South Bend, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo in Top Ten Places for Creatives

When you think of New Orleans you think music, right?  Los Angeles?  Film, of course.  There are hot spots all around the country for creativity. Theater?  Chicago and New York.  Song writers?  Nashville.  But did you know that three Michigan and Northern Indiana cities are in The Top 10 Places for Creatives?  SmartAsset.com ranked their 2018 findings on cost of living and opportunities in creative fields.

• Coming in at #5... South Bend.  According to the study, there are 83 our of 10,000 creative full-time jobs.
• Coming in at #7... Grand Rapids.  With the huge success of ArtPrize, I'm sure it's no surprise to see GR on the list.  They boast 72 creative full-time positions for every 10,000 in the area.  Most popular job?  Graphic Designer.  The folks at SmartAsset were surprised to find "...630 commercial and industrial designers" in Grand Rapids, as well, positions they say is an uncommon field in other cities.
• And tied for #9... Kalamazoo!  Even though we only have 41 creative jobs per 10,000, Kalamazoo's cost of living is 20% lower than the national average.  In fact, Kalamazoo comes in at #4 in the cheapest cities to live.  With the success of every Art Hop, our thriving theater scene, and open mics popping up everywhere, I'm sure Kalamazoo will be a destination for creative types for years to come.

Bonus Video: People from Illinois Explain Michigan Accents