by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Study shows region uniquely outperforms major music hubs nationwide
A new national study is putting Northern Colorado on the map in an unexpected way: music engagement. According to newly released data, cities across the region are outperforming well-known music centers like Austin, Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City.
The analysis, conducted by Wiingy Research, evaluated interest in music learning using search data from dozens of U.S. cities. When the same methodology was applied to Northern Colorado, all four cities studied—Loveland, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Greeley—ranked ahead of major metro areas in per-capita music engagement.
Loveland emerged as one of the top performers nationwide, ranking No. 2 with a score of 95.8—second only to Asheville, North Carolina. Boulder followed closely at No. 4, while Fort Collins ranked No. 10 and Greeley came in at No. 12.
The findings suggest that interest in learning music—measured by search activity for lessons such as guitar, piano, and singing—is particularly strong in Northern Colorado communities. On a per-capita basis, Loveland residents generate more than four times as many music-learning searches as New York City residents, highlighting a significant difference in engagement levels.
When viewed as a combined region, the Northern Colorado corridor ranks No. 8 nationally, placing it alongside larger metropolitan areas such as Cleveland and Miami.
Researchers say the data reflects not just population size but also a deeper cultural interest in music education and participation. The study used Google search volume data from March 2025 through February 2026 and normalized the results by population to ensure fair comparisons across cities.
For Northern Colorado, the results reinforce what many local residents and educators already see: a strong, community-driven interest in the arts that continues to grow across cities of all sizes.
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Attribution: Wiingy Research, Northern Colorado Music Engagement Study (2025)