The Washington State Arts Commission has developed the “Creative Vitality Index” as a way to inform policy makers and advocates about the strength of the creative economy in a city, county, state, or geographic region. 
The index is a measure of both a community’s participation in arts and cultural events and arts-related employment in more than 30 professional categories and summarizes the variables into a single indicator.  The index does not consider creative talent, only the economic dimension of creative activity.  For more information, visit the Washington State Arts Commission.
Pierce County’s creative vitality has increased since 2003.  Compared to counties like ours, we rank higher than Snohomish County, but lower than Spokane County and lower than the state as a whole.  A score of 1.00 or greater means that the area has a relatively strong arts sector.