With World Art Day coming up on April 15, and approximately 5.4 million Americans employed in the arts, the non-profit organization SmileHub today released new reports on the Best Charities for the Arts and the Best States for the Arts in 2026.
To highlight the states that provide the best environment for the arts and the ones that need to improve the most, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 16 key metrics.
The data set ranges from artists per capita to the share of arts and cultural value added to a state’s economy to arts charities per capita.
Best States |
Worst States |
|
| 1. New York | 41. Kansas | |
| 2. California | 42. Oklahoma | |
| 3. Washington | 43. Nevada | |
| 4. Oregon | 44. Idaho | |
| 5. Vermont | 45. South Carolina | |
| 6. Montana | 46. West Virginia | |
| 7. Massachusetts | 47. Kentucky | |
| 8. Colorado | 48. Arkansas | |
| 9. New Mexico | 49. Alabama | |
| 10. Minnesota | 50. Mississippi |
Key Stats
- New York has the most art charities per capita – 14.8 times higher than New Hampshire, which has the fewest.
- Nevada has the highest average salary for fine artists adjusted for the cost of living – 2 times higher than Hawaii, which has the lowest.
- Washington has the most artists per capita – 17.5 times more than Delaware, which has the fewest artists.
