max. Value | Best |
---|---|---|---|---|
Access | ||||
Arts and Crafts Supply Stores per Square Mile | 3 | 0 | 1.53 | Max. Value |
National Craft Chain (Hobby Lobby, HobbyTown, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, and Michaels) Locations per Square Mile | 2 | 0 | 0.28 | Max. Value |
Hardware Stores per Square Mile | 1 | 0 | 5.22 | Max. Value |
Thrift Stores per Square Mile | 1 | 0 | 0.67 | Max. Value |
Community | ||||
Number of Local Artists and Craftspeople Participating in "Artists Sunday" | 3 | 0 | 141 | Max. Value |
Number of Crafting Meetup Groups | 3 | 0 | 106 | Max. Value |
Education | ||||
Number of Art Classes and Workshops | 1 | 0 | 104 | Max. Value |
Schools With Craft Workshops And Courses per 100,000 Residents | 1 | 0 | 2.97 | Max. Value |
Events | ||||
Number of Craft Fairs and Events | 2 | 0 | 371 | Max. Value |
Number of Arts and Crafts Festivals | 2 | 0 | 14 | Max. Value |
Hosts American Craft Council National Event(s) (1 = Yes, 0 = No) | 3 | 0 | 1 | Max. Value |
Sources: American Craft Council, Artists Sunday, Eventbrite, Everfest, Hobby Lobby, HobbyTown, Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts, Meetup, Michaels, TheThriftShopper.com, Yellow Pages, and Yelp
Small Crafts = Big Business
Americans are crafting more than ever, a trend spurred by pandemic lockdowns in 2020. We took up crafting to assuage our boredom and stress, learn new skills, or even make a political statement.
Some of us got so good at DIY that we turned it into a profitable business, creating a whole new crop of Etsy craft vendors. In 2020 alone, Etsy more than doubled its revenues to a record $1.7 billion, thanks to skyrocketing sales of handmade goods, and is currently beating its own records.
As the pandemic eases, though, it seems we’re not ready to put our glue guns and crochet hooks down just yet. In fact, craft retail chain Michaels calls 2022 the “Year of Mindful Making” in its first-ever industry trend predictions.
So if you’ve wanted to try your hand at DIY art, there’s never been a better time than now. This ranking will help you find the best cities to help nurture your creative side.
LawnStarter Grass Art Contest
Show off your craft skills this National Craft Month (March)!
How to enter: Send photos of your coolest grass art project to grassart@lawnstarter.com no later than midnight Central Time on Thurs., March 31.
The prize: The winner will receive up to three free mows (maximum value: $100) from LawnStarter.
Winner selection process: The LawnStarter Team will judge the contest submissions based on creativity and how well grass is incorporated into the art piece.
We will notify the winner via email and update this article with photos of the winning project on Mon., April 4.
Best of luck!
Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock