Ranked: The Top 10 U.S. Cities for Crafting

Staff Report

Friday, February 25th, 2022

Many of us discovered our inner Martha Stewart during the pandemic. We’re weaving baskets, decoupaging our dressers, and even knitting mittens for senators.

Crafting has grown so popular that Michaels calls 2022 the Year of Mindful Making, and Etsy is currently beating its record revenue during the pandemic.

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 the 10 DIY art capitals (and the 10 less crafty cities) below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from our report. 

 
 

2022’s Best Cities for Crafting

Rank

City

1

New York, NY

2

San Francisco, CA

3

Miami, FL

4

Seattle, WA

5

Paterson, NJ

6

Atlanta, GA

7

Alexandria, VA

8

Denver, CO

9

Baltimore, MD

10

St. Paul, MN

 

2022’s Worst Cities for Crafting

Rank

City

191

Clarksville, TN

192

Macon, GA

193

Augusta, GA

194

Sunrise Manor, NV

195

Port St. Lucie, FL

196

Laredo, TX

197

Anchorage, AK

198

Columbus, GA

199

Brownsville, TX

200

Enterprise, NV

Highlights and Lowlights:

  • New York, America’s DIY Art Capital: The Big Apple 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. 

    At No. 37 in Access, New York lacks big craft chains like Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts. But that won’t stop New Yorkers from getting their hands dirty — there’s no shortage of independent arts and crafts supply stores (No. 7) in the city.
     

  • 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.”
     

  • 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. This is a baffling result for a town with many children, a high average earned income, and a big focus on arts, entertainment, and recreation

    The crafty population in Enterprise will likely find more creative encouragement in nearby Las Vegas (No. 57). 
     

Our full ranking and analysis can be found here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-crafting-cities/