What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures the reported creativity index score of the Dallas area, as well as those other major metropolitan areas for comparison. The creative index is a composite score of four factors that collectively rate a metropolitan area relative to its ability to attract high-demand "knowledge" workers. This index was developed by Richard Florida and described in his 2002 book titled The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. The four factors used to create the index score are as follows:
- The proportion of creative class (highly skilled, highly paid) workers in various industries (e.g., arts, finance, technology)
- The Milken Institute’s Tech-Pole Index (measures high-tech industry growth as compared with total national output)
- Innovation (measured by patents per capita)
- Diversity (tolerance for multicultural and lifestyle preferences within a given population)
Why is this indicator important?
This indicator is important because the creativity index, as proposed by its author, is a plausible measure of a region’s ability to sustain economic growth by its ability to continually attract highly desirable workers of the new knowledge-based economy. The creativity index demonstrates a positive correlation among high-ranking cities with growth patterns of economic development and the ability to stimulate a business and cultural environment for technology, talent, and tolerance. There is much to gain economically by being an inclusive and diverse community. In a competitive region, creativity, education, and diversity work together to attract a talented workforce, sustain worker knowledge in various industry sectors, and spur regional economic growth.
How are we doing?
Among the 49 regions (major metropolitan areas with populations in excess of 1 million people) that were compared using the creativity index, the Dallas region tied the Minneapolis–St.Paul region for 10th place, with a creativity index score of 960. The following list ranks the top 11 cities by their 2002 creativity index score:
| 1. San Francisco |
1057 |
| 2. Austin |
1028 |
| 3. Boston |
1015 |
| 4. San Diego |
1015 |
| 5. Seattle |
1008 |
| 6. Raleigh–Durham |
996 |
| 7. Houston |
980 |
| 8. Washington–Baltimore |
964 |
| 9. New York |
962 |
| 10. Minneapolis–St. Paul |
960 |
| 10. Dallas |
960 |
Creativity Index Ranking
Among Texas city regions, Dallas ranked third behind Austin (1028), which had the second highest overall score of all regions included in the creativity index comparison, and Houston, ranked seventh, with a creativity index score of 980.