Towns across North Carolina
Pick a town, then pick a night.
29 towns with a measured arts life, from the mountains to the coast. Each one carries its Ray Arts Index score: a guide to how much live music and culture there is to find.
By region
Towns by region
Each ring shows a town’s six parts of the Index; the fuller the ring, the more there is to find. Hatched parts haven’t been measured yet, and never count as zero.
See the rankingMountains4 towns
Piedmont19 towns
- Raleigh64.99 OF 100
- Charlotte64.08 OF 100
- Mount Airy56.37 OF 100
- Chapel Hill47.32 OF 100
- Durham46.89 OF 100
- Greensboro46.17 OF 100
- Carrboro41.02 OF 100
- Hickory32.50 OF 100
- Kannapolis31.63 OF 100
- Cary31.09 OF 100
- Winston-Salem28.24 OF 100
- Shelby27.87 OF 100
- Mooresville26.20 OF 100Festivals and big events not yet measured
- Salisbury26.04 OF 100
- Statesville25.56 OF 100
- High Point25.50 OF 100
- Concord25.35 OF 100
- Burlington17.78 OF 100Festivals and big events not yet measured
- Gastonia16.90 OF 100
Coastal Plain6 towns
Ranked
All 29 towns, ranked
Out of 100. Numbers match the map. Towns can correct their data and add what’s missing, and scores are recalculated. how it’s calculated
Back to regions- #1AshevilleMountains66.47
- #2RaleighPiedmont64.99
- #3CharlottePiedmont64.08
- #4BooneMountains59.13
- #5BrevardMountains57.94
- #6Mount AiryPiedmont56.37
- #7WilkesboroMountains49.71
- #8Chapel HillPiedmont47.32
- #9DurhamPiedmont46.89
- #10GreensboroPiedmont46.17
- #11WilmingtonCoastal Plain45.61
- #12CarrboroPiedmont41.02
- #13Rocky MountCoastal Plain34.57
- #14HickoryPiedmont32.50
- #15KannapolisPiedmont31.63
- #16CaryPiedmont31.09
- #17Winston-SalemPiedmont28.24
- #18FayettevilleCoastal Plain28.22
- #19New BernCoastal Plain28.18
- #20ShelbyPiedmont27.87
- #21MooresvillePiedmont26.20
- #22SalisburyPiedmont26.04
- #23StatesvillePiedmont25.56
- #24High PointPiedmont25.50
- #25ConcordPiedmont25.35
- #26GreenvilleCoastal Plain24.35
- #27JacksonvilleCoastal Plain19.13
- #28BurlingtonPiedmont17.78
- #29GastoniaPiedmont16.90
- #29GastoniaPiedmont16.90
- #28BurlingtonPiedmont17.78
- #27JacksonvilleCoastal Plain19.13
- #26GreenvilleCoastal Plain24.35
- #25ConcordPiedmont25.35
- #24High PointPiedmont25.50
- #23StatesvillePiedmont25.56
- #22SalisburyPiedmont26.04
- #21MooresvillePiedmont26.20
- #20ShelbyPiedmont27.87
- #19New BernCoastal Plain28.18
- #18FayettevilleCoastal Plain28.22
- #17Winston-SalemPiedmont28.24
- #16CaryPiedmont31.09
- #15KannapolisPiedmont31.63
- #14HickoryPiedmont32.50
- #13Rocky MountCoastal Plain34.57
- #12CarrboroPiedmont41.02
- #11WilmingtonCoastal Plain45.61
- #10GreensboroPiedmont46.17
- #9DurhamPiedmont46.89
- #8Chapel HillPiedmont47.32
- #7WilkesboroMountains49.71
- #6Mount AiryPiedmont56.37
- #5BrevardMountains57.94
- #4BooneMountains59.13
- #3CharlottePiedmont64.08
- #2RaleighPiedmont64.99
- #1AshevilleMountains66.47
- #1AshevilleMountains66.47
- #4BooneMountains59.13
- #5BrevardMountains57.94
- #28BurlingtonPiedmont17.78
- #12CarrboroPiedmont41.02
- #16CaryPiedmont31.09
- #8Chapel HillPiedmont47.32
- #3CharlottePiedmont64.08
- #25ConcordPiedmont25.35
- #9DurhamPiedmont46.89
- #18FayettevilleCoastal Plain28.22
- #29GastoniaPiedmont16.90
- #10GreensboroPiedmont46.17
- #26GreenvilleCoastal Plain24.35
- #14HickoryPiedmont32.50
- #24High PointPiedmont25.50
- #27JacksonvilleCoastal Plain19.13
- #15KannapolisPiedmont31.63
- #21MooresvillePiedmont26.20
- #6Mount AiryPiedmont56.37
- #19New BernCoastal Plain28.18
- #2RaleighPiedmont64.99
- #13Rocky MountCoastal Plain34.57
- #22SalisburyPiedmont26.04
- #20ShelbyPiedmont27.87
- #23StatesvillePiedmont25.56
- #7WilkesboroMountains49.71
- #11WilmingtonCoastal Plain45.61
- #17Winston-SalemPiedmont28.24
How the Index works
Six parts, 100 points
The Ray Arts Index measures the music and cultural life of a town. It rates towns, never venues, groups or artists, and missing information is never counted as zero.
- Up to 25 pointsLive music venues
Active venues of every size.
- Up to 20 pointsRegular live music
How often shows and series happen.
- Up to 20 pointsFestivals and big events
Annual festivals and large cultural events.
- Up to 15 pointsSupporting organizations
Arts councils, nonprofits and presenters.
- Up to 10 pointsLocal government support
Funding, arts districts, cultural staff.
- Up to 10 pointsHeritage and education
Historic sites, Hall of Fame ties, school music.
The Index is calibrated against the leading towns among 7 fully measured cities: each part is scored relative to the leading towns. This is a pilot; point values are a draft and will be calibrated as more towns are measured, with every recalculation recorded.
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