Chicago Music City

Contact: Larry Rothfield, lary@uchicago.edu, 773.702.7302

Cities across the United States are vying with each other to attract and retain businesses.  Urban centers are gaining popularity among former suburbanites with disposable income. Sociologists tell us that young professionals thrive in cities with cultural amenities that stimulate their creativity. In response, civic leaders throughout America are trying to quantify the quality of life in their cities and celebrate what makes them unique.

Chicago Music City shows how Chicago compares with other American cities known for their musical vitality.  Chicago is a leader in the size and shape of the music industry; the availability, affordability and accessibility of live music; and the quality, variety and intensity of the live music scene.

Chicago ranks third among metropolitan areas in the overall size of its music industry and fourth among all U.S. cities in the number of concerts and performances it offers.  The quantity and variety of performances by local, national and international musical acts in Chicago is unequaled anywhere in the U.S.

Sponsored by the Chicago Music Commission. 
Primary funding by the Chicago Community Trust and the Chicago Federation of Musicians.

View the Executive Summary (PDF)

View the Report (PDF)